Finding Services

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs)

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CMHCs are designated by the Department of Human Services to provide mental health services for individuals of all ages regardless of funding. Each CMHC is designated to serve a specific area and are required to serve the following Iowans in their area:

• Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or have a mental health disorder
• Adults with a serious mental illness or chronic mental illness
• Children and youth with a serious emotional disturbance
• Any of the above who have a co-occurring disorder, including but not limited to substance abuse, intellectual disability, a developmental disability, brain injury, autism spectrum disorder, or another disability or special health care need

CMHCs provide the following services:

• Outpatient services
• Twenty-four hour emergency services
• Day treatment, partial hospitalization, or psychosocial rehabilitation services
• Community support services
• Consultation services
• Education services

Click here to find your local CMHC.

Support and assistance is available through Live Chat, by calling (855) 581-8111, or by texting (855) 895-8398.

 Regional Resources

Mental Health and Disability Services (MHDS) Regions are the local entity responsible for administering Iowa's community-based, person-centered mental health and disability services system. The MHDS Regions are responsible for:

• Providing access to a full array of services including crisis services, inpatient and outpatient mental health services, and daily living supports 
• Funding core services for individuals who meet regional eligibility criteria
• Connecting individuals to services and supports 

Find your MHDS Region here.

Find your MHDS Regional CEO contacts here.

Find your MHDS Regional Coordinators of Adult Disability Services here.

MHDS Regions have established regional websites that provide more information on the services and supports available in their counties. Regional websites are available below:

• Central Iowa Community Services
• County Rural Offices of Social Services
• County Social Services
• Eastern Iowa MHDS Region
• Heart of Iowa Region
• MHDS Services of the East Central Region
• Northwest Iowa Care Connections
• Polk County Health Services
• Rolling Hills Community Services Region
• Sioux Rivers MHDS
• South Central Behavioral Health
• Southeast Iowa Link
• Southern Hills Regional Mental Health
• Southwest Iowa MHDS Region

Support and assistance are available through Live Chat, by calling (855) 581-8111, or by texting (855) 895-8398.

 Crisis services and other immediate resources

When you’re in the midst of a crisis, Your Life Iowa is here to walk beside you until your life is back on track. We can connect you to services and professionals trained in helping individuals manage their mental health challenges. You can always contact Your Life Iowa, but here are some additional ways you can get help.

• Your Life Iowa provides information and referral, counseling, crisis service coordination, and linkages to crisis screening and mental health services 24 hours a day.
• Crisis Screening is a process to determine what crisis response service is appropriate to resolve the presenting crisis.
• Crisis Stabilization Community-Based Services are short-term services provided where the individual lives, works or socializes, designed to de-escalate a crisis and stabilize an individual following a mental health crisis.
• Crisis Stabilization Residential Services are short-term living arrangements designed to de-escalate a crisis and stabilize an individual following a mental health crisis.
• Mobile Response is an on-site, face-to-face mental health service for individuals experiencing a crisis. Mobile response staff are able to intervene wherever the crisis is occurring.
• 23 Hour Observation and Holding is a secure and protected, medically staffed, psychiatrically supervised treatment environment where eligible individuals can stay up to 23 hours.
• Warm Line is a telephone line staffed by individuals with lived experience who provide nonjudgmental, nondirective support to an individual experiencing a crisis.

Support and assistance is available through Live Chat, by calling (855) 581-8111, or by texting (855) 895-8398.

 Mental health first aid

Mental Health First Aid teaches the public how to recognize symptoms of mental health problems, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate treatments and other supportive help. 

Find more information on MHFA here (this link will open in a new window).

Support and assistance is available through Live Chat, by calling (855) 581-8111, or by texting (855) 895-8398.

 Self-care Checklist

Taking care of yourself is an important part of being emotionally and mentally healthy. Here are some ideas you can try for self-care:

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• Take a walk outside
• Drink a glass of water
• Make yourself a meal that you enjoy
• Re-read one of your all-time favorite books
• Give someone a compliment – and then compliment yourself too
• Play with a pet
• Listen to a favorite music play list
• Take a hot shower or bath
• It is okay to say no - give yourself permission to choose how you spend your time, resources or energy
• Think about 10 things you are thankful for
• A couple times a day spend a few minutes stretching and breathing deeply.
• Reach out to a trusted friend or family member
• Take a short break for coffee or tea
• Start on a project you have been wanting to begin for a while
• Watch your favorite movie
• Write yourself a letter about a few things that are bothering you - then throw it away
• Treat yourself to dinner
• Call us at Your Life Iowa

Source: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Support and assistance is available through Live Chat, by calling (855) 581-8111, or by texting (855) 895-8398.

Encouragement. One Text at a time.

You can never have too much support. Especially when you’re facing a problem with alcohol or drug use, gambling, suicidal thoughts or mental health challenges. That’s why Your Life Iowa created our supportive text messaging program. So you can sign up to receive messages designed to provide you encouragement, no matter what you may be facing.

Sign Up for Text Messages

Brain injuries can be a multi-occurring condition with mental health concerns.

Brain injuries are often a multi-occurring condition with mental health concerns. Screening for brain injury is a best practice when responding to, and/or planning clinical and community-based responses for clients in health, community, and corrections services. Brain injury screening tools can provide a brief assessment of a person's exposure to brain injury, but do not provide a diagnosis or indicate an absence of a brain injury. Learn more with the Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa.

Learn about Brain Injury