Kirkbride Buildings - Historic Insane Asylums Forum

As I mentioned in this blog post: Iowa to Close a Kirkbride?, the state of Iowa is considering closing down one of it's four state psychiatric facilities.

Here's more about that from the Iowa Independent: Task Force Begins Evaluation of State’s Four Mental Health Institutions, and a sidebar piece about the hospitals: At a Glance: Iowa’s Four Historic Mental Health Institutions.

Here's an article about Independence specifically: Input Sought on Independence Health Institute

It's a much "quieter" write up compared to all the Cherokee stories in the news.

An update: Towns Plead for Mental Health Institutes' Survival

And in case you haven't read enough about this, here's another article: Independence Pleads to Keep MHI Open

The people investigating which, if any, hospital should be closed are recommending that none of them be closed.

Panel Recommends Against Closing Mental Institutes

As usual, the above doesn't mean anything definite and Iowa may still close a state hospital.

Des Moines Register - 12/4/2009
Lawmakers Say Mental Institutions May Close

A tight budget may force closure of a state facility for the mentally ill or for the mentally retarded, but only if residents would be well cared for in other settings, two state lawmakers said Thursday.

"It is likely that we will seriously look at closing one or two of the mental health facilities, and including the two resource centers'' serving people with retardation, said state Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, who helps oversee the budget for human services in Iowa.

"Nothing will be done unless we can ensure that the quality is maintained or improved, and nothing probably will be done quickly," Hatch said.

The state has four mental health institutes, in Clarinda, Cherokee, Independence and Mount Pleasant. The two resource centers are in Glenwood and Woodward.

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Looks like it'll be Mount Pleasant that will be closed, with all services being transferred to Independence. I'd say this means that Independence has the best chance of long term survival as a psychiatric hospital, but hopefully there won't be talk of closing any more facilities in the near future.

Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute Faces Closure

Department of Human Services Director Charles Krogmeier today submitted a proposal to close the mental health institute in Mount Pleasant and move all of the services provided there to the mental health institute in Independence.

The proposal is in response to a mandate approved by the Legislature last spring requiring Krogmeier to recommend closing one of the four institutes without loss of services.

“The quality of service at the MHI in Mount Pleasant is beyond question and I want everyone to know that this recommendation is no reflection whatsoever on the dedication and expertise of our staff, which is outstanding,” Krogmeier said.

Given the legislative requirement, Krogmeier said he decided to recommend a closure that would cause the least economic fallout for staff and the community, the least disruption for families of patients and the most opportunities for improving the mental health system.

The impact on the state budget would depend on how legislators decided to close the facility.

Two years from now, in fiscal 2012, the annual general fund net savings would be about $1.7 million.

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