DES MOINES, Iowa — As more Iowans continue to seek mental health services, two providers will soon open brand-new facilities.
Just off Pennsylvania Avenue in Des Moines, a grassy lot will soon be given new life, as UnityPoint Health plans to build a brand new, multi-million dollar mental health facility for the community.
“We are moving to the Lutheran campus. All the behavioral health services are going to be on that campus,” said Cynthia Steidl Bishop, CEO of UnityPoint Health's Eyerly Ball clinic.
UnityPoint currently has two mental health facilities in Des Moines, both located on their Iowa Methodist campus. But the new space will bring all mental health and behavioral services together on one campus, expanding the number of providers available and creating a one-stop shop for patients.
“There's not enough providers out there. When I say providers, I mean especially therapists out there, to meet the need," Steidl Bishop said. "With this new space, we're able to provide more space to provide those services."
UnityPoint isn’t the only one with plans to expand. On Friday, Covenant Family Solutions will open a brand new mental health clinic in Ames, their first in central Iowa.
“At present, there's less than one mental health provider to every 1,000 people in central Iowa," Communications Director Anna Patty said. "By growing and adding additional clinics, we can increase when people are able to access care."
The clinic will also guarantee immediate openings, eliminating wait times that often keep patients from getting timely care.
"The need is just tremendous everywhere. While we're different organizations, at the end of the day, we're all trying to work together to achieve the same goal, which is providing access to services that people absolutely need," Patty told Local 5.
Together, both facilities will help address the growing need for mental health services in Iowa for years to come.
Construction on UnityPoint Health's new mental health clinic is expected to be finished by early 2025. Covenant Family Solutions will hold a grand opening for their new Ames clinic on Friday at 12 p.m.