In Iowa, public mental health services run through the Division of Behavioral Health at the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which manages the statewide Behavioral Health Service System. The state's own line, Your Life Iowa, answers calls at (855) 581-8111 and texts at (855) 895-8398 at any hour, and Iowa has two 988 centers of its own. NAMI Iowa, based in Des Moines, runs free support groups and classes and can be reached at 515-254-0417.
If you're not in crisis but want to talk with someone who has been there, the Iowa Warm Line at 844-775-9276 is staffed by peers in recovery around the clock. Farm families and anyone dealing with stress or money trouble can also call Iowa Concern at 800-447-1985.
Under a 2024 state law, Iowa combined its mental health, substance use, gambling, and tobacco services into one Behavioral Health Service System, organized into seven HHS districts with their own published plans. The state says mobile crisis teams serve children, youth, and adults at any hour, and in most situations they arrive within 60 minutes at home, school, or a public place. Access centers, 23 hour observation, and short crisis stabilization stays give people a safe place to go without a hospital admission, and Iowa HHS publishes maps showing where each service is. The University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry in Iowa City offers specialty care across the lifespan, and the Your Life Iowa locator lists community providers you can filter by city, ZIP code, telehealth, and payment type.
Crisis lines
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 anywhere in the United States, including from Iowa. Free and confidential, 24 hours a day. For chat, visit 988lifeline.org.
- Your Life Iowa. Iowa's statewide line for mental health, substance use, gambling, and suicide concerns, funded by Iowa HHS and answered by trained counselors 24 hours a day. Call (855) 581-8111, text (855) 895-8398, or chat on the website; minors don't need a parent's permission.
- Iowa Warm Line. A free, nonemergency line staffed around the clock by peers with their own recovery experience. Call 844-775-9276; staff can also connect you with a peer support specialist who can help you find information and resources.
- 211 Iowa. Dial 211 (toll free 800-244-7431) or text your ZIP code to 898211 to find local help with food, housing, utilities, and health services. Live chat runs 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
- Iowa Concern (Iowa State University Extension and Outreach). Free, confidential stress counseling and help with financial worries, legal questions, and disasters, available 24 hours a day with interpreters. Call or text 800-447-1985, or use live chat.
Crisis care and mobile crisis
- Crisis services in Iowa (Your Life Iowa). Explains Iowa's mobile crisis response, community crisis stabilization, 23 hour observation, residential crisis stabilization for adults and youth, and access centers. Call Your Life Iowa or 988 to be connected.
- Crisis and provider service maps (Iowa HHS). Iowa HHS posts maps of access centers, mobile crisis response, crisis stabilization, and 23 hour observation sites. Use them to see which services cover your area.
State mental health authority
- Iowa HHS Behavioral Health Service System (Division of Behavioral Health). The Division of Behavioral Health oversees Iowa's combined system for mental health, substance use, gambling, and tobacco services. The page has district plans, virtual town halls, and a feedback form for questions.
- Iowa Medicaid. Iowa Medicaid helps pay for health care for eligible low income Iowans, and most members get care through the Iowa Health Link managed care program. Apply online or contact your local Iowa HHS office.
NAMI Iowa
- NAMI Iowa. The state NAMI organization, based in Des Moines, with local affiliates across Iowa. It offers free support groups, classes such as Family-to-Family and Peer-to-Peer, and online groups; call or text the office at 515-254-0417.
- NAMI Iowa support groups. NAMI Connection groups are for adults living with mental health conditions, and NAMI Family Support Groups are for relatives and friends. Both are led by trained peers; check the calendar for times.
Community mental health centers
- Find mental health providers (Iowa HHS). Links to the Iowa Community Mental Health Centers map and the state's accredited provider list. It also lists assertive community treatment teams and subacute services for people with serious mental illness.
- Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (Iowa HHS). Iowa is part of the federal certified community behavioral health clinic demonstration. For questions, the Division of Behavioral Health can be reached at 515-303-0982.
Treatment locators
- Your Life Iowa treatment finder. Search Iowa mental health providers by city or ZIP code and filter for psychiatry, telehealth, crisis services, age group, and Medicaid or other payment. Call the location to confirm services and insurance.
- FindTreatment.gov. The federal SAMHSA locator for mental health and substance use treatment. Search by ZIP code and filter by payment type.
University and academic medical centers
- University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry. The Carver College of Medicine psychiatry department in Iowa City offers outpatient and inpatient care for children, adults, and older adults. To schedule, call the Adult Psychiatry Clinic at 319-353-6314 or the Child Psychiatry Clinic at 319-356-1188.
- University of Iowa Psychiatry Residency. A four year psychiatry training program at University of Iowa Health Care, with specialty tracks that include public and rural health and child and adolescent psychiatry.