Courtney Hargre, a prevention specialist with Community and Human Resources, presented an overview of Iowa’s behavioral-health system realignment and how it affects Iowa County.

Hargre summarized changes from a May 2024 law that took effect in July 2025, consolidating mental health, substance-use and problem-gambling services into a single behavioral-health service system and reducing 13 regions to seven districts. She said the Iowa Primary Care Association will operate as an administrative service organization (ASO) and that the 'Your Life Iowa' system navigation tool will help residents find services.

County implications: Hargre explained that each district will have a district advisory council of 10 members (three elected officials, three people with lived behavioral-health experience, one child/adolescent representative, three members with education or behavioral-health experience, and one law-enforcement representative). She encouraged local participation and noted HHS published county snapshots (2025) with measures such as access to care and socioeconomic factors.

Prevention services: staff described plans for a broad prevention array starting in July 2026, an assessment process to identify local needs, and examples of existing local work such as a 15-session life-skills curriculum for sixth graders and outreach on problem-gambling workplace policies. The presenter offered to share contact information for county public-health leaders and asked supervisors to help identify community groups for outreach.

Next steps: supervisors asked for county-specific utilization numbers; staff said some metrics are available on the HHS website and offered to return with additional data. The presenter asked board members to consider participation on local coalitions and district advisory activities.