As a helping heart for our communities, we share tips through our blog on managing mental health struggles and connecting with disability services.
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Understanding Depression in Older Adults and How To Find Local Help
At Heart of Iowa Community Services, we believe in empowering older adults — those over the age of 65 — and their families with knowledge and resources to navigate the unique challenges this generation faces and promote mental health services.
11.17.2023
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How can you promote mental health?
A decade or two previously, mental health was a completely taboo topic. Still, Generation Xers, baby boomers and older Americans don’t find it comfortable to talk about or seek mental health support. Research shows that millennials and Generation Zers are better able to identify signs and symptoms of mental health struggles and have knowledge of where to seek help. They also are more willing to talk about mental health with others and consider how to help someone who is struggling with mental health.
11.15.2023
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CAPN Services Map Out Better Youth Mental Health Outcomes
Enter Krista Fisher and Neal Koob, two Child and Adolescent Program Navigator (CAPN) staff with Heart of Iowa Community Services. In their CAPN roles, they work between parents, schools, law enforcement agencies and other community partners to shore up mental health options for youth up to 18 years of age and, in some cases of disability, older than age 18.
10.03.2023
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Stay Aware, Be Prepared With Suicide Prevention Resources
As a parent, friend, neighbor or community member, there are a variety of things you can do to be aware of suicide warning signs among the people you see and interact with on a frequent basis. When we know the signs, we can work together to find solutions and help before it’s too late. Trust Heart of Iowa Community Services (HICS) to be an everyday resource for Iowans when it comes to mental health challenges and crisis intervention.
09.21.2023
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How do you comfort someone who is struggling with mental health?
When you struggle with mental health, it can be really difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel, to feel like you have any control over your life, or to know where to go for mental health support. Friends and family may also feel powerless and uncertain how to help someone who is struggling with mental health.
09.15.2023
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Iowans know — and use — the national 988 number
Over the course of a year, more than 31,000 Iowans utilized the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, according to Foundation 2 Crisis Services and CommUnity Crisis Services, two Iowa agencies contracted with the state Department of Health and Human Services to field calls from across the state. That’s more than double the 12,000 calls a year the agencies have received, on average, in past years.
08.18.2023
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Tony shares the gift of connection.
“Heart of Iowa (HICS) stepped in. I lived here for six months as a resident, then I stayed one month on as a resident advisor and helped the other residents. Then once I graduated the program, two weeks later I came to work here,” Tony said. “I’ve been sober ever since. Now I look at it as all those rock bottoms that I hit all the time, my higher power, my guide saved me. He kept me alive for a reason. I think that reason is to do this. To help other people, to be here, to share my story. To show them how recovery can work and what you can get out of recovery when you do the right things and you make the right decisions.”
07.21.2023
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What are community-based activities for mental health?
Erasing the stigma and stereotypes that surround mental health is no easy task, but it’s necessary as more than 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. are estimated to suffer from some form of mental illness. Facilities like Heart of Iowa Community Services (HICS) can help guide individuals on their path to better mental health, but unfortunately, only about 40% of people seek mental health support.
07.14.2023