DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa was ranked 51st in the nation for the number of state psychiatric beds, according to the latest report by the Treatment Advocacy Center.
The Treatment Advocacy Center is a national nonprofit that advocates to remove treatment barriers for people with mental illnesses. The study compared all 50 states and Washington D.C.
There are two mental health institutions in the state that provide state psychiatric beds. One is in Cherokee and the other is located in Independence.
The study outlined that Cherokee has 24 beds for adults and 12 for children, while Independence has 40 beds for adults and 16 for children.
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As a result, this means Iowa has two available beds per 100,000 people, while the ideal ratio should be 50 beds per 100,000 people.
The study also found that Cherokee has a 97% occupancy rate with an average stay of 56 days, while Independence has a 91% occupancy rate with an average stay of 157 days.