SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE CLOSING OF THIS TREATMENT CENTER

The closing of the Iowa Residential Treatment Center at the Mental Health
Institute in Mount Pleasant would be a tremendous loss to the citizens of
Iowa. This program serves all 99 counties of Iowa, giving treatment for
alcohol and drug problems. In 1991 the beds for alcohol and drug treatment
there increased from 25 to 90 when alcohol and drug treatment programs
closed at the three other mental health institutes at Clarinda, Cherokee
and Independence. Since then the program at Mount Pleasant has been
downsized from 90 beds to 60 beds. In January 2002 the program was
downsized once again from 60 beds to 30 beds at a time when it was filled
to capacity and had a waiting list for people to receive its services. This
was done due to the state's current budget problems.

There is a long waiting list for people to enter this program which could
easily accommodate its former 60 beds as opposed to the plans to close the
program. The need for this program's services is more than it has ever been.

Approximately 90 percent of the clients receiving treatment at the Iowa
Residential Treatment Center are referred through the courts and the
Department of Correctional Services. These people have neither the money
nor insurance to receive alcohol and drug treatment at private and/or
hospital based treatment programs and are not able to succeed in outpatient
treatment programs without having had inpatient treatment first.

The need and demand for this program's services is evident and poses a
desperate situation for the courts and the Department of Correctional
Services throughout all of Iowa who already have people in our overcrowded
jails waiting to receive the alcohol and drug treatment services that the
Iowa Residential Treatment Center provides. Incarceration is far more
costly than treatment. Please lend your support to keep the Iowa
Residential Treatment Center open. Call the governor, 515-281-0561 and your
legislators or write them.

Craig Ewinger

Burlington