Outpatient Services

For emergency services, please call Mobile Crisis Outreach at 319-247-0030 or dial 9-1-1

see below to learn more about Mobile Crisis Outreach services

Outpatient Mental Health treatment refers to services that are in an office or clinical setting that does not require staying overnight. This may include one-time or annual appointments with a therapist, psychiatrist (medication management), support groups, etc. 

Watch the short video below for more information about Outpatient services and what to expect.

When looking for professional help, there are a few questions to consider as you begin your search:

Once you have these answered, you can begin your search. You can look into our links organized by area below, or you can use the search engines to find other private practices. For some insurance companies, it is best to contact them first to see which providers they cover. Companies like BlueCross BlueShield have search engines on their website to find in-network providers. In some cases, it may be easier to search for the therapist first and then see if they accept your insurance. Please note that some insurance companies may require a diagnosis to cover therapy services. 

For a list of  free or low cost psychotherapy services, click here.

About Mobile Crisis

Mobile Crisis Outreach can be best described as the 9-1-1 for mental health emergencies. Mobile Crisis Outreach is intended for situations where a client would benefit more from a face-to-face meeting than from a call to a crisis phone line. Those situations could include:

Their phone lines are open 24/7 at 319-247-0030. The team will respond within one hour of receiving a request (adverse weather conditions may delay response time). Private environments, like a person’s home, require two team members; in public locations like schools, businesses, or hospitals, either one or two team members will be sent. Upon arrival, team members will:

Mobile Crisis is for people of all ages and is free of charge. Tipton's mobile crisis agency is Foundation 2, which is located in Cedar Rapids.

Crisis Stabilization Community Based Services: 563-326-6431, option 3

The Crisis Stabilization Community Based Service offered through Family Resources is intended for mental health crises that require in-person support. When you call the number above, an intake worker will receive the information for the referral and contact a Crisis Response Specialist who will call you back to assess the situation. If needed, a crisis team will respond within approximately one hour. 

Children's Crisis Stabilization Community Based.pdf

Therapeutic Services

The State of Iowa has received federal funding from FEMA to offer free virtual counseling and assistance to those affected, in any way, by COVID-19.  COVID Recovery Iowa provides counseling, virtual activities, referrals, and help finding resources to any Iowan seeking assistance or a listening ear. Learn more here: https://covidrecoveryiowa.org/ 

The Abbe Mental Health Center also offers free counseling services for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Call (319) 398-3562.

What Therapy Really is Flyer_8.5x11.pdf

By Location

Below are several organizations and private practices that provide therapeutic services, such as individual or family counseling, psychotherapy, or support groups. These are not recommendations approved by the district but are simply those available to you in the nearby area. For many of these, you can call them to see if they accept your insurance if it is not already listed on their website. This is not an exhaustive list; you can find more using the search engines below.

Cedar County

Solon/Mount Vernon

Muscatine

Iowa City 

Coralville / North Liberty

Cedar Rapids

Davenport/Quad Cities

Other Iowa areas

Search engines for finding a therapist/provider

Different Types of Therapeutic Services

The most common form of therapy is psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy. This is when you would see a therapist to talk about your challenges or go through a specific type of talk therapy. 

When looking for a therapist, you may find that they list several different therapeutic approaches they use. Some of these types include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, EMDR, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Strengths-based therapy, and more. You can find a list of these and more information about them on the website Psychology Today. Many of these techniques have some overlap, so your therapist may use multiple therapies for treatment.

Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS)

BHIS providers are like teachers but, instead of teaching reading, writing, or math, they teach kids how to manage their emotions, communicate their needs and wants, get along with others, and make healthy, safe decisions. BHIS also works with families when their children's behaviors need immediate intervention. These services can be provided in your home or at school according to your treatment plan. BHIS is only for those covered with Medicaid. Please note that some of the providers listed below may or may not have availability in Cedar County.

Nearby Providers:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT has 3 treatment modes: individual therapy, DBT skills group, and phone coaching. It has also been adapted to be used as a social-emotional curriculum in some schools. DBT has 4 core skills: Mindfulness, Emotional Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Mindfulness focuses on becoming aware of how you think and feel and learning to be non-judgemental of yourself. Emotion Regulation skills focus on managing negative and positive emotions. Distress Tolerance teaches coping skills for managing pain and challenging situations. Interpersonal Effectiveness is geared towards creating and maintaining positive relationships with others. These skills can help a person with daily functioning and live a healthier and happier life. It was intended for those with suicidality and/or borderline personality disorder but has shown to also be effective for those with various other mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. Learn more here: dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com

Local Provider: University of Iowa

Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation (IPR)

"Intensive psychiatric rehabilitation services means services designed to restore, improve, or maximize level of functioning, self-care, responsibility, independence, and quality of life; to minimize impairments, disabilities, and disadvantages of people who have a disabling mental illness; and to prevent or reduce the need for services in a hospital or residential setting. Services focus on improving personal capabilities while reducing the harmful effects of psychiatric disability, resulting in an individual’s recovering the ability to perform a valued role in society."

Nearby Providers:

STEP-IN Program

This program, provided by LSI, is a free and voluntary crisis intervention service for youth and families in Scott, Muscatine, and Cedar counties. 

It is for families experiencing crisis in which a child is on the verge of a mental health hospitalization, refusing to return home, beyond safe parental control, or if the child is at risk of out-of-home placement. (Not for children in need of immediate psychiatric hospitalization.) 

STEP-IN provides families with:

Referral/Crisis Number: 563-232-5003

22Step-In_flyer.pdf

Scanlan Center for School Mental Health

The Scanlan Center offers school-based mental health services that are short-term. For example, if a student needs short term therapy, or needs therapy immediately as they transition to a more long-term provider, school staff can make a referral for the student to them. More information can be found on their website or on the flyer.

SCSMH Clinic Flyer.pdf

Psychiatry/Medication Management

Psychiatry, also known as medication management, can be a useful treatment in addition to therapy. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that specializes in mental health; they can prescribe medications and diagnose medical and mental health conditions. Generally, it is often suggested to do psychotherapy (talk therapy) before moving on to medications to supplement your treatment. For some of these medications, they may not be effective without also seeing a therapist for treatment. 

There are medications that can be used for a variety of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. Some of those medications include anti-anxiety drugs, anti-depressants/SSRIs, stimulants, mood stabilizers, etc. Some General Practitioners may also be able to prescribe these medications. It is usually best to get them from a psychiatrist or have had discussions about it with a mental health professional beforehand to ensure the medications and dosages are right for your needs. You can learn more about psychiatry here. If you want to learn more about mental health medications, NIMH has some of that information on their website, which can be found here.

Nearby Providers:

Case Management and Community-Based Services

 

TotalChild works with children and families through case coordination to work through barriers such as trauma, basic needs (Housing, food, medical), education, employment, family involvement, and community engagement.  System of Care (SOC) is a coordinated wrap-around service that helps children and families through case coordination to assist youth who are presenting problems in the home, at school or in the community. Four Oaks - Intake number: 319-364-0259

 

Pediatric and Adult Integrated Health Home Program (IHH): This program works with clients, between the ages of three to adulthood, who have serious emotional disturbances, mental health issues, or behavioral health diagnoses who have active T19 or Medicaid. IHH connects you with a care team to improve and/or stabilize your family member’s mental and physical health. The team consists of family peer supports, care managers, and registered nurses. Child mental health wavier and habilitation services are also offered under our Intensive Case Management (ICM). IHH is a voluntary service and can end at any time. Four Oaks - Intake number: 319-364-0259


First Episode Recovery Support Team (FERST): FERST helps individuals navigate the road to recovery from a first episode of psychosis. FERST is a multidisciplinary team that includes Team Director, Psychiatrist, Individual Resilience Therapist, Family Education Program, Supported Employee and Education, and Community Support Specialist. With a focus on early intervention, illness management, shared decision making, active learning, and recovery clients who participate in FERST report improved outcomes in relationships, work, employment, and overall life satisfaction. Provided by Abbe Center in Cedar Rapids.


Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT): PACT team includes a psychiatrist, physician's assistant, psychiatric nurses, master's level clinicians, case managers, and a vocational and substance abuse specialist. The team offers a daily medication monitoring, medication management, and assistance with daily living skills, housing, and employment. PACT is intended to provide services to individuals with serious mental illness—typically schizophrenia or a similar illness that includes psychosis. Individuals served in PACT often decrease reliance on emergency services and institutional placement as access to staff is offered 24 hours per day and treatment focus is on recovery. Provided by Abbe Center in Cedar Rapids.


Supported Community Living (SCL): SCL services are moderate-intensity community mental health services designed to be teaching, supportive and transitional in nature. Treatment focus is on the development of independent living, interpersonal and symptom management skills. SCL staff offices are located at on-site living complexes in Cedar Rapids. Individuals in this program are encouraged to take an active role in their goal setting and recovery efforts. Individualized treatment plans are created with clients and their natural supports as desired by the client. Provided by Abbe Center in Cedar Rapids.


Community Support Services (CSS): CSS provides low-intensity community mental health services designed to assist individuals with a serious mental illness to live and work in the community. Services are individualized to match needs and may include assistance with housing, applying for benefits/entitlements, illness education, employment, assistance with ADL's, etc. Services are provided in the home, office, or community settings. Groups are periodically offered to meet specific treatment needs. Provided by Abbe Center in various locations.


Community Crisis Stabilization Program: This free, confidential program provides crisis stabilization and treatment as a voluntary alternative to inpatient services. It is available for both youth and adults. The primary objectives include but not limited to: restoration of functioning; strengthening the resources and capacities of the individual, family, and other supports; timely return to a natural setting and/or least restrictive setting in the community; development/strengthening of an individualized crisis prevention plan and/or safety plan, as part of the Crisis Planning Tools; and linkage to ongoing, medically necessary treatment and support services. The service process includes: crisis stabilization; initial and continued assessment; care coordination; evaluation and medication management; peer support and/or other recovery-oriented services; and mobilization of family and natural supports and community resources. Community Crisis Stabilization services are short-term, as we work to assist in a warm hand off referral to programming and services that will work to sustain long-lasting outcomes. Provided by Family Resources Inc.


Telehealth

What is telehealth?

Telehealth refers to medical and mental health services that are provided virtually, such as over video call, text messaging, phone call, etc. Telehealth opens up your access to providers, as you can receive services from providers licensed anywhere in Iowa right from your home.  Due to COVID-19, the majority of mental health providers now offer these services. If you feel it is best to receive support through telehealth, talk to your provider about offering telehealth to see if it is right for you. 

Online Services

These companies offer some form of teletherapy services such as counseling, therapy, psychiatry/medication management, and more. You may need to contact your insurance provider first before using these companies. Please be aware that several of these services may not accept any insurance.


Free online counseling/therapy: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/online-therapist-for-free


For reviews of these services, you can click here and here.

Group Therapy / Support Groups

Group therapy is guided by mental health professionals and is considered a form of therapy. They often cost money and might be billable to your insurance. Support groups are informal and not guided by mental health professionals; they are not considered professional therapy, but they may provide a similar support system. They may be peer-led and can be free of charge.

A closed support or therapy group refers to not allowing new members once sessions have begun. Open groups allow members to attend at any time.

For groups that are specifically for the LGBTQ+ community, see our LGBTQ+ page.

In-person:

Virtual: