(Radio Iowa) – This is the first day of operations for Iowa’s unified system for treatment of mental illnesses and substance abuse, along with services for Iowans with disabilities. Marissa Eyanson is director of behavioral health for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. She says no service is ending today for any Iowan.

“The people that they see, those are all going to continue and everything’s going to stay intact just as it is,” she said. “The other thing that we want folks to know is that we are building something new — system navigation, for instance, where people will have an easy way to reach out to us when they need help or when they don’t know what they need.” Critics and patient advocates say under the old system, Iowans did not have equal access to services.

Thirty-two regions had provided a variety of assistance to Iowans with “behavioral health” issues like depression, anxiety or an addiction to drugs or alcohol.  “One of the things we’ve been focused of course over these last couple of years in particular is really being able to get to people sooner,” Eyanson says,” so we really see this build of system navigation and the access point — the brightly lit door of ‘YourLifeIowa’ — as that access for all Iowans.”

Your Life Iowa is a 24 hour, 7 days a week service that makes referrals for Iowans with concerns about things like drug or alcohol use, mental health issues or excessive gambling. It can be accessed by calling 9-8-8 or through the Your Life Iowa website. Zach Rhein is director of aging and disability services for the Department of Health and Human Services. He says the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers are still places where Iowans with disabilities can go to find the services they need.

“If you are experiencing a crisis and this is an emergency, you call 988,” Rhein says. “Otherwise, call where you think is the right place and we will make it the right place. This is a no wrong door approach, so that there’s close collaboration between all of those navigators to make sure that we’re the right place when people call.”

The state is paying the non-profit Iowa Primary Care Association to oversee the management and operations of all behavioral health services in each of the new system’s seven districts. The association has been overseeing Iowa’s 14 community health centers that serve low-income Iowans and those who lack access to primary or preventative care.