The Des Moines Register is investigating the mental health crisis facing Iowa’s youth.

Through the year, the Register is publishing a series called “Young and In Crisis” that explores Iowa’s youth mental health crisis and the factors that contribute to the growing chorus of young Iowans struggling to find help before it’s too late.

We want to hear your mental health stories

We can’t do this work without your help.

It’s critical to reflect the voices of Iowans who have felt the impact of these challenges firsthand. That includes young Iowans grappling with their diagnosis. It includes parents, grandparents, guardians or other family members who have witnessed a young loved one struggle to find help for their mental health condition.

Do you have a story to share?

Please fill out the form below and a Register reporter will be in contact.

You may also write to:

• Youth in Crisis Project

• Des Moines Register

• 400 Locust St. Suite 500

• Des Moines, IA 50309

More: Are you worried about your child’s mental health? Experts offer advice on how to get help

What Iowa families are sharing about mental health

Already, two families have bravely shared their stories for the first story in the “Young and In Crisis” series. Both are parents who struggled to find their young sons the help they desperately needed before their circumstances become dire.

Read their stories here:

What’s wrong with Iowa’s mental health system?

We know that thousands of young Iowans are missing out on critical services, in part because of a historically underfunded and disjointed behavioral health system.

State officials have acknowledged the severity of the problem in Iowa, and have vowed to take steps to improve access to mental and behavioral health services for all Iowans.

More: Iowa reaches final settlement in lawsuit alleging state hasn’t provided adequate mental health care for kids

Part of that effort includes a proposed overhaul of Iowa’s existing behavioral health system, which top state officials say will address critical gaps in care. But key questions remain on how Iowa’s youngest patients will fit into the state’s plan.

More: Reynolds signs ‘transformative’ behavioral health overhaul into Iowa law. What it does:

About the ‘Young and in Crisis’ project

Young and in Crisis is the Register’s occasional series exploring Iowa’s youth mental health crisis. The series focuses on the experiences of young Iowans and their families who struggle to access mental and behavioral health services, digs into the factors that create barriers to that care and explores solutions from top state officials.

Michaela Ramm is reporting this series while participating in the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s 2024 Data Fellowship.

Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com or at (319) 339-7354.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines Register seeks stories on child mental health treatment