Don’t leave out people with the most severe mental illnesses

By: Leslie Carpenter

Outlets: Iowa Capital Dispatch

Published: April 9, 2026

Words: 825

Last Updated: 3 months, 3 weeks ago

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The mental health “big tent” is often praised for its inclusivity, but not everyone inside it is equally visible.

For the past 18 years, my family has watched our son — who lives with a severe mental illness — disappear within a system that increasingly listens only to the voices of those who are far less impaired. Our son has gone through the harmful churn of 30 hospitalizations, multiple community and residential facilities, and repeated …

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