T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY The staff of Iowa River Wellness, a new mental health clinic located at 110 W. Southridge Rd., poses for a photo on Monday afternoon. In the back row, from left to right: Emma Clawson-support staff, Jessica Hubbard-support staff, Meredith Lageschulte-tLMHC, Angie Krier-LISW and Nick Calzada-LISW. Pictured in the front row, from left to right: Haily Roozeboom-PA, Emily Clawson-ARNP, Erin Hatcher-ARNP and Sam Hatcher-support staff. Not pictured are Morgan Oliver-LISW and Estefani Lopez-support staff.

There’s a new place for those with mental health needs to get help in Marshalltown, and many of the providers are already familiar faces in the community.

Iowa River Wellness is located 110 W. Southridge Rd. in the former Citizens Savings Bank building, and according to Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW)/Clinical Therapist Nick Calzada, the clinic has three other licensed therapists besides himself on staff, including one coming onboard within the next month.

“(The) mental health need is high everywhere and within our own community too as well, and we wanted to open up a business with established providers within our community and provide a welcoming place where patients can collaborate with us so they feel heard, supported and empowered in their mental health treatment,” Calzada said.

Erin Hatcher, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, is the owner of IRW, and both she, Calzada and the other therapists currently on staff previously worked at Center Associates. They agreed that more providers are always needed, and they hope Iowa River Wellness will set itself apart through the experience of its practitioners.

“We do have the medication and the therapy side, so that’s a little bit different than some of the other mental health places in town and all of us (have) many years of experience with the exception of the one new gal who’s starting in a month. She will be new,” Hatcher said. “(We’re just) people that are committed to the community and taking care of people.”

Typical hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Thursday with a more flexible schedule on Fridays, and once the new therapist joins, more evenings and weekends will be available. The Iowa River Wellness team is excited to launch a new chapter and continue to provide a much needed service within the Marshalltown community.

They are still working through the credentialing process with regards to different types of insurance and urged patients to bear with them through the transition. Medicare is accepted, but they are still waiting on clearance for Medicaid.

“We’ve done everything on our end, and we are just waiting,” Hatcher said. “Our intention is to be able to see almost every insurance and take care of everyone in the future that we haven’t met and people that we knew in the past, but it’s just all still in the works.”

Contact Robert Maharry at (641) 753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.