Mental health has become a topic that is being addressed at levels across the board in our communities and a Piatt County partnership with their school districts is yielding great results.

Tony Kirkman is the Executive Director of the Piatt County Mental Health Center and indicates their partnerships with their districts have yielded great results. He notes over 70 individuals have been helped by having a counselor in the buildings at various points during the week in the first semester alone.

Kirkman believes it is very important the youth in their community receives the help they need. He explains kids today are under a lot of pressure and that results in a lot of stress and anxiety.

This partnership is funded upfront by the Piatt County Mental Health Center, Kirby Medical Center and the DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department but as time goes on, if the schools see the merit of the program, they will gradually take on the costs to maintain the counselor in their buildings.

According to Kirkman, this initiative began about three years ago and the three entities recognized the youth in Piatt County needed access to mental health resources. He notes they did this through an integrated care approach, which recognized an individual's behavior and physical health were complimentary.