A small step in returning to normal was taken recently for a Piatt County agency.

The Piatt County Mental Health Center participated in what its executive director calls a soft reopening. Tony Kirkman indicates the Illinois Department of Human Services allowed for them to begin getting their day program folks back under very strict safety guidelines.

Kirkman calls it a small taste of a return to normal. He explains individuals will have to undergo a very thorough assessment before they return. Kirkman feels for the individuals that are not going to be able to pass the assessments and will have to remain isolated further. 

While the developmentally disabled have been greatly impacted by the shutdown and isolation it created, Kirkman says we are seeing the impacts of such decisions across society.

According to Kirkman, they are looking forward to having their folks back in September. He says local providers are accredited and monitored by many state agencies and are funded by many great agencies as well. He says the folks in our communities are in good hands.