The Piatt County Mental Health Center and the DeWitt County Mental Health Board, or 708 Board, are starting its community needs assessment.

Executive Director of the Piatt County Mental Health Center Tony Kirkman indicates this process takes place every three years and Kirby Medical Center in Monticello leads the charge for them. He explains the end product looks at the successes of the last three years and robust plan for the upcoming three years.

The process takes place over several meetings with all kinds of stakeholders in the community. Kirkman explains after meeting with all those people in the community, they will compile the results and put together a plan that could come out as soon as the summer.

Piatt County has focused in recent years on expanding access to mental health and Kirkman indicates they have been designated as a mental health deficient service area. To address these needs, they have done things like add counselors to their schools.

Kirkman says it takes a community effort to make these assessments work. He commends those that have not been satisfied with the status quo and want to improve their communities.