A Piatt County Mental Health Professional says masking is becoming a big barrier to people getting the help they need.

Tony Kirkman is the Executive Director of the Piatt County Mental Health Center and indicates because his services fall under the umbrella of a medical facility, they are required to wear masks.

Part of the barriers of the masks in counseling settings is the non-verbal communication cues and Kirkman says when 75-percent of communication is non-verbal, masks provide quite the barrier to helping individuals.

Kirkman explains if they wanted to unmask staff and patients, there would be severe financial consequences and he says the risks in doing that do not outweigh the reward.

To make sure people get the help they need in a setting where perhaps masks can be optional or everyone in the situation feels safe, Kirkman says technology has helped them continue to connect with clients but they have counselors meeting with clients in a safe place out in the community.

According to Kirkman, masks are increasing barriers to treatment and are not helping reduce stigmas and increase access. He says mental health facilities need to be a different delineation of classification away from a healthcare facility because of the one-on-one nature of their settings.