A central Illinois mental wellness executive is frustrated by the State of Illinois' dedication to funding its community-based mental health centers.

Tony Kirkman is the Executive Director of the Piatt County Mental Health Center and indicates it is frustrating to not be able to pay the people that are dedicating themselves to the community a fair wage compared to the private sector of mental health.

According to Kirkman, most of the funding for the Mental Health Center is through State of Illinois reimbursements and grant funding. He feels the more affluent an individual is, the better care they get, which is typically not the demographic of person they are dealing with.

Kirkman has expressed frustration because part of the revenues from the legalization of recreational marijuana were supposed to be directed at mental health issues, but organizations like the Piatt County Mental Health Center continue to be left out in the allocation of the growing profits in Illinois.