Share and Follow
PIATT COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — A major mental health provider in Central Illinois is losing one of its key programs.
The Piatt County Recovery Oriented System of Care was notified on Monday their state funding was not being renewed. This will impact all services tied to long-term substance abuse recovery and 150 people will be directly impacted. The last day of funding for the program will be June 30.
The Piatt County Mental Health Center said they’ll lose $100,000 of funding from state.
“Quite shocked, quite surprised,” said Center Director Tony Kirkman. “Obviously quite disappointed because we felt we had good metrics.”
This will end services tied to recovery support, harm reduction and substance abuse as soon as this upcoming Monday. Kirkman said the news was quite abrupt and is a loss for the recovery community in Piatt County.
“Sadly, the timing of it is not optimal,” he said. “It gives us less than a week to draw down services, as well as to notify staff that are affected, as well as we’ve spent almost four years building this system. So, we have a lot of contacts with our first responders, with community stakeholders, with substance use treatment providers. And so, it’s a very abrupt end that doesn’t allow for a good transitional care.”
Kirkman said the ending also means there isn’t enough time to save the program.
The center is inviting the community to come and celebrate the program’s achievements on July 17 at 3 p.m.