While improvements at the Cayuga County Mental Health Clinic have led to re-certification by the state office that oversees it, the county Legislature needs to be diligent about following through on changes that still need to be made there.

The state Office of Mental Health lifted sanctions that meant the loss of thousands of dollars in aid after a March 13 review of the local facility showed that it met “the minimum standards for recertification.”

The state noted that new carpeting has been installed in the clinic's waiting area, eliminating “offensive odors” there; more space has been made available in the waiting area; lead paint and “loosely hanging paint” has been removed; and safety has been upgraded.

But while the results of the most recent inspection show that things are moving in the right direction, the state also pointed out serious repeated deficiencies that need to be corrected.

Controlled substances were found on a desk when they should have been stored in a locked cabinet; patient confidentiality continues to be compromised because patients are required to divulge private information in areas where conversations can be overheard; and record-keeping problems were also noted.

The citations must not be downplayed, but addressed as quickly as possible.

State funding has been restored, and that's great, but this most recent report shouldn't be celebrated as a victory.

The Cayuga County Mental Health Clinic has essentially been upgraded from very bad to just plain bad.

As the Legislature continues working to find a new permanent director for the county's mental health department, it also needs to aggressively address the continuing problems the county is having delivering mental health services to the public.