An agreement with the Geary County Rural Health Network was signed at the Monday Geary County Commission meeting.

Sarah Talley, Project Director explains a planning grant has been awarded to the network. The Federal Grant totals $44,166.

“We have spent the last year, a little over nine months, working as a collaborative to determine what our initial need is, and that need was defined as mental health services in our community. We have really strong mental health services available, as far as program development, but the area that we struggle with is the recruitment and retention of personnel to deliver those services,” said Talley.

Talley added they will design a plan to recruit people from state universities and private colleges,”to look at the use of telehealth and have them come here to get those field experiences.”

The hope is that they will remain in the community and continue to provide services.

The grant period runs through May of 2016.