(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), approved $30,000 in “seed funds” for Crossroads Behavioral Health Services. The funds will come from the County’s share of the State/Federal Opiod Settlement. Crossroads Executive Director Brittany Palmer, and Certified Prevention Specialist Jessica Putter, spoke to the Supervisors before making their formal request for funding. Palmer said they are working on proposed programming, with the staff of school districts within Adair County.

Brittany said because of the county’s poverty level and the number of teenagers in the county, those persons are at greater risk of getting involved in abusive and/or illegal substances. She said also, young people are more at risk than ever, of suicide and depression.

She said if they “Can get mental health services and drug prevention services in the schools, studies show that kids are six times more likely to engage in services if we commit them to the schools.”

Jess Putter spoke in more detail about the two programs they offer in the middle and high school.

The seventh grade program offers 10 sessions twice a week for several weeks.

The school district, she says, comes up with a list potential students who are most in need of Crossroads’ services. Supervisor John Twombley said Southern Hills Regional Mental Health officials indicated starting kids with services in junior high, is almost too late. Brittany Palmer agreed.

She said the Nodaway Valley School District has committed funding the Crossroads Programs, through a 4-year grant. The District served as a pilot program last year, and plans are to focus more on what needs to be done to make the programs work even better this year.

In other business, the Adair County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, acknowledged the receipt of Manure Management Plan updates, and appointed Pat Baier as the Grand River Township Trustee.