LANSING — Two groups in the Upper Peninsula are recipients of a Health Innovation Grant to improve health services to residents.

Great Lakes Recovery Centers and the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan will receive up to $35,000 from the state of Michigan.

GLRC would like to use the funding to expand its rural behavioral heath services by using advanced, secure, video teleconferencing equipment to deliver mental health and substance abuse treatment services.

The Inter-Tribal Council plans to conduct training with healthcare staff, develop a tribal-specific prescription drug abuse screening and referral policy, develop educational materials for the community, work with tribal leaders and law enforcement to conduct a take-back event, and increase access to a tribal-specific prescription drug abuse policy from 1 to 12 tribes.

GLRC services all 15 counties in the Upper Peninsula, and the Inter-Tribal Council serves Baraga County.

A total of 44 organizations across the state are in line to receive over $1.3 million in grant funding form the Michigan Department of Community Health.

A list of them can be found here: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Health_Innovation_Grant_Awards_FY_15_12-16-14_477615_7.pdf.