Garden City ? A western Kansas group has been selected to take part in a national effort to improve care for people living with mental illness and substance addiction.

The Garden City Telegram reports that the selection of the Area Mental Health Center includes a $100,000 award.

The center provides behavioral health services in 13 counties of western and southwestern Kansas. It’s one of 10 organizations nationwide and the only one in Kansas chosen for the initiative, called the Co-Occurring Disorder Learning Community.

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare says the initiative is aimed at streamlining the delivery of services to people being treated for both mental health and substance abuse problems. The federal government says as many as half of people with mental illness also have problems with substance abuse.