VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - According to the Georgia Department of Community Health, 55 of Georgia’s counties, many in South Georgia, have no licensed mental health professionals. An estimated 34% of adults dealing with mental health struggles go untreated due to cost and access barriers.

For more than 30 years, the Lowndes Drug Action Council (LODAC) has worked to remove barriers by offering free counseling and classes.

“It gives people access to services that they may not have otherwise had, and it’s an opportunity to have a voice,” LODAC Program Specialist Marilyn Orr said.

LODAC recently received two grants to expand its Truancy Intervention Program (TIP). The program provides mentoring and counseling for students in Lowndes County and Valdosta City Schools with attendance issues, helpin

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