YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — The Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board created two new positions to better serve the community.

It follows a recent retirement. One of the new positions, a clinical specialist, was filled by Michelle Werth.

They’re also looking to hire a program coordinator.

They expect the position to be filled in about a week.

There’s been an increase in attention to mental health locally. The pandemic has caused some issues — and the news of what’s happening in Afghanistan can cause veterans to experience PTSD.

“We want to go in the community. We really feel there’s a lot of groups on there — not mental health groups — but groups, community neighborhood watches and block watches and housing organizations that we want to reach out to, provide support, connect them with our agencies,” said the board’s executive director Duane Piccirilli.

The board is also looking to start a 24/7 crisis intervention team and a program to help people deal with loss.

Anyone needing help can call 211 at any time for resources.