INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana is trying to attract more mental health care providers to 11 rural eastern counties by helping them pay off their professional loans.

The Indiana State Department of Health says a new program is aimed at attracting psychiatrists, alcohol and substance use counselors and practitioners in related disciplines to a federally designated region experiencing high numbers of opioid deaths. The region includes the counties of Blackford, Dearborn, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Randolph, Switzerland, Union and Wayne.

The plan calls for 30 awards each year of a four-year grant period. The Health Department doesn’t say how large the grants will be but says they will come out of a total repayment pool of $600,000 in state and federal funds.

Applications are available online .