LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Children who suffer from serious emotional problems could have better access to community-based services in Nebraska under a new $12 million federal grant.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday it will receive $3 million annually over four years to continue implementing a mental health system of care.

The system of care will help deliver services to children who are considered at-risk of emotional and behavioral problems.

Sheri Dawson, the state’s behavioral services director, says the grant will help the department meet youth needs more efficiently at state, regional and local levels.

The department says more than 37,000 children in Nebraska experience behavioral health disorders.