Community Health and Counseling Services has received a $213,000 loan from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program to purchase and install information technology and communications equipment in seven Maine counties.

In addition, Bangor Savings Bank has received a conditional commitment of $213,000 in loan funding for the project.

The equipment will be installed at CHCS locations in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Washington, Hancock, Kennebec and Aroostook counties, according to a recent press release from U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.

The goal of the Wide Area Network project is to provide a dependable, secure and affordable system to link CHCS’s fixed facilities and mobile workers to the agency’s data center. The project is designed to enhance mental health care services and improve operating efficiencies.

CHCS employs more than 680 people and provides services to more than 6,000 clients.