Need help recovering from addiction? These resources are a good place to start
READ MORE
New heart, new chance
Last April, Megan Simpson graduated from Freedom House, a recovery center in Clay County that specializes in recovery for mothers and pregnant women. This time was different for Simpson: relapsing was not an option.
Expand All
‘My heart can’t take no more.’ E. Ky. woman addicted to opioids gets a last chance at recovery
Eastern Ky. recovery center keeps mothers with their kids during addiction treatment
Need help recovering from addiction? These resources are a good place to start
A new heart, a new chance at recovery
‘The opposite of addiction is connection.’ How isolation during COVID fueled addiction crisis.
Hounded by a horrible isolation, the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic have hit those struggling with substance abuse issues especially hard.
At the national level, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. fatally overdosed on drugs between April 2020 to April 2021, according to a report earlier this year by PBS NewsHour. It was the single highest death toll on record for a 12-month period.
In Kentucky, fatal drug overdoses shot up 50% between September 2019 and September 2020 – the third highest escalation in the country, according to CDC data previously reported by the Herald-Leader.
Now, as coronavirus cases wane in Kentucky for the time being, people struggling with addiction may be wondering how they can get back on track with recovery.
The Herald-Leader has compiled this list of resources, including a tool for finding care customized to your situation and needs.
Where can I find help with addiction recovery in Kentucky?
Contact the KY HELP Statewide Call Center. Staffed by Operation UNITE with funding from the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, this center’s specialists provide personalized and compassionate support.
Get guidance and help with finding resources by calling 1-833-859-4357.
The call centers is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Messages left after hours are returned the next day.
KY HELP’s trained specialists provide crisis management and assist clients make informed decisions about treatment. Outreach services are available for up to one year. All calls are kept confidential. In addition, staff members offer comfort, support and guidance to family members confronted with a loved one’s addiction.
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (KY CHFS) also maintains a directory of health care providers that allows users to search by county, nearby and across the state.
The directory is at providerdirectory.dbhdid.ky.gov.
As a custom tool, the directory allows users to filter providers by health plan (or simply leave that part blank if they don’t have health insurance).
The directory also allows users to search for specific services – like counselors or social workers – or recovery centers that fit their unique needs, like longer-term, residential programs or those that have residential facilities for family members.
What if I’m looking for specialized recovery services?
The Adult Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery Services Branch within KY CHFS also has services specifically geared toward women and military service members, veterans and their families.
More information about women’s substance abuse resources is available at dbhdid.ky.gov/dbh/women.aspx.
Information about the division’s services for military members, veterans and their families is available at dbhdid.ky.gov/dbh/smvf.aspx.
What if I need help right now?
A list of crisis lines open 24/7 is available at dbhdid.ky.gov/kdbhdid/hotlines.aspx.
That list also includes phone lines for LGBT individuals, including the Trans Lifeline and Trevor Lifeline. Those numbers are 877-565-8860 and 866-488-7386, respectively.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 800-273-8255 and at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
There’s also find a county-by-county list of Kentucky crisis lines at dbhdid.ky.gov/crisisnos.aspx.
What if I don’t have insurance?
Community Mental Health Centers are an option.
These centers work with patients on a sliding scale, meaning what you pay for services will be based on your income.
You can find a county-by-county list of these publicly funded centers at dbhdid.ky.gov/cmhc/default.aspx or by calling the Frankfort office at 502-564-4527.
This story was originally published March 20, 2022 at 1:00 AM.