Boyle County has been designated as a Recovery Ready Community for its commitment to providing residents with access to addiction treatment and recovery support and removing barriers to the workforce.
The county is the first to be approved for certification since the administration announced that applications were open in January, but more communities are soon to follow.
“When we came face to face with the effects of the opioid crisis on our families, institutions and workforce, we got to work to be informed, responsive and proactive," Boyle County Judge/Executive Trille L. Bottom said. “We started a Harm Reduction Syringe Exchange Program. We took a hard look at our jail becoming a place of rehabilitation. We encouraged new treatment and transitional living providers to come to Boyle County, and we trained a lot of citizens in saving lives from overdoses.
“Receiving this certification validates what has been done so far, but it also pushes us to stay the course in addressing the ongoing needs and issues around substance-use disorders,” Bottom added. “Our work is not finished, and may never be, but it’s very good to know that we’re moving in the right direction.”
Gov. Andy Beshear said Boyle County has set a strong precedent that can serve as a model for other counties.
“I continue to encourage each of the commonwealth’s counties and communities to apply for certification,” Beshear said. “If we work together to build a safer, healthier commonwealth, we can rise above drug and alcohol addiction in our state once and for all.”
Recovery Ready certification encourages communities to provide transportation to and from employment services and job interviews, allowing Kentuckians to make positive changes in their lives while filling much-needed jobs and contributing to the commonwealth’s record-breaking economic development.
The Recovery Ready Communities Advisory Council unanimously approved Boyle County for certification for successfully establishing community-based infrastructure to combat addiction and support long-term recovery.
Boyle County’s commitment to being recovery ready and supporting its more than 30,000 residents is a model for communities across the commonwealth. Collaboration between the county and city governments has increased successful treatment outcomes and is boosting workforce participation and saving county taxpayers money.
These efforts include providing free community overdose response training and Narcan distribution. Additionally, the county Emergency Medical Services (EMS) hired a social worker as an opioid outreach coordinator to accompany EMS on calls for service involving suspected drug overdoses to connect the individuals with treatment, counseling and other addiction support services.
To learn more about the program and apply for certification as a Recovery Ready Community, click here.
