NEWS RELEASE

Boyle County has been designated as a leader in Addiction Recovery. Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Thursday that 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. Boyle County is the first to be approved for certification since the administration announced that program in January.

The application was prepared by Boyle County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy Inc., a grass roots coalition of local citizens who meets monthly to tackle substance abuse issues in the community.

“Boyle County has set a strong precedent that can serve as a model for the rest of Kentucky’s communities,” Gov. Beshear said. “I continue to encourage each of the commonwealth’s counties and communities to apply for certification. 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 over 30,000 residents is a model for communities across the commonwealth. Collaboration between the city and county 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 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.

“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. 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,” said Boyle County Judge-Executive Trille Bottom. “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. Our work is not finished, and may never be, but it’s very good to know that we’re moving in the right direction.”

“We are inspired by Boyle County’s commitment to continue strengthening its local recovery-oriented system of care through persistent cross-agency collaboration and a willingness to try innovative programs and interventions aimed at increasing positive public health and safety outcomes,” said Recovery Ready Communities Advisory Council Chair Pam Darnall.