RiverValley Behavioral Health has been awarded $253,169 over two years from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission to expand support for children and families affected by substance use in Western Kentucky.
This funding is part of a historic statewide investment of nearly $34 million announced by Attorney General Russell Coleman to combat the opioid crisis.
The project, called the Western Kentucky Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Expansion Project, will focus on helping children who may be impacted by parent or caregiver substance use. The initiative will serve Hancock, McLean, Ohio, and Union Counties by bringing together local agencies and organizations to identify children in need earlier and connect families with support services more quickly.
Through the project, partners from child welfare, law enforcement, healthcare, schools, courts, and behavioral health services will work more closely together to improve communication, make referrals easier, and provide help before problems become more serious.
RiverValley Behavioral Health has long been involved in Drug Endangered Children efforts at both the state and national levels, according to a news release. These efforts focus on helping children who have been exposed to substance use, trauma, and other difficult life experiences. RVBH has worked alongside community partners to improve support systems for children and families affected by substance use disorders.
This new funding will strengthen those efforts by increasing collaboration across the region, expanding training opportunities for professionals, and creating long-term systems of care that help protect children while supporting family recovery.
“This investment allows us to deepen collaboration across systems and respond earlier to the needs of children and families affected by substance use,” said Dr. Wanda Figueroa-Peralta, RVBH President & CEO. “Children exposed to substance use are often the unseen victims of the opioid epidemic. Through this initiative, we are strengthening our ability as a region to identify risk sooner, intervene more effectively, and provide families with the support they need to heal and thrive.”
RVBH has appointed Brooke Arnold, Director of the RVBH Regional Prevention Center, to lead the project. In this role, she will lead regional collaboration efforts, support county DEC teams, coordinate training initiatives, and help ensure communities have the tools and partnerships needed to respond effectively to children and families impacted by substance use.
“This funding supports our local communities in developing local solutions that protect and strengthen children and RiverValley Behavioral Health Awarded $253,169 to Expand Support for Drug Endangered Children in families impacted by substance use,” Arnold said. “By keeping children who represent our future at the forefront of this work, we can build safer, healthier, and more hopeful communities across Western Kentucky.”
Arnold brings significant expertise to this effort through her leadership and ongoing work with the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, where she serves as Kentucky’s point of contact for all DEC Alliances across the Commonwealth.
Her experience in building multidisciplinary partnerships and advancing best practices for children impacted by substance use will be instrumental in the success of this initiative throughout Western Kentucky.
Through this project, RVBH will provide trauma-informed training for professionals who work directly with children and families, expand care coordination and family support services, and increase access to prevention resources.
These efforts are designed to help communities respond more effectively to substance-related concerns while addressing the needs of both children and caregivers.
By focusing on early intervention, collaboration, and ongoing support, the initiative aims to improve child safety and well-being while helping break cycles of substance use that can affect families for generations.
The funding comes from Kentucky’s share of a $1 billion national settlement with corporations held responsible for the opioid epidemic. Under state law, half of the funds are distributed directly to local governments, while the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission oversees the remainder for statewide grant programs.
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