LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A crisis other than coronavirus continues to rip through Kentucky. The opioid epidemic has not backed down. In fact, COVID-19 is believed to be triggering more substance abuse.
So Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, announced that millions of dollars in federal funding will be distributed to groups in the commonwealth to expand addiction treatment and mental health services. Seven Counties Services, formerly known as CenterStone of Kentucky, is one of the groups to receive the federal funding, which is part of the CARES Act.
“We’ve seen increased call volume for people seeking help,” said Scott Hesseltine, Seven Counties Services’ vice president of addiction services. “And it’s really important that people know that we are here, we are open, and we’re serving as a safety net for our community.”
Hesseltine said battling addiction in the middle of the pandemic feels like fighting two life-threatening illnesses at the same time. The added stress, anxiety, and depression built up over the last several weeks can act as a trigger.
“So what we’re seeing is because of this collective trauma that the community and really the world is going through, it tends to unlock certain underlying conditions. And for some individuals, the way they cope with that is through the use and misuse of substances,” said Hesseltine.
Before the virus hit Kentucky, a study found the commonwealth leading in the nation for fentanyl use. Hesseltine said history shows national struggles and crises, like the 2008 recession, led to an increased use and misuse of substances. And with substance abuse comes overdose deaths.
“Right now we’re seeing an expected increase in substance use and misuse,” said Hesseltine. “So with that we will see additional overdose deaths. We haven’t seen a dramatic spike, but we’re starting to see the numbers parallel what they’ve been before. Anything over zero, any overdose death is just unacceptable. And we’re fighting every day to try and avoid that,” he said.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office reports 115 confirmed overdose deaths from Jan. 1, 2020, through April 28. From Jan. 1, 2019, through the end of April, there were 125 confirmed overdoses.
This year’s total of 115 does not include any suspected overdoses, which could take six to twelve weeks for reports to come back.
Hesseltine said there is hope for those struggling with addiction, and that the first step is to reach out for help. Seven Counties offers support seven days a week.
They’ve altered how they provide care in order to make sure everyone is safely able to practice social distancing. Seven Counties is also focusing more on telehealth options. By reaching out, staff members can provide substance abuse treatment on demand. They are able to do an assessment and evaluation any time over the phone, and then connect the person with the appropriate levels of care.
- 24/7 Addiction Help: 502-583-3951
- 27/7 Adult Crisis Line: 502-589-4313
- 24/7 Child Crisis Line: 502-589-8070
- First Appointment: 502-589-1100
Seven Counties will get $4 million in certified community behavioral health funding to continue and expand the service model it started in Bullitt County for immediate, walk-in access to treatment. Hesseltine said the model started to show success, so he’s excited to expand access to the rest of the commonwealth.
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