‘The pandemic hasn’t shaken our focus on combating the scourge of abuse that tears Kentucky families apart’
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
LOUISVILLE, KY – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced Thursday, November 5, 2020 that four Kentucky communities received a total of $500,000 for substance abuse prevention efforts. Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) James Carroll, also known as the Drug Czar, contacted Senator McConnell to share the recipients of the funding from the Drug-Free Communities Program.
The following programs will each receive $125,000 for their addiction prevention efforts:
- Casey County School District (Liberty)
- Seven Counties Services (Louisville)
- Oldham County Health Department (La Grange)
- Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio (Edgewood)
“The best time to stop addiction is before it begins. I’m grateful to my friend, Director Carroll, for investing additional federal resources into Kentucky’s comprehensive efforts to fight substance abuse,” said Senator McConnell. “Each of us has a responsibility to protect Kentucky’s young people from the dangers of drugs, and I’m proud to support these organizations leading the effort. The pandemic hasn’t shaken our focus on combating the scourge of abuse that tears Kentucky families apart, and we will continue working together to save lives from addiction.”
Earlier this year, Senator McConnell applauded ONDCP’s investment of $1.75 million into Kentucky’s substance abuse prevention efforts. He also announced Seven Counties Services received $4 million from his Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to continue helping those in need toward long-term recovery during the pandemic.
“Seven Counties Services is excited to continue working in the Graymoor-Devondale community of Louisville through the Drug-Free Communities Program,” said Abby Drane, President & CEO, Seven Counties Services / Bellewood & Brooklawn. “Last year, through collaboration with this community and youth groups, we provided critical drug prevention activities to more than 7,000 Graymoor-Devondale residents. The COVID-19 pandemic is creating an unprecedented need for services to youth in many of the communities we serve. We look forward to helping more young people reduce their risk of substance abuse in the upcoming year. Seven Counties Services greatly appreciates Senator McConnell’s commitment and advocacy to the youth in our community. His assistance securing these funds will provide much needed prevention services in the Graymoor-Devondale community.”
“The Coalition for a Healthy Oldham County is excited to have received funding from the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program,” said Liz Burrows, Project Director of the Coalition for a Healthy Oldham County. “With this funding, we can continue to build on the success we’ve seen over the past six years in significantly reducing youth use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in our community. Senator McConnell has been a consistent voice of support for our community since our first application in 2014. We are grateful to Senator McConnell for his continued support of the DFC program, our grant application and our efforts to prevent youth substance use in Oldham County.”
Since becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Senator McConnell has prioritized the fight against the opioid and substance abuse epidemic by increasing federal funding for the response. Under Senator McConnell’s leadership, Kentucky has received more than $275 million. He worked with the University of Kentucky to help secure an $87 million competitive federal grant—the largest in school history—to address the opioid crisis in high-risk communities. He has also helped secure the inclusion of some of Kentucky’s hardest-hit counties in the ONDCP’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to promote coordination and support for law enforcement in Kentucky.
Senator McConnell consistently draws attention to Kentucky’s prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts with the President’s Cabinet and federal agencies. Multiple Drug Czars have visited Kentucky at his request to see the innovative work being done in the Commonwealth. This year, Senator McConnell visited Volunteers of America Mid-States Freedom House in Clay County to discuss its treatment efforts. Director Carroll also attended at Senator McConnell’s invitation.
In 2018, President Trump signed into law the landmark opioid and substance abuse bill Senator McConnell helped shepherd to enactment. The bill included his CAREER Act – which Congressmen Andy Barr (KY-06) introduced in the House – recognizing the connection among employment, housing, and long-term recovery. The legislation also contained the Senator’s Protecting Moms and Infants Act, which authorized an increase in federal funding to help babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
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