FRANKFORT, Ky. — $1,698,441 in federal grant funding was awarded to assist in the fight against the opioid epidemic through state and local law enforcement.
Funds were awarded to 11 drug task force agencies located across Kentucky to disrupt and dismantle mid-to upper-level drug trafficking organizations.
The federal funds allocated to Kentucky from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, is the leading source of federal justice funding to agencies serving the criminal justice system to hire additional personnel and/or purchase equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems.
For a full list of 2021-2022 JAG sub-award recipients, please visit the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s website. Leaders from several organizations described what receiving these funds means to their community and the citizens they protect.
Treatment Resources
The KY Help Call Center, created in 2017 through a partnership with Operation UNITE, remains available to those with a substance use disorder, or their friends or family members, as a quick resource with information on treatment options and open slots among treatment providers. Individuals may call 833-8KY-HELP (833-859-4357) to speak one-on-one with a specialist who will connect them with treatment as quickly as possible.
The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health manages a vital website, findhelpnowky.org, for Kentucky health care providers, court officials, families and individuals seeking options for substance abuse treatment and recovery. It offers real-time information about available space in treatment programs and guides users to the right type of treatment for their needs. The site provides a search engine for drug treatment, helping users locate treatment providers based on location, facility type, and category of treatment needed.
The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Angel Initiative is a proactive program designed to help people battle addiction. Anyone suffering from a substance use disorder can visit one of KSP’s 16 posts located throughout the commonwealth to be paired with a local officer who will assist with locating an appropriate treatment program. The Angel Initiative is completely voluntary, and individuals will not be arrested or charged with any violations if they agree to participate in treatment. For more information about the Angel Initiative, visit the KSP website.
The Office of Drug Control Policy has continued to work diligently with several agencies throughout the commonwealth, including Kentucky Opioid Response Effort, Kentucky Pharmacists Association, Department of Corrections and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to successfully increase the distribution of naloxone (Narcan). To access naloxone or for more resources on how to respond to an overdose, click here or here.
Click here for more Kentucky business news.
