Kentucky’s commitment to mental health: FindHelpNow website unveils transformative enhancements
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 18, 2024) —The website FindHelpNowKY.org, established in 2018 to connect individuals with substance use disorder to addiction treatment facilities, has been revamped to serve as a tool for timely linkage to care for mental health and substance use disorder treatment as well as a recovery housing. The website now features a referral intervention system that displays near real-time available openings at substance use disorder and mental health facilities and recovery houses, naloxone distribution sites, and social services resources.
FindHelpNowKY.org is administered by the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC), which is housed in the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced the site rebuild at Kentucky’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Leadership Conference, attended by state officials, community leaders, mental health advocates, and KIPRC representatives.
“We are making it easier for Kentuckians to find the life-saving help they need,” Gov. Beshear said. “While there is always more work to be done, we are taking another step forward on our mission to help our families fight and overcome addiction.”
“This is more than an update. It’s a commitment to improving mental health outcomes for every Kentuckian,” remarked KIPRC Director Terry Bunn, Ph.D., emphasizing the significant step forward in the state’s commitment to injury prevention and community well-being.
In her remarks at the 988 conference, Bunn thanked Cabinet for Health and Family Services Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) Commissioner Katherine Marks, Ph.D., and Patti Clark, Ed.D., Division of Mental Health, DBHDID program manager, for their instrumental contributions to the transformative rebuild of the FindHelpNow website.
Bunn also expressed excitement about the direct benefits for Kentuckians and how the enhanced FindHelpNow site will serve as a valuable resource for crisis centers, community mental health centers, and other community partners.
“Injury prevention is not just about physical safety. There’s a significant connection between mental wellness and injury recovery. The revamped FindHelpNow.org is a crucial step in fostering a positive narrative around this relationship,” she stated.
The above-mentioned services can be accessed through FindHelpNowKy.org and can also be individually reached at their individual addresses: FindNaloxoneNowKY.org; FindMentalHealthNowKY.org; and FindRecoveryHousingNowKY.org.
KIPRC is a unique partnership between the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) and the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health. KIPRC serves both as an academic injury prevention research center and as the DPH’s designee or “bona fide agent” for statewide injury prevention and control.
This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $5.4 million with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit CDC.gov.
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