BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Thousands of Kentuckians have lost their lives to substance use disorder. The 2022 overdose fatality report, released by the state’s office of drug control policy, put that number at 2,135. In Warren County, more help is on the way.
The city of Bowling Green plans to open a regional mental health and substance misuse treatment facility.
It would be operated by Lifeskills, Inc.
The company already has ten locations in Kentucky, including one in Warren County. The CEO of Lifeskills, Inc. says the facility could further prevent overcrowding in emergency rooms and local jails.
CEO Joe Beaver said, “If they end up at the hospital, we could coordinate to get them here instead of taking space in the emergency room, where it can be expensive and maybe not the right level of care.”
Warren County Jailer Stephen Harmon said there are people in custody who have mental health disorders or substance use disorders.
Harmon said, “We estimate about 90% of people that are in custody at some point have a current or past mental health disorder. But a lot of those can be prevented if we have a facility like this.”
The idea came from a committee of over 30 people, such as elected officials and mental health professionals. The facility will allow someone to receive immediate treatment with professionals who are trained to provide these services.
The committee is requesting $20 million from the state, and will build the facility on Lover’s Lane in Bowling Green.
The facility will operate as a “front door facility,” with a mission of accepting people in a crisis to be resolved in a safe environment while a “person-centered” clinical evaluation and treatment plan are made. The primary goal is to potentially lower the amount of suicides and overdoses. It could help lower criminal offenses, as well.
Harmon said, “Those, at some point in their criminal activity, could have had an intervention from a center like this. This expedites that process, and in hopes keeps someone from having a long criminal history.”
The committee is hopeful for the facility to be constructed by July 2025, and will cover Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson and Warren counties.