Super-cool News for Barren River Area – A New Squad Founded to Fight Against Opioid Crisis

August 12, 2024

Hey there, good people of the Barren River Area! Here’s some uplifting news. An amazing lady, Brooke Edwards, has been recently appointed as the Associate Director of the brand-new Barren River Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) that’s just been set up thanks to the folks at the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD).

The ODCP has been created by our local dudes and dudettes as part of a zingy solution to the opioid crisis. They’ve managed to get their hands on a whopping $20 million from the Kentucky General Assembly to kick-start something quite wicked called the Anchor Project. This super-nifty project is going to consist of three cool services: a mental health crisis center, a Life Learning Center, and our spanking new ODCP.

The always-smiling Brooke stepped up to embrace this new role on August 1st, 2024. Over the rest of the year, she’ll be working hard to set up the office within the BRADD. Having dedicated five years to BRADD and being a certified mental health associate, no doubt she’s the right person for the job.

In her own words, Brooke expressed her enthusiasm and commitment to help the people of Barren River become better versions of themselves: “Nothing gets me more stoked than getting the chance to help people live their best lives, and this position allows me to do that.”

Looks like the ODCP has an excellent goal in sight: helping local governments and community partners by implementing the best practices around substance abuse and mental health. Yup! It’s going to create a regional response guide which will essentially assist county and city governments in using the bucks they got from the KY Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission for local and regional programming in areas of prevention, treatment, recovery, and continuum of care.

Praising the initiative, Gary Dillard, BRADD’s Board Chairman, stated: “The Anchor Project is going to enhance the quality of life in the region. It complements BRADD’s mission perfectly.”

Eric Sexton, BRADD’s Executive Director, echoed his optimism: “Brooke’s passion and expertise in dealing with mental health issues is an asset to this project, and we’re looking forward to tackling the substance abuse and mental health issues in the region.”

It’s noteworthy that the Anchor Project has received a splendid thumbs-up not just locally, but from across the Commonwealth as its first-ever model of its kind.

So, here’s hoping that with the right intervention and support, our community will turn the tide against the opioid crisis and conquer this beast! For more info about the Anchor Project, you guys can check out the BRADD Anchor Project page. Stay healthy, stay strong, Barren River!