Local sheriff’s office, health department offer lifeline for addiction recovery during holidays | News
MCCRACKEN COUNTY, Ky. — The holiday season is a time for fun, food, and spending time with loved ones and friends — but the Purchase District Health Department said historically it can also be a difficult time for people struggling with substance abuse or who may be in a crisis. That’s why the health department and McCracken County Sheriff’s Office are stepping up to let you know they are here to help.
Badges of Hope logo.
How? With their Badges of Hope program. It’s a program where people struggling with addiction can call the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office and ask for assistance. They’ll send a deputy to come pick you up and, as long as you don’t have any warrants, they’ll take you to a treatment facility.
This year, the sheriff’s office said they’ve received 19 Badges of Hope referrals and successfully taken 16 people to treatment centers.
They’ve increased advertisements for the Badges of Hope program during the holiday season — so if you scroll through Facebook or TikTok, you might see an ad for the program. It’s a reminder that if you’re struggling, you can reach out to Badges of Hope. It’s a joint program with the Purchase District Health Department.
“If they say that they need treatment for a substance use disorder, as long as they don’t have a warrant, we will find them a place. And it’s not us actually finding them a place. We have different contacts, like Turning Point within the community and other recovery centers that have been just great partners,” McCracken County Sheriff Ryan Norman said.
Ryan Norman speaking to reporter in his office.
Norman said since they started the program five years ago, he’s seen the difference it makes in the community. He said the program breaks down a lot of barriers people seeking help might face, including transportation to a facility and helping people find the right treatment facility for them.
“We’re not just about trying to take people to jail. We want the community to be better, and for the community to get better, it starts with individuals, and if that means us having the face of, ‘Hey, we want you to get into treatment,’ rather than taking you to jail for something. Then you know that has helped just that image; I’ve been told,” Norman said.
Badges of Hope advertisement on TikTok.
Kaitlyn Krolikowski with the Purchase District Health Department said during the holiday season, the department increase advertisement for badges of hope.
“That’s, you know, one of the big messages we want people to know is that they’re not alone, particularly during this time where they typically see, you know, traditional messages about family and stuff like that. So we’re just trying to cater it around to make sure people realize that they’re not alone,” Krolikowski said.
Badges of Hope partners with several recovery centers in the area, including Four Rivers Behavioral Health and StepWorks of Paducah.
The program is funded partially by taxpayer dollars because sheriff’s deputies respond to the Badges of Hope calls.
There’s also a $1 million grant to the Purchase District Health Department from the Department of Justice — they’re receiving it between 2023 and 2026.
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