Barren River ADD announces associate director of newly established ODCP
Courtesy of the Barren River Area Development District
Sept. 3, 2024
Brooke Edwards
The Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) is excited to announce Brooke Edwards as the Associate Director of the newly established Barren River Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP). The office's creation comes as BRADD area officials and stakeholders have been drafting a regional response to the opioid crisis. The Office of Drug Control Policy will run point guard for the $20 million allocation from the Kentucky General Assembly to create a unique trifecta of services for the region called the Anchor Project.
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The Anchor Project will bring a mental health crisis intake center and a Life Learning Center to the 10-county district. Additionally, the ODCP will round out the three-pillar approach, bringing transparency to each of the projects to the community and, thereafter, building a network of comprehensive resources and research.
Edwards officially assumed the position Aug. 1, 2024, and will establish the office within the BRADD organization over the remainder of this year. Edwards, a licensed mental health associate who has collectively been with BRADD for five years, will bring just the right pace and strategy to establishing the office.
"I am very excited and eager to have this new position to further assist BRADD in meeting its mission and goals to help the citizens of our region to become more self-sufficient, prosperous, and to have better quality of life," Edwards said.
The Office of Drug Control Policy will serve local governments and community partners in implementing best practices and policies for issues around substance abuse and mental health. Specifically, it will help build a regional response guide addressing issues and assisting county and city governments receiving settlement funds from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission to utilize those funds for regional and local programming in areas of prevention, treatment, recovery and continuum of care.
"The Anchor Project will enhance the quality of life in the region, which aligns perfectly with BRADD's mission," BRADD Board Chairman Gary Dillard said. "We are excited to have an internal candidate with Brooke's background in mental health take the lead for this position."
"We are very excited to continue the positive moment this region is experiencing in response to substance abuse and mental health issues, and having someone with Brooke's skillset and passion for the subject is a big asset to this project," BRADD Executive Director Eric Sexton added.
Sexton further emphasized that the Anchor Project has tremendous support not only locally but across the Commonwealth, as it's slated to become the first response model of its kind.
For more information about the project, visit https://planning.bradd.org/opioid-summit/