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BOWLING GREEN, KY - AUGUST 9, 2024
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 creation of the office comes as BRADD area officials and stakeholders have been drafting a regional response to the opioid crisis. The Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) 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. As a whole, the Anchor Project will bring a mental health crisis intake center and a Life Learning Center to the ten county district. Additionally, the ODCP will round out the three-pillar approach bringing transparency of each of the projects to the community and thereafter will build a network of comprehensive resources and research.
Edwards officially assumed the position as of August 1, 2024, and will, over the remainder of this year, establish the office within the BRADD organization. Edwards, a licensed mental health associate, who has collectively been with BRADD for 5 years will bring just the right pace and strategy in establishing the office. Edwards had this to say about her upcoming transition, “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.”
The Office of Drug Control Policy will serve local governments and community partners in implementing best practices and policy 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 KY Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission to utilize those funds for regional and local programming in areas of prevention, treatment, recovery and continuum of care.
BRADD Board Chairman, Gary Dillard stated: “The Anchor Project will enhance the quality of life in the region, which aligns perfectly with BRADDs mission. We are excited to have an internal candidate with Brooke’s background in mental health take the lead for this position.”
Eric Sexton, BRADD’s Executive Director states, “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.” 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 ever response model of its kind.
BRADD is the regional economic development agency and federally designated Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living, serving ten counties in South Central KY since 1968. For more information about the anchor project check out our landing page at BRADD Anchor Project.
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