Thursday, April 24, 2025
4/24/2025
Barrier Free Re-Entry and Recovery Initiative (BFREE) - The Barrier Free Re-Entry and Recovery (BFREE) Initiative is located in Lexington, KY. The Initiative will collaborate with community stakeholders to create strategies in response to the devastating impact COVID-19 had on individuals who use substances. After experiencing a drastic reduction in overdoses and overdose fatalities in 2018 and 2019, Lexington experienced the greatest number of fatal overdoses ever recorded in 2020. For the first time, more than 200 (209) overdose fatalities occurred in Lexington. In an effort to protect individuals from COVID- 19, many places and programs that supported a person's recovery were no longer available. Face-to-face mutual support meetings went away, therapeutic services were put on hold, jobs were lost and the number of people experiencing mental health crises greatly increased. Individuals with no internet access had to figure out how they were going to access online mutual support meetings and virtual mental health sessions. Public libraries were also closed taking away one of the few internet access sites utilized by individuals without access, including individuals who use drugs. While some mutual support meetings slowly began to meet in-person, other meetings have never returned. BFREE seeks to resolve many the barriers faced by individuals with a substance use disorder involved in the criminal justice who are re-entering the community after a period of incarceration, as well as non-justice involved individuals with substance use disorder who are experiencing barriers to entering or continuing in substance use disorder treatment. A lack of affordable, safe, substance-free housing, unemployment, lack of photo identification, lack of Social Security card and a lack of transportation to treatment and mutual support meetings, difficulty in navigating the sometimes overwhelming substance use disorder treatment system and other barriers often prevent or discourage an individual from entering or continuing in services. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG)'s BFREE Initiative will work with community partners to help eliminate barriers that often interfere with an individual, justice involved or not, entering SUD treatment thus contributing to the cycle of recidivism and chronic relapse. Access to effective SUD treatment, as well as to mental health services, mutual support meetings and community support for substance use disorder is imperative for a person in early recovery. BFREE will work closely with the Fayette County Detention Center, the Community Paramedicine Program (CPP), and the Overdose Prevention Project that are currently a part of team addressing substance misuse at LFUCG. BFREE will work with stakeholders to identify strategies that to resolve the transportation issue as well as the issue of lack of documents needed to secure housing and employment (photo ID and Social Security card, for example) that are a barrier for many individuals who are re-entering the community. The BFREE Initiative will also assist those with housing instability issues to access the recovery residences in Lexington. BFREE will also work closely with the Fayette County Division of Probation and Parole to help provide treatment opportunities for those who have recently left a prison or jail and work closely with the CPP located within the Lexington Fire Department. The CPP has successfully operated for in Lexington since 2017. The team follows-up with individuals that survived an overdose and their families in an effort to connect them with treatment or other support services. However, the drastic increase in overdoses has taxed the existing team and transportation has become a barrier. BFREE will enable CPP to purchase two mini vans to transport individuals to SUD related services and would fill a significant gap in the SUD infrastructure.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).