$100,000 donation to help open residential addiction center
By Mark Hoskins
Another step was made Wednesday to help fight drug addiction in Clay and surrounding counties.
WellCare of Kentucky donated $100,000 to Volunteers of America to open a new residential addiction treatment facility program in Manchester for new and expectant mothers addicted to drugs.
Robert Stivers, Kentucky’s Senate President; Ben Orris, WellCare of Kentucky’s chief operating officer; and Jennifer Hancock, VOA’s president and CEO, announced the donation during a ceremony today at the Clay County Administration Building.
VOA, which operates several treatment facilities across the commonwealth, identified a need for residential treatment for women in eastern Kentucky as there were no options for new expectant mothers within an hour’s drive of Clay County.
The facility will be located at Burning Springs at the old Calvary Church location on US 421.
Senator Stivers said this was a project very close to his heart.
“This is something we have been working on for two years,” he said. “I don’t know if people understand the impact addiction has on these mothers and their children. These children will likely have learning disabilities and it’s a process that takes time to correct.”
Stivers said this will not only have a huge impact in Clay County, but in all counties in the surrounding area.
“This facility will just not be for Clay County, it’s for our entire region. Facilities like these exist in urban areas and are working. This is the first time something like this has been brought to a rural area,” he said. “This will have a long-term impact on the future of our region. We want to thank WellCare for their generous donation and supporting VOA’s new treatment center, which will help families get a fresh start, establish healthy behaviors and create more stable communities.”
Ben Orris, of WellCare of Kentucky, says this was a project they were happy to invest in.
“We all know the devastating impact addiction is bringing upon Kentuckians everywhere.
The Opioid addiction is extending to infants. A mother in Clay County had to travel with her new born infant to Louisville to get treatment for her addiction,” Orris said. “That’s just too far for people in the eastern part of the state to travel. That’s why I am so proud of WellCare’s commitment of donating $100,000 to Volunteers of America to create a treatment program in Manchester.”
With WellCare’s donation, VOA plans to purchase and renovate the Calvary Church property at Burning Springs to house up to 16 women and their children. VOA will also offer a transitional intensive outpatient program with subsidized housing and case management supports. The new facility is expected to open later this year.
VOA, which operates several treatment facilities across the state, identified a need for residential treatment for women in eastern Kentucky as there were no options for new and expectant mothers within an hour’s drive of Clay County.
