The Isaiah House Real Hope Behavioral Health Center is the first of its kind in Bullitt County to offer multi-faceted resources for people with substance use disorder.
The recovery center was designed based on the needs of the Hillview community, according to Isaiah House CEO Nick Wren. He said Isaiah House has served as a faith-based mental health and addiction recovery resource for more than 23 years.
“We believe that it is important to meet people where they are at and to do the work to break down the barriers that exist for them to access the treatment that they need, that they're seeking,” he said during a news conference Tuesday.
Isaiah House will offer an 11-month intensive outpatient program at the Hillview center. It’s one of three outpatient Isaiah House facilities in Kentucky.
Each participant will be matched with a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed therapist, a nurse practitioner and a targeted case manager during their recovery. Isaiah House will also offer options for recovery housing after the first six months in the program.
“The point of this is we are a long-term program, where we believe that a quick fix doesn't exist for substance use,” said Brian Privett, Isaiah House vice president of public affairs.
The program is part of a community of social service partners, Wren said. The Hillview facility is housed in the Jim Eadens Resource Center, named after the city’s mayor.
Goodwill, CASA of the River Region, Hillview Senior Center and the Center for Women and Families will also offer their services along Isaiah House. Addiction recovery participants will have access to career development, a food pantry, family reunification resources and medicinal services under one roof.
Eadens said Tuesday that he spent months working with the city to bring these organizations to Hillview.
“I'm just ready for these doors to be open and see people's lives being changed coming in,” he said.
Tara Hyde has been in long-term addiction recovery since 2011. She said in-house services like those at the resource center helped her on her journey battling substance use disorder.
“This is how we're going to change the conversation and the stigma that exists with substance use disorder,” Hyde said. “This is how we're going to create spaces where people can thrive in their recovery.”
Hyde is now a recovery advocate and CEO of People Advocating Recovery. She said there is still more to be done in Kentucky for those struggling with addiction.
In 2022, 2,135 Kentuckians died of a drug overdose, according to a report by the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
“This is a community problem,” she said, “And the more that we raise awareness around recovery and the community, that's how we heal. That's how we get better.”
Isaiah House admitted 3,515 people through the program last year, according to an annual report.
