FRANKFORT, Ky. --(Oct. 4, 2004)— Kentucky has been awarded $9.5 million to provide mental health and substance abuse services for youths in Northern Kentucky. The program, Kentuckians Encouraging Youth to Succeed (KEYS), will be implemented over six years with a long-term goal of statewide implementation and sustainability.

The U.S. Department for Health and Human Services’ Center for Mental Health Services awarded the grant to the Kentucky Department for Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services (KDMHMRS), within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. KDMHMRS will partner with NorthKey Community Care, the Regional Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board serving the area. It is the second such grant awarded to Kentucky, the first being the Bridges Project in Southeastern Kentucky in 1998.

Kentucky is one of four applicants awarded funding through this grant program.

“Kentucky faces significant challenges in comprehensively addressing the needs of youth with mental health issues and their families, particularly those who also have substance use problems,” said Mark Birdwhistell, undersecretary for health with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. “KEYS will give us the opportunity to further the knowledge base for what works with this population. ”

             KEYS will build upon two programs. The first began in 1990 – the Interagency Mobilization for Progress in Adolescent’s and Children’s Treatment (IMPACT) – and  coordinates services for children with severe emotional disabilities so they can stay at home. The second is the comprehensive school-based mental health model established through the Bridges Project in 1998.

KEYS will place student care teams in schools that will provide services to address to the mental health and substance use problems. Recognizing the unmet needs of youth with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, KEYS will place an  emphasis upon employing evidence-based strategies to identify and treat children in need of services.

Additionally, KEYS will expand the availability of children’s mental health services, such as mentoring, home-based services, early childhood mental health and crisis response. Engaging and empowering families is also a critical component of KEYS. Much ground in this area has been broken by the Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children (KPFC), a statewide children’s mental health advocacy group. KPFC will be instrumental in bridging the gap between families, schools, and communities.

“With direct support from the Governor’s Office and the enthusiastic participation of the Kentucky Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, NorthKey Community Care, and our partner child-serving agencies, KEYS will assist us in promoting a model of resiliency and addressing current challenges in the development of our system of care,” said Pat Wear, II, commissioner of the Department for Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services.

KEYS will cover the Northern Kentucky Area Development District that includes the following counties: Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen and Pendleton.

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