Delivering healthy babies is not only a goal of Freedom House — a program committed to providing customized addiction treatment to pregnant Kentucky mothers working to overcome substance abuse disorder — it’s also a goal of Aetna Better Health of Kentucky.
With a shortage of treatment and recovery programs, the opioid and addiction crisis has hit Southeastern Kentucky hard. To support the need, the health plan recently donated a $150,000 to help cover the cost of a new addiction treatment facility in the Appalachia region of Clay County, KY. Expected to open in July or August with space for 20 women and their children, the new Freedom House will be the fourth operated by Volunteers of America (VOA) Mid-States.
“Aetna’s gift will support the critical funding Freedom House requires to provide comprehensive care and addiction services to pregnant and parenting mothers,” said Aetna Better Health of Kentucky CEO Jon Copley. “Helping to underwrite this program on the front end will save hundreds of thousands of dollars on very expensive care for neonatal abstinence syndrome on the back end.”
“We are so grateful to Aetna for their support and their amazing generosity that will make this truly innovative and important project possible,” added Jennifer Hancock, President and CEO of Volunteers of America.
During the check presentation, Nicole Collins, a graduate of the program discussed how she got clean and delivered a healthy baby boy at one of the Freedom House locations in Louisville. And Kentucky State Senate President Robert Stivers said he hopes the new location will expand the program’s reach and make addiction services more accessible across Kentucky.