During a House oversight hearing on Thursday, President Biden’s drug czar, Dr. Rahul Gupta, emphasized the need to address both mental illness and drug addiction simultaneously in order to reduce fentanyl deaths.
Addiction Recovery Care (ARC), a leading provider of treatment and recovery services across Kentucky, echoed Dr. Gupta’s testimony that “mental illness and drug addiction go hand in glove.”
“At ARC, we’ve seen an increase in the number of individuals entering treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) who are also experiencing serious mental illness (SMI),” said Matt Brown, ARC’s chief operating officer. “These clients require a higher level of care, and we want to ensure they have access to the treatment they need for the very best chance at long-term recovery.”
ARC will open its first inpatient psychiatric hospital, Bellefonte Hospital and Recovery Center, later this year in Greenup County to better support individuals struggling with mental illness as well as substance use disorder.
“Kentuckians deserve high quality, inclusive healthcare that meets their needs, no matter how complex. Our medical team is expanding their resources and knowledge daily so that they can improve our standard of care and better serve those struggling with a broader range of behavioral, mental and physical health conditions,” added Brown.
People with mental illness are more likely to experience a substance use disorder than those not affected by a mental illness, according to SAMHSA. Approximately 9.2 million adults in the United States experience co-occurring mental illness and SUD.
For more information on ARC’s programs and services, call (888) 351-1761 or visit arccenters.com. ARC staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist.
