Letter From Our CEO

Years ago, who would have thought when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed off on President John F. Kennedy’s initiative that Kentucky would be the first state to have every county served by a community mental health center? Kentucky’s mental health system has made great strides since it was first established in the 1960’s and we are proud to be a part of that tradition. Our efforts would not be successful without outstanding staff, dedicated board members, committed legislators, state administrators, advocates, and other community supporters. It takes all of us working together and we thank you.

There are many success stories our staff could tell, but they remain untold due to the nature of our service. Needless to say, there are many people alive today who are clean and sober; gainfully employed; not institutionalized; and no longer suicidal, severely depressed or psychotic due to the unheralded “heroes” who provide our most important services in order to make all our communities safer places to live.

The quality of our services has been improved with the integration of all three service areas – Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse. By utilizing this seamless system, the needs of the whole person can be addressed by staff who have that particular expertise. Communicare is pleased to have a reputation of maintaining competent and caring staff, values that are not only appreciated, but also expected by administration and the Board.

As we enter into our fifth decade of service, we look forward to new challenges that are meant to enhance our programs. The expansion of drug courts, the adult foster care program, the in-house pharmacy initiative and the crisis response program are all significant developments in the immediate future. The uncertainties of the state budget have forced us to look at other funding sources as we face the replacement of some older facilities. We are thrilled with the recent completion of a second duplex in Washington County and the relocation of our Breckinridge County Industries program. We have recently kicked off a fundraising campaign to build a new Nelson County Industries workshop and are constantly striving the atmosphere in which our services are offered.

We are committed to improving the lives of others and we thank our communities for their support of us in this mission.

Bill Osbourne, CEO