At the heart of work and mission is the belief that everyone needs connection. It’s through these important connections, foundations are built, growth is cultivated, and health is fortified. As we reflect on 2023, KVC Kentucky celebrates the dedicated team of professionals, volunteers, donors, and community supporters. They give our organizational roots the resilience they need for sustainable growth. Through our strength-based services — including wraparound support, evidence-based therapy, outpatient psychotherapy and medication management, family strengthening and prevention programs, crisis intervention, and connection to community resources — our clients overcome challenges, improve health and wellbeing, and cultivate resilience. Take a look at our growth and expansion over the past year, and see the positive impact rippling across Kentucky.

KVC’s 2023 Impact in Kentucky

Gina Klyachkin, President of KVC Kentucky

In our more than 25 years of service, the impact on Kentucky communities has grown significantly, and our 2023 report shows that we’re still growing! KVC Kentucky, along with our state partners and key child welfare stakeholders, were able to expand our impact. In 2023, we saw a much-needed increase in family-strengthening services and programming for Kentucky’s children and families. “We’re constantly looking for new opportunities through the lens of our mission and our strategic plan,” says Gina Klyachkin, President of KVC Kentucky.

Take a look at a few ways KVC impacted communities across Kentucky in 2023:

• 14,000 children and adults served statewide, compared to 12,000 the year before
• 8,210 children received family preservation services aimed at safely preventing the need for foster care
• 94.9% of children safely remained with their families after receiving family preservation and reunification services
• 1,286 children benefited from mental and behavioral health services
• 2,635 children safely prevented from entering foster care

These numbers reflect only a simple snapshot of the beneficial work that KVC has provided across Kentucky. Take a closer look at our full 2023 Impact Report. The major impact of this past year lies in our expansion efforts and reaching new communities in need of services.

Forward Momentum and Our Expansion of Services to Impact the State

Over the previous year, KVC has expanded into new regions and areas of the state. We’ve added new locations, new services, and additional practitioners to meet the growing needs. Multiple offices have been added and about 100 core staff members and dedicated professionals have been hired. “We’ve been in expansion mode!” Klyachkin smiles. KVC has significantly increased its family-strengthening services and opened new locations in Cumberland, Louisville, and Salt River Trail Region.

Expansion into Cumberland  

In the Cumberland region, two offices provide a unique program called KSTEP (Kentucky Strengthening Ties and Empowering Parents). KSTEP focuses on adult substance use as a primary risk factor leading to the removal of children from the home. This is a much-needed service for this community. With support from other partners, this has already made a tremendous impact on this area of the state.

Expansion Around the Louisville Area

With a significant need for more resources, another office has newly opened in the Louisville area. This location is now offering additional family preservation services to its residents. Although some services were previously available to residents in that area, there is now a dedicated team providing beneficial services and programs.

Expanding Our New Services in Lexington

Central Kentucky has also been impacted by expansion efforts. Lexington and surrounding counties now have access to a relatively new Multi-Systemic Therapy Program (MST). MST is an intensive program that offers wraparound services to families that have been or are at risk of, being involved with the criminal justice system. The program focuses on youth ages 12-17 and works with the caregivers, youth and their ecology including the school, peers, and community to identify drivers placing the youth at risk.

“This is a fascinating and exciting program that is making a positive impact on the children and families we serve,” Klyachkin says. “And we recently testified about the outcomes and presented how that program is going in front of the legislature.”

As a result of this success, we look forward to expanding this program into our other locations and making it available to more families.

Expanding Our Team of Professionals

We’re proud of the significant increase in how many families we’ve been able to serve, as well as the ability to increase our reach and impact more of the communities within the state. Throughout this major expansion, we’ve also focused on recruiting, hiring, onboarding and training new talented team members. Klyachkin fondly calls the KVC team members mission makers.

Although it’s not a common metric in annual reports, it’s Klyachkin’s favorite. Klyachkin describes “mission makers” as a variety of direct care providers like therapists, care coordinators or other specialists who work hand in hand with the children and families daily. “What’s truly amazing is the 19% increase in provider growth from the year 2022 to 2023,” she says about the mission maker metric.

“We just can’t thank our team members enough for the work that they do and the impact they make on the lives of others.”

What Impact Lies Ahead?

2023 was a year of growth, expansion and momentum — and we’re not slowing down. “One major strategic plan goal for the years ahead is to move into the direction of primary prevention, and really trying to get ahead of the complexities of societal challenges,” explains Klyachkin. Staying ahead of the curve and focusing on prevention is no small task. So we’re keeping our eyes on the horizon and looking for opportunities to connect communities to innovative solutions.

KVC Kentucky’s newest program, EMBARK (Elevate Mothers and Build Addiction Recovery in Kentucky) was recently granted funding by the Kentucky Attorney General’s office. Starting in early 2024, KVC will work alongside Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation (MCHC), a community partner with parents receiving medically assisted treatment (mostly pregnant mothers) before and after the baby is born. EMBARK practitioners will provide integrated, coordinated care to support pregnant mothers with substance use and their families. The goal is to promote healthy, safe and thriving families.  EMBARK will provide families with an innovative, coordinated team approach. Compared to the traditional, fragmented approach to accessing quality services, this is much easier for vulnerable families to navigate. Families will be able to access obstetric, pediatric, and primary care, substance use treatment including Medication Assisted Treatment, and therapeutic interventions including family therapy, parenting education, and care coordination with provision of tangible resources and funding assistance. EMBARK aims to provide necessary interventions and support with the aim of reducing child maltreatment and system involvement while increasing the health and wellbeing of families. The program will serve mothers in Letcher, Perry, Knott, and Pike Counties.

Get Involved in 2024

For over 25 years, KVC Kentucky has provided families in crisis with a wide variety of mental and behavioral health, substance abuse and child welfare services. We positively impact the lives of over 14,000 children and families each year by providing in-home behavioral healthcare and substance abuse treatment, and family preservation and reunification services. And you can help us create more impact than ever with a gift to KVC Kentucky. Learn more about how you can support our mission through donating.

*Services are made possible through state and federal funding.