Operation UNITE Among Programs Honored by Addiction Policy Forum

Operation UNITE, a collaborative that serves 32 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky by preventing drug abuse and facilitating recovery initiatives, was honored this week by the national Addiction Policy Forum. UNITE’s three-pronged approach to combating drug misuse and abuse was recognized by the Forum as one of 10 innovative programs addressing Kentucky’s addiction crisis.

The work of Operation UNITE and nine other honorees was highlighted in a report titled Kentucky Innovations to Address Addiction, which was released during a luncheon ceremony on Thursday in Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Founded in 2003 by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, UNITE was the first three-pronged, grassroots, holistic approach to fighting drug addiction by uniting law enforcement, treatment and prevention/education. In 2012, UNITE launched the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, which is now produced by HMP’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Learning Network in collaboration with UNITE.

Additional information on all 10 programs recognized by the Addiction Policy Forum can be found on the Forum’s website.