Nov. 29—Better late than never: Though the company started in September of last year, Somerset's BrightView addiction treatment center celebrated its first anniversary Wednesday.
BrightView is an outpatient treatment center which provides counseling for substance use disorder and provides medical treatment for related issues.
Though their anniversary of their foundation was back on September 6, 2023, BrightView pushed back a celebration to this Wednesday in order to recognize the contributions they've made to the Pulaski County community and to also award team members Meghan Gilmore and Toby Pratt with an award called Target4-Region6.
This award was granted because of Gilmore and Pratt's work in harm reduction and their work in the needle exchange program.
Gail Cummins, Community Outreach Manager for BrightView, presented the award to Gilmore (Pratt was not present).
Cummins said the pair had gone "above and beyond" and noted their help in providing testing for HIV/AIDS.
She added that a celebration was warranted as she had been astounded at the number of people getting help and seeing recovery.
Cummins feels that BrightView and organizations like it are important for alerting addicts and their family members to the resources available in the community, especially considering the changes she has noticed. She felt that her role in community outreach helped strengthen the network of support for those struggling with addiction and mental health problems in Pulaski County.
"I've really seen so much cooperation, and it's just growing over time. There's not that sense of competition as when we first opened. It's more of a camaraderie and a partnership, which I love," said Cummins.
Cummins likes to focus on education. Part of the purpose of BrightView, said Cummins, is breaking misconceptions.
"I've probably given more tours of BrightView than anybody has given tours of the White House," she said with a laugh. "Outpatient is still a new concept. It's not what you immediately think of when you think of recovery."
BrightView's work in outpatient care and helping locals get more familiar with the concept has helped people understand that most of the work of "curing" addiction takes place after rehab, said Cummins.
"Our catchphrase is, we treat addiction like a disease and we treat people like people," she said.
Cummins spoke on the "Reentry Simulation" performed with the Kentucky Department of Corrections a few months ago on the Somerset Community College campus. The simulation had participants collect fake money, resources, and documentation in order to satisfy the needs a real formerly incarcerated person will go through in Pulaski County. Cummins found herself taking advantage of legal loopholes in order to get the things her character needed to complete the simulation. She said the realization "smacked" her.