Maryhurst and Brooklawn of Louisville, Kentucky were recognized by the Mental Health America of Kentucky (formerly Mental Health Association of Kentucky) as a leader in the state in providing trauma-informed treatment.
Mental Health America of Kentucky (http://www.mhaky.org) is Kentucky’s oldest nonprofit association that promotes mental health and effective treatments for mental illness. Formed in 1951 as the “Kentucky Association for Mental Health,” they are linked with similar associations nationwide as Mental Health America , the nation’s best-known advocate for mental health, located in Washington, DC.
Historically, MHA-Kentucky has worked to improve the accessibility and quality of treatment for people with mental illnesses. In the 1950s, they called attention to conditions in overcrowded and underfunded state hospitals and won the appointment of psychiatric professionals to oversee patient care. They helped build Kentucky’s regional community mental health system, one of the best in the nation, to treat people with mental illnesses outside hospitals when possible. More recently, they worked with allies in Frankfort and with MHA affiliates nationwide to include effective psychiatric treatments in the coverage of Medicaid and private insurance plans.
Every October, MHA-Kentucky recognizes individuals and programs that have made outstanding contributions to mental health in Kentucky, and awards two scholarships to promising undergraduates.
The two agencies received an award at the annual dinner meeting of Mental Health America of Kentucky.
Both organizations have received training from the Traumatic Stress Institute.
