First Lady visits local treatment center for women

Kentucky First Lady Glenna Bevin, center, visited Independence House in Corbin last week.

Kentucky First Lady Glenna Bevin visited a Corbin facility last week dedicated to helping pregnant and parenting mothers get back on their feet in the wake of crippling substance abuse problems.

Bevin, the mother of nine children (four adopted), toured the Independence House last Wednesday. The home is a program within Cumberland River Behavioral Health — a nonprofit community mental health center.

Samantha Sowders, Director of the Independence House, said the facility has two phases; one that helps all women with substance abuse issues, and a second phase for pregnant and post-delivery mothers that has a 30-day minimum stay. There are 15 beds at the Independence House in seven bedrooms, and a special “mommy and me” suite.

“We usually have a waiting list of about 30 women,” Sowders said. “We were one of the first licensed programs in the state to accept pregnant women.”

The Independence House was chartered in the early 1990s.

Danny Jones, CEO of Cumberland River Behavior Health, told Bevin that one of the best parts of the program is that it often results in women, who have had to give up custody of some of their children because of substance abuse issues, often regaining custody through the courts.

“When they are able to get those children that they lost back, it’s a wonderful thing,” Jones said.

Sowders told Bevin the Independence House was servicing 13 women and four babies at the time of her visit. There is also a cottage on the site where women can stay after they graduate from the program in order to transition back into the community.

“We’ve followed closely what you’ve done with adoption and foster care,” Jones told Bevin. “We are excited for you to see what we are doing to try to help with the mothers and families and babies.”

Bevin did not want to be interviewed by the media during her visit.