Why Addressing Both Mental Health and Behavioral Health Is Crucial for Addiction Recovery in Kentucky

The terms "behavioral health" and "mental health" are often and incorrectly used as interchangeable terms.

In this post, we’ll explore why treating both is essential for long-term recovery, how they differ, and what this looks like in real-world treatment settings across the Commonwealth. We'll also highlight how organizations like RecoveryGlue.org are leading the way in offering accessible, integrated care for individuals and families affected by addiction.

What’s the Difference Between Mental Health and Behavioral Health for Addiction Recovery in Kentucky?

While they often overlap, mental health and behavioral health are not the same:

• Mental health refers to psychological and emotional conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, or bipolar disorder.

• Behavioral health is broader, encompassing mental health but also behaviors that affect well-being, such as substance use, eating habits, and coping strategies.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 21 million adults in the U.S. experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2021—an issue frequently linked with substance use. In Kentucky, the rate of depression is particularly high: one in five adults reports being diagnosed with depression, compared to the national average of one in seven (Kentucky Department for Public Health, 2023).

Why Mental Health Treatment Is Essential in Recovery

People with addiction often suffer from co-occurring mental health disorders. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):

• Nearly 50% of people with a substance use disorder also have a mental health condition.

• In Kentucky, almost 8% of adults experience both substance use and mental illness each year.

Untreated mental illness increases the risk of relapse, self-harm, overdose, and suicide.

Real-world example: In Louisville, Seven Counties Services provides integrated care for opioid addiction and PTSD. Their trauma-informed approach has reduced emergency department visits by up to 40% among high-risk patients (Kentucky Opioid Response Effort, 2022).

RecoveryGlue.org follows similar models by offering psychiatric care, counseling, and peer support in one coordinated platform, ensuring clients receive care for the whole person, not just the addiction.

Behavioral Health: The Engine Behind Lasting Recovery

Addiction is a behavioral health disorder. Behavioral therapies like CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) have proven highly effective in addiction recovery Kentucky treatment. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):

• Patients receiving CBT for substance use show a 25–40% greater abstinence rate than those who do not.

• Behavioral health approaches help reduce relapse rates by up to 60% when combined with other treatment modalities.

In Kentucky, the Robert Alexander Center integrates CBT with peer coaching and behavioral tracking to help clients develop healthier routines.

RecoveryGlue.org offers structured behavioral interventions that teach Kentuckians how to manage triggers, reduce impulsivity, and rebuild daily habits—all essential elements in behavioral recovery.

Integrated Care Works Best—And the Data Proves It

Integrated treatment—addressing both mental and behavioral health—is more than a best practice. It’s a necessity:

• According to SAMHSA, people with co-occurring disorders who receive integrated care are twice as likely to remain in treatment.

• A study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (2020) found that integrated care programs led to a 30% reduction in relapse rates compared to siloed treatment.

Kentucky’s Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) emphasize whole-person support that includes:

• MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)

• Psychiatric assessment

• Counseling and behavioral coaching

• Employment, housing, and life skills services

RecoveryGlue.org supports this model by offering APRN services, trauma-informed therapy, and peer recovery specialists—all coordinated through a seamless virtual or in-person platform available across Kentucky.

🏥 What This Looks Like in Kentucky Treatment Centers

Provider	Services	Region
Seven Counties Services	Psychiatric care, therapy, MAT, crisis stabilization	Louisville
Kentucky Counseling Center	Statewide telehealth for therapy and medication	Statewide
Pathways Inc.	Behavioral health + mental health + developmental support	Eastern KY
Isaiah House	Faith-based residential treatment with LCADCs and therapists	Central KY
RecoveryGlue.org	Virtual and in-person behavioral health + addiction services, peer support, APRN care	Statewide
Norton Behavioral Medicine	Integrated outpatient care	Louisville area

Additional Recovery Kentucky Statistics on Addiction & Mental Health

• Overdose deaths in Kentucky increased by 14.5% from 2020 to 2021, primarily due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl (KY Office of Drug Control Policy).

• Kentucky ranks #5 in the nation for drug overdose mortality, with over 2,100 deaths in 2022.

• 1 in 7 Kentucky children lives in a household with a parent who has a substance use disorder (Kentucky Youth Advocates, 2022).

• Nearly 30% of adults in eastern Kentucky report poor mental health on 14 or more days each month—significantly higher than the national average (CDC BRFSS).

Final Thoughts: Treat the Person, Not Just the Addiction

For addiction recovery in Kentucky and across the U.S., substance use is rarely an isolated issue. To achieve lasting recovery, individuals need care that targets both the emotional wounds and behavioral patterns that lead to and reinforce addiction.