Kentuckiana Times

Fighting Addiction: New Albany Commits to Facility Improvements with Token Club to Expand Services that Fight Substance Abuse

The City of New Albany with the assistance of American Rescue Plan funds is partnering with the New Albany/Floyd County Token Club to combat the negative effects of addiction in our community with facility improvements and additional services. The New Albany Token Club is a local non-profit that serves hundreds of residents a week, providing drug and alcohol treatment programming that includes substance misuse treatment, education classes, and more to help combat the effects of drug and alcohol abuse in New Albany.

“New Albany has been at the forefront of the opioid crisis and fighting the negative effects of addiction, and this is just one more step that we are doing in helping those who have been impacted by this crisis,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “The Token Club is an exceptional group of local volunteers that help those in our community who are dealing with addiction, substance abuse, and other serious behavioral and mental health issues, and we are proud to be able to bring these dollars into service helping those most in need.”

In the first full year of the pandemic in the United States, through April 2021, the CDC states that more than 99,000 people died from drug overdoses. This represents an increase of nearly 30% from those who passed away in the previous 12 months. Factors related to the pandemic, such as social isolation, stress, and decreased access to substance use disorder treatment and emergency services made the problem worse. Nonprofits like the Token Club play an important role in helping people to get the treatment they need by increasing access to care, reducing hospitalizations, and decreasing expensive emergency room visits.

The Token Club operates at 506 Pearl Street, and their current building is in dire need of repairs. In early 2022, Mayor Gahan and administration staff toured the facility to learn more about the programs offered, as well as the current condition of the building. The club is run by an unpaid, volunteer staff who is dedicated to serving those in need in our community.

The United States Treasury dictated rules for utilizing American Rescue Plan funding, and this action meets criteria set by the federal guidelines. All uses of American Rescue Plan funds are reviewed by outside counsel to ensure that the City of New Albany is abiding by federal guidelines.

Original source can be found here.