Community Paramedicine and Domestic Violence Coalition Present Updates to Council Committee
Paramedicine Update
In March 5th’s Social Services and Public Safety (SSPS) Committee, Fire Captain Seth Lockard presented an update on the Community Paramedicine Program. The Community Paramedicine program pairs teams of firefighters, paramedics, social workers, and police officers to assist in post-acute crises across Lexington.
In 2023, the Paramedicine Program responded to 735 unique individuals, with 325 of those cases being substance abuse related. Service referrals come from a variety of places including hospitals and social service agencies, emails from the Police and Fire Departments, and community members.
In 2024, the program plans to add two new Firefighters, one Peer Support Specialist, and two Overdose Prevention Coordinators to the staff. The program will also partner with the UK Center for Drug and Alcohol Research to evaluate residents in need, and will partner with Voices of Hope to co-manage an additional Peer Support Specialist.
Council lauded the work of the program, with several members saying that it was the best program the City operates.
When asked about the program’s funding, Fire Chief Jason Wells informed Council that the program was approximately 50% funded by the City and 50% funded by various grant programs. Chief Wells said he had no problem with that funding structure, as showing the program’s success through past grant programs makes them more competitive for future grants.
Several Councilmembers stated that they were willing to dedicate more funding in the City’s Budget to the program if Chief Wells and Captain Lockard ever thought it was needed.
No action was taken on this item.
You can view the presentation slides starting on page five of this packet.
Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition
Also in March 5th’s SSPS Committee, Stephanie Theakston gave an overview of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition of Lexington. The Domestic Violence Coalition is made up of a variety of City and non-profit partners who work to prevent domestic violence, and provide a host of services to survivors.
A few points of discussion came up during Council’s time for questions:
It is incredibly hard to track data around domestic and sexual violence in Lexington. Most data Theakston provided centered on all of Kentucky rather than just Lexington — and even that data was incomplete. Fragmented reporting from residents, a large number of codes inside Lexington Police Department that domestic and sexual violence could fall under, and a lack of agencies attempting to track data make it difficult to know precisely how prevalent violence is in Lexington as compared to the state and the nation.
Lexington’s recently passed source of income discrimination ban touches survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The Coalition provides housing relocation assistance vouchers to survivors through Victim of Crime Acts (VOCA) funds, but Theakston claimed that some landlords are unwilling to accept VOCA funds to help survivors find housing. Court-ordered payments such as child support are also commonly paid to survivors but are sometimes denied as rental income by landlords.
Workplaces can have a large role to play in supporting survivors. After discussing a variety of ways workplaces can support survivors, District 5 Councilmember Liz Sheehan placed an item in the SSPS Committee on Crime Victim Paid Leave for LFUCG Employees.
This paid leave would be granted to employees who have recently been a victim of a violent crime and need time away from work for mental health services, court and other legal meetings, and more.
If you or someone you know needs support services from the Coalition and their partners, please click here to find resources available to support survivors.
You can view the presentation staring on page 15 of this packet.
The Social Services and Public Safety Committee will meet Tuesday, March 5th at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in-person or watch live on LexTV.
