$2.2 Million Grant to Launch Addiction Treatment, Reentry Program in Central Virginia

Regional effort will connect people leaving the Blue Ridge Regional Jail system with treatment and recovery services

BEDFORD, Va. — A new $2.2 million regional program will provide substance use disorder treatment and reentry services for people in the Blue Ridge Regional Jail system, with an estimated 80 individuals expected to receive services each year.

The Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority Recovery and Reentry Program is being funded through a five-year cooperative grant from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.

The initiative brings together Bedford, Amherst, Appomattox and Campbell counties, the City of Lynchburg, Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority and Horizon Behavioral Health.

Over the five-year grant period, the program will expand access to evidence-based substance use disorder treatment, medication-assisted treatment, peer recovery support and coordinated services designed to help individuals transition from jail back into their communities.

A key goal is improving continuity of care by connecting participants with treatment and recovery resources before they leave jail and continuing those services after their release.

“Individuals cycle in and out of our facilities because the support they need on the outside can be hard to acquire,” Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority Administrator Keith Lockridge said. “By connecting people to treatment and recovery support before they walk out our doors, we are not just reducing recidivism, we are giving people a real chance to rebuild their lives.”

Horizon Behavioral Health CEO Melissa Lucy said the program is intended to provide support for individuals who may otherwise have few resources available as they reenter the community.

“This new program will be the bridge to a hopeful future for hundreds of individuals who, too often, have nowhere or no one to turn to as they try to begin life anew,” Lucy said.

Bedford County Administrator Robert Hiss said the regional approach is important because substance use challenges extend across locality boundaries.

“By working together, we can expand access to treatment, recovery support, and services that help people successfully return to their communities,” Hiss said.

The announcement coincides with International Overdose Awareness Day. According to Virginia Department of Health data cited by the program partners, Virginia recorded 1,167 confirmed opioid overdose deaths in 2024, a 43% decline from the previous year.