Transitions

Angela Baldauff

According to Kenton County’s Data Profile, provided by the Kentucky: By The Numbers program in the Department of Community and Leadership Development for the Community Assessments conducted by the University of Kentucky’s Cooperative Extension Service, the number of fatal and nonfatal overdoses in Kenton County have more than doubled from 2010 until 2017. Since the summer of 2018, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed) Nutrition Education Program (NEP) Assistant from the Kenton County Cooperative Extension Service has been teaching classes at the Healthy Newborn House, which is a part of Transitions, Inc.  Transitions is a Behavioral Health Service Organization, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Their overall objective is to provide a jumpstart on an individual’s life in recovery.  

The NEP Assistant has been leading an ongoing program for the residents of the Healthy Newborn House for a year and a half.   Healthy Newborn House is a transitional sober-living home, where programming is provided on site. Because the women at the Healthy Newborn House enjoy the class and have learned so much, the director of the new Residential Treatment Center (also a part of Transitions, Inc.) contacted the NEP Assistant to teach nutrition/cooking classes at the treatment center after it opened. The NEP Assistant began a class for the women at the Mary Grady Travis Residential Treatment Center (RTC).  RTC is a short-term residential treatment center for men and women, where clients receive individual, group, and family education and therapy as well as participate in other recovery based activities to encourage a life of recovery, health, and wellness.

The NEP Assistant goes to RTC weekly and teaches the Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum.  She teaches the women about eating healthy, making better food choices on a budget, cooking food safely, planning meals, and cooking a healthy breakfast.  She also gives the participants reinforcements such as cutting mats, mixing bowls, meat thermometers and colanders, which will help them to cook healthy meals at home after they leave the treatment center.  The women have made important changes as a result of the series. The diet quality has improved for 39% of the participants.  Sixty-four percent now thaw frozen food at room temperature less often.  Forty-seven percent have improved in their resource management, including 57% who plan meals more often.  The women appreciate the class so much.  

Whole wheat strawberry pancakes were prepared during one session to teach participants about incorporating more whole grains and fruits into their diets.  One participant shared, “These pancakes smell healthy, and two pancakes filled me up!”   Another participant share, “I have been cooking my whole life, but you have taught me so much.”

Plans are being made to offer the Healthy Choices for Every Body series on the men’s side of the Residential Treatment Center in the near future.