City of Shelbyville Office of Behavioral Health and Equity receives grant to support drug prevention

Monday, April 21, 2025 at 2:25 PM

The City of Shelbyville’s Office of Behavioral Health and Equity was named as a grant recipient from the Shelby County Drug Free Coalition (SCDFC).

The $1,250 grant was awarded this morning at the annual Orange Ribbon Breakfast, an event dedicated to celebrating local efforts in substance use prevention and awareness.

The funding will support the Office’s upcoming October 2025 Prevention Program, aligning with National Substance Use Prevention Month. Plans are already underway to partner once again with SCDFC on a community-centered event aimed at increasing awareness and encouraging meaningful dialogue around substance use and recovery.

This October’s program will feature a public screening of a powerful new documentary created by the same local filmmaker behind An Addict’s Wake, which was shown last October at Shelbyville Middle School in collaboration with SCDFC. The new film explores the often-complex relationship between individuals battling addiction and the law enforcement officers working on the frontlines in Indiana communities.

“This partnership with the Shelby County Drug Free Coalition allows us to continue important conversations in Shelbyville,” said Keyen Macklin, Director of the Office of Behavioral Health and Equity. “Through storytelling, community engagement, and strategic prevention efforts, we hope to reduce stigma, foster compassion, and ultimately save lives.”

In addition to receiving funding, the Office of Behavioral Health and Equity is now an official SCDFC grantee and coalition member. Over the next year, the Office will work alongside other community partners to further prevention education and outreach in Shelby County.

For more information about the Shelby County Drug Free Coalition and its mission, visit https://www.shelbycountydrugfree.com/ .