Supporting Families in Crisis
KentuckyStrongFamilies.org | Sponsored by Lives on Mission Ministries Inc.
When a loved one is arrested or sentenced, the crisis doesn’t stay contained to them. It rolls through the whole family. Jobs are missed. Bills go unpaid. Children ask questions no one knows how to answer. And the person who was supposed to help hold things together is gone.
If that’s where you are right now — in the middle of something that feels like it’s coming apart — this page is for you.
Recognizing When You’re in Crisis
Stress and crisis are different things. Stress is carrying a heavy load. Crisis is when the load has knocked you down and you can’t get up on your own.
Some signs that you or your family may be in crisis:
- You can’t meet basic needs — rent, food, utilities — and don’t know where to turn
- Children are acting out at school, withdrawing, or expressing fear or hopelessness
- You’re not sleeping, not eating, or struggling to get through a single day
- You’re using alcohol or other substances just to get through
- You’ve had thoughts of harming yourself or feel like you can’t go on
- You feel completely alone and don’t know who to call
None of these things mean you’ve failed. They mean you’re human, and the weight landed hard. The right response isn’t to push through alone — it’s to reach out.
What to Do First
When everything feels urgent, it helps to triage. Start with the most immediate need.
If someone is in danger — you, your children, or anyone in the home — call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Safety comes first, always.
If you’re overwhelmed but stable, start with one phone call: 211. Kentucky’s 211 service connects you with local resources for food, housing, utilities, mental health support, and more. It’s free, confidential, and available around the clock. You don’t have to know what you need — just call and tell them what’s happening.
If you have children in the home, contact their school counselor. Schools often have access to support services and can help you navigate resources for your kids while you’re managing everything else.
If you’re facing legal or financial pressure — eviction, wage garnishment, loss of a vehicle — contact Legal Aid of the Bluegrass (legalaidky.org) or Kentucky Legal Aid (klaid.org). These organizations provide free civil legal help to low-income Kentuckians.
Common Crisis Triggers for Incarceration Families
Every family’s situation is different, but certain pressures come up again and again:
Sudden loss of income. If your loved one was the primary earner, the financial hole can be immediate and deep. Kentucky’s Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) administers SNAP, Medicaid, and other assistance programs. Apply as soon as possible — don’t wait until you’re completely out of options.
Housing instability. Losing a co-signer or a second income can put a lease at risk quickly. The Kentucky Housing Corporation (kyhousing.org) lists emergency rental assistance programs by county.
Children struggling. Kids whose parents are incarcerated are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems — not because something is wrong with them, but because something hard happened to them. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana and local Boys & Girls Clubs offer mentoring and safe community for kids who need an extra anchor.
Your own mental health. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Depression, anxiety, and trauma responses are common among families of the incarcerated, and they are treatable. Seeking help is not weakness — it’s the most practical thing you can do for yourself and for your children.
Caring for Your Own Mental Health
Kentucky has expanded access to mental health services in recent years, and several options are low-cost or free:
- Kentucky River Community Care, Centerstone, Seven Counties Services, and other regional community mental health centers offer sliding-scale counseling statewide. Find your local center at dbhdid.ky.gov.
- BetterHelp and Open Path Collective offer affordable online counseling if transportation or scheduling is a barrier.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 any time, day or night. This line is not only for suicidal thoughts — it’s for anyone in emotional crisis who needs to talk to someone right now.
- NAMI Kentucky (namiky.org) offers free peer support groups for family members, not just individuals with mental illness. If your loved one has struggled with mental health or substance use, NAMI can be a particularly good fit.
Asking for Help Takes Courage
There’s a particular kind of shame that comes with incarceration — a feeling that what happened is something to hide, that reaching out will invite judgment, that you should be able to handle this on your own.
That shame is a lie, and it keeps families isolated when they need support most.
The people who work at crisis lines, legal aid offices, community mental health centers, and faith-based ministries have heard it all. They are not there to judge you. They are there because they chose work that puts them in the middle of hard situations alongside people who need help.
You don’t have to have it figured out before you call. You just have to make the call.
How Lives on Mission Ministries Can Help
KentuckyStrongFamilies.org and Lives on Mission Ministries Inc. exist because families in crisis need more than a resource list — they need someone who understands what they’re carrying and walks alongside them.
If you’re in a hard season and don’t know where to start, reach out to us. We can help connect you with local resources, provide encouragement, and point you toward the support that fits your situation.
Contact Lives on Mission Ministries: [Insert contact information]
You are not meant to carry this alone. And you don’t have to.
Kentucky Strong Families is sponsored by Lives on Mission Ministries Inc., a faith-based organization committed to supporting individuals and families affected by incarceration across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
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