Fourth round of grants from opioid settlements awarded; nearly $20 million for 75 organizations

By Published AWARDS, DRUGS, FEATURED, YOUR HEALTH

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Attorney General Russell Coleman announced more than $19.8 million in grants from the opioid settlements to 75 Kentucky organizations at Goodwill’s West Louisville Opportunity Center, one of the grant recipients. The announcement was made Thursday, March 27.

Attorney General Russell Coleman announces nearly $20 million of opioid abatement grants with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky. (Photo provided)

Coleman lauded the “many good ideas” found in the applications to combat the state’s opioid and drug epidemic that killed 1,984 Kentuckians in 2023, according to last year’s Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report.

“We’re building programs. We’re building services that can continue helping Kentuckians on the road to recovery and to prevent Kentuckians from going down that path to begin with,” Coleman said.

“We view ourselves as stewards of these most precious funds,” said Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Executive Director Chris Evans. “The commission and the staff dedicated the past few months to reading and rereading and reviewing applications. And we have incredible individuals who serve on the commission. Their voices, their experiences and their understanding of the need are invaluable as we work to invest these dollars wisely, and more importantly, with care.”

Coleman said the grant recipients were chosen from about 200 applications. Of those that received a grant, 42 were for treatment/recovery and 35 were for prevention. Two organizations received grants in both categories.

Coleman urged the organizations that were not chosen to reach out to the commission to refine their ideas so they could apply again during the next grant cycle.

Since its creation in 2021 by the General Assembly, the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission has invested more than $85 million into prevention, treatment and recovery efforts in Kentucky.

The legislature created the commission to distribute the state’s portion of the approximately $900 million in settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors, half of which goes to the state and the other half goes to cities and counties. The commission is housed in the attorney general’s office and is headed by Evans, a former chief operating officer for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The following organizations received grant funding from the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, along with the counties they serve:

Treatment Grants 2025: Totaling $12,625,730

  • Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, (AppalReD), $93,745
    • Combine holistic legal services with other supportive services to promote recovery, stability and independence.
    • Clark, Estill, Jackson, Madison, Powell
  • Barren County Fiscal Court, $185,371
    • Provide SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training), harm reduction and referral services for clients who have greater needs.
    • Barren
  • Brighton Center, $300,000
    • Support sustainable employment with a three-pronged approach to skills, credentials and career pathways.
    • Boone, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton
  • Celebrate Recovery Fairdale, $22,503
    • Provide site-to-site transportation to weekly recovery meetings for participants living in transitional living facilities.
    • Jefferson
  • ChooseWell Communities, $250,000
    • Support parents with young children in early recovery (90+ days) by addressing barriers to sustainable employment, fostering long-term recovery and building a pathway to financial independence.
    • Jefferson 
  • Community Advocates for Resources and Empowerment (CARE), $56,627
    • Provide temporary shelter, housing navigation and connection to resources to those experiencing homelessness and actively using drugs.
    • Bullitt, Hardin, Jefferson, Meade, Shelby
  • Cumberland Trace Legal Services, $93,750
    • Combine holistic legal services with supportive services to promote recovery, stability and independence.
    • Allen, Ballard, Barren, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Daviess, Edmonson, Fulton, Graves, Green, Hancock, Hart, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, McCracken, McClean, Metcalfe, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Simpson, Taylor, Todd, Trigg, Union, Warren, Webster. 
  • DV8 Kitchen Vocational Training Foundation and DV8 Kitchens, $136,385
    • Offer the Employee Success Program to help remove barriers and support career path development and job readiness for those in recovery.
    • Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Garrard, Jessamine, Mercer, Scott, Woodford
  • Enrich Corp., $411,218
    • Collaborate with over 200 local community organizations to provide a centralized referral hub for individuals and families who need treatment, housing, employment and other essential services.
    • Madison 
  • Family Scholar House, $287,149
    • Support REAL (Recovery, Employment, Advocacy, and Limitless) Opportunities, a 5-step approach to wrap-around services during and post-treatment to progress individuals from ‘crisis to stability.’
    • All counties
  • Fresh Start Health Centers, $353,756
    • Provide real-time monitoring of medication adherence, pill counts and recovery progress, addressing key challenges in OUD treatment.
    • Boyd, Carter, Lewis, Rowan
  • Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, $397,539
    • Provide coordinated pre- and post-release reentry and recovery-based programming for justice-involved individuals recovering from opioid-related substance use disorder.
    • Jefferson, Oldham
  • Hazard Community & Technical College/KCTCS, $500,000
    • Provide a standalone field classroom unit at recovery/correctional centers to deliver industry-recognized certificates in high-demand fields such as fiber optics technology, computerized manufacturing and machining.
    • Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Owsley, Perry, Wolfe
  • Hope Center, $267,501
    • Support licensed residential treatment for adult men who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
    • All counties
  • Horsesensing, $116,154
    • Provide residential treatment and therapeutic job training and placement for people living with opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders through training to be a professional in the horse industry.
    • All counties 
  • Housing Development Alliance, $150,017
    • Support permanent workforce reentry for people with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) by teaching on-the-job carpentry skills along with classroom instruction at Hazard Community & Technical College.
    • Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Perry
  • Kentucky Health Departments Association, $557,171
    • Provide a statewide harm reduction steering committee through harm reduction coordinators within local health departments (LHDs) along with technical assistance from the Kentucky River District Health Department (KRDHD).
    • All counties
  • Kentucky River District Health Department, $545,519
    • Support evidence-based interventions such as harm reduction supplies, naloxone distribution peer support and treatment navigation by addressing critical gaps in treatment services for individuals with opioid use disorder.
    • Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry, Wolfe
  • Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, $325,785
    • Provide comprehensive case management through peer support specialists, with lived experience, to assist participants in achieving and maintaining recovery and expanding their social and recovery support.
    • Clark, Estill, Madison, Powell
  • KVC Behavioral Healthcare Kentucky, $426,640
    • Provide integrated, coordinated care to pregnant mothers with opioid use disorder (OUD) and their families, along with access to obstetric, pediatric, and primary care, substance use treatment/opioid-use disorder treatment and a variety of therapeutic interventions.
    • Bracken, Carter, Fleming, Harlan, Letcher, Lewis, Mason, Perry, Pike Rowan
  • Lake Cumberland Sober Living, $271,839
    • Prepare 300 recovery housing residents to live successfully in the community through education, job skills, life skills, housing and other wrap-around services that break down barriers to recovery from substance use disorders.
    • Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, Jackson, Laurel, Lincoln, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Taylor
  • Legal Aid Society, $93,750
    • Combine the support services of four independent, non-profit legal aids across the state to promote recovery, stability and independence as a response to the rising demand for legal services due to the opioid epidemic.
    • Breckinridge, Bullitt, Grayson, Hardin, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, Washington
  • Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, $93,750
    • Collaborate with health care professionals, first responders and social service agencies to build a comprehensive support system to tackle social and legal barriers hindering the health and well-being of those with substance use and opioid use disorder.
    • Anderson, Bath, Boone, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Carter, Elliott, Fayette, Fleming, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Greenup, Harrison, Jessamine, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Menifee, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Rowan, Scott, Woodford
  • Lifeline Recovery Center, $270,464
    • Support individuals in recovery from substance use disorders by providing essential job skills, increasing employability and facilitating access to sustainable careers.
    • Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, McCracken, Marshall
  • Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation, $140,761
    • Provide life skills development, educational gains, vocational training and ongoing psychotherapeutic support in a transitional sober housing facility.
    • Harlan, Knott, Letcher, Perry, Pike
  • Northern Kentucky Area Development District, $1,000,000
    • Support sustainable pathways to treatment and recovery through a community-based mental health provider and 988 line and provide residential and outpatient treatment modalities and aftercare.
    • Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton
  • Northern Kentucky University, $337,308
    • Connect residents and justice-involved persons in recovery with appropriate, evidence-based, recovery and support services, therapeutic transportation and peer support.
    • Carroll, Owen
  • Ramey-Estep Homes, $224,000
    • Reduce barriers to accessing, maintaining and completing recovery treatment through housing, transportation services, skill building, job training and onsite medical care.
    • All counties
  • Recovery Cafe Lexington, $499,729
    • Reduce barriers to safe, supportive recovery spaces for youth/young adults who are living with opioid use disorder.
    • Fayette, Franklin, Hardin, Jefferson, Shelby
  • Recovery Now, $233,800
    • Expand recovery housing services to address the unique needs of targeted populations.
    • Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor 
  • Revive Ministries, $308,831
    • Provide a safe facility to enhance quality of life and to fill unmet needs in the community through education, career training, treatment, counseling and criminal expungement clinics.
    • Boyle, Fayette, Garrard, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Woodford
  • Save The Children Federation, $201,348
    • An early childhood and parenting education program to improve the parenting practices and knowledge that promotes positive parent-child interactions, family cohesion and young children’s development targeting families impacted by the opioid crisis.
    • Clay, Lincoln, Perry
  • Second Hope Ministries, $28,500
    • Assist currently or formerly incarcerated individuals whose lives and families have been broken by OUD/SUD in finding recovery and purpose as they work to repair their relationships.
    • Breckinridge, Clay, Hopkins, Jefferson, Livingston, Logan, Marion, Nelson, Scott, Shelby
  • Shepherds House, $345,708
    • Provide critically needed crisis access housing for persons with opioid use disorder while utilizing evidence-based practices and trauma-informed care in a therapeutic community.
    • All counties 
  • Stable Recovery, $500,000
    • Integrate housing stabilization, workforce development and 12-step programming to transition those who suffer from opioid use disorder into long-term independence, self-sufficiency and sobriety.
    • Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Jessamine, Madison, Scott, Woodford
  • The Healing Place, $407,950
    • Offer comprehensive life planning and job placement services to those in recovery from opioid addiction.
    • Bullitt, Jefferson, Kenton, Marion, Shelby, Taylor, Washington
  • The Morton Center, $179,388
    • Provide adolescents ages 13-17 diagnosed with substance use disorders, and their families with compassionate, evidence-based outpatient treatment.
    • Jefferson, Oldham
  • Thrive Community Coalition, $355,433
    • Empower individuals and families affected by substance use disorders to achieve long-term recovery, rebuild their lives and contribute to resilient communities through meaningful employment to support self-sufficiency and overall wellness.
    • Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin, Pike
  • Tri-County Community Action Agency, $300,000
    • Provide critical recovery support services, remove barriers to treatment, strengthen families and empower individuals to rebuild their lives through education and job training.
    • Henry, Oldham, Trimble
  • Voices Of Hope – Lexington, $551,274
    • Support Access to Quality Individual Recovery Engagement (ACQUIRE) and increase the quantity and quality of recovery support services for people with opioid use disorder and other co-morbid polysubstance use.
    • Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Scott
  • Volunteers of America Mid-States, $650,000
    • Provide evidence-based, trauma-informed programming that helps individuals achieve and maintain their recovery.
    • Calloway, Lincoln, Pulaski
  • Western Kentucky MH-MR Board, Four Rivers Behavioral Health, $155,067
    • Provide services to individuals over the age of 18 with opioid use disorder, including those with comorbid polysubstance use or co-occurring mental illness.
    • Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Marshall, McCracken

Prevention Grants 2025: Totaling $7,178,203

  • Appalachian Artisan Center of Kentucky, $145,177
    • Foster a sense of community among participants as they learn to create in different art forms and provide opportunities to reintegrate with the larger local community as volunteers through Appalachian Artisan Center events.
    • Floyd, Knott, Letcher, Magoffin and Perry 
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, $250,000
    • Provide youth with critical mentorship support through long-term and impactful collaborative partnerships with schools, nonprofits, corporations and more.
    • Jefferson 
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass, $85,513
    • Empower high school students to become positive role models and mentors for younger children in the community and foster meaningful relationships that promote academic success, personal growth and more.
    • Anderson, Bath, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Gerrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Montgomery and Scott 
  • Breckinridge County Health Department, $109,614
    • Reduce the stigma on substance use while educating Breckinridge County on ways harm reduction efforts can improve the overall health and safety in their county.
    • Breckinridge
  • Children’s Law Center, $187,500
    • Advance youth-focused prevention by providing holistic legal services for opioid-affected youth, most often those who are harmed by familial addiction.
    • Boone, Campbell, Fayette, Gallatin, Grant, Jessamine, Kenton, Scott and Woodford 
  • Community Advocates for Resources and Empowerment (CARE), $370,044
    • Respond to the pressing issues of substance use and misuse and increased homelessness in Louisville by providing temporary shelter, housing navigation and connection to resources.
    • Jefferson 
  • Cordata Healthcare Innovations, $333,527
    • Build community response efforts in all participating counties through consultation, training, mentoring, care management capability and/or evaluation tools.
    • Boyd, Breckinridge, Carter, Clay, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Greenup, Hardin, Knott, Lee, Letcher, McCreary, Marion, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Pulaski and Rowan 
  • Dayton Independent School District, $8,000
    • Provide information to students, parents/guardians, educators and community members about the hazards of current drug trends.
    • Campbell 
  • Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), $500,000
    • Maintain Project REACH services within an eight-county region of Eastern Kentucky, enabling the agency to serve more Kentuckians with critical employment and career support.
    • Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry and Wolfe 
  • Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky, Inc, $239,961
    • Provide a critical night-by-night shelter model to address significant gaps in services for adults with substance use disorder in Northern Kentucky.
    • Boone, Campbell and Kenton 
  • Family Nurturing Center of Kentucky, $166,438
    • Support services to children impacted by their caregiver’s opioid use and to provide needed support to parents in recovery.
    • Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton 
  • Franklin County Health Department, $494,200
    • Use strategic planning for opioid abatement in Franklin County to ensure long-term impact and sustainability, while also addressing urgent prevention priorities affecting their community’s most vulnerable youth.
    • Franklin 
  • Garrard County Schools, $60,000
    • Implement the Trait-Based Model of Prevention in Garrard County High School, directly targeting about 400 students.
    • Garrard 
  • Graves County Local KY-ASAP Board, $212,568
    • Reduce the cycle of opioid misuse and recidivism through personalized case management, access to essential resources such as housing and employment, and a network of community partnerships.
    • Calloway, Graves, Hickman, McCracken and Marshall
  • Hardin County Fiscal Court, $66,850
    • Reduce opioid-related deaths, increase access to treatment services, connect individuals to long-term recovery resources and reduce stigma through educating our community and government agencies.
    • Hardin 
  • Hope Center, $287,260
    • Provide OUD prevention, as well as access to OUD treatment and recovery resources to homeless or precariously housed adults with or at risk of opioid use disorder.
    • All counties
  • Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, $488,676
    • Provide trauma-informed recovery support services tailored to adult learners impacted by opioid use disorder (OUD) and co-occurring mental health challenges.
    • All counties
  • Kentucky Youth Advocates, $126,543
    • Use data to inform action at the local level through community discussions and individualized support to prevent future generations from experiencing the devastation of the opioid epidemic.
    • All counties
  • Learning Grove, $199,450
    • Empower youth in Northern Kentucky by combining substance abuse prevention strategies with college and career readiness programming.
    • Kenton 
  • Lexington Leadership Foundation, $148,938
    • Help youth in low-income neighborhoods grow, succeed and lead, enabling them to reach their full potential while increasing support for their families.
    • Fayette, Jessamine and Scott 
  • Lincoln Heritage Council, $31,361
    • Equip youth with the knowledge, skills and support systems they need to make informed, healthy choices and prevent drug abuse.
    • Adair, Allen, Ballard, Barren, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Carrol, Christian, Crittenden, Cumberland, Daviess, Edmonson, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Green, Hancock, Hardin, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Larue, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, McCracken, McLean, Marion, Marshall, Meade, Metcalfe, Monroe, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Shelby, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor, Todd, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Warren, Washington and Webster 
  • Maryhurst, $89,050
    • Facilitate two cohorts of a 12-week psychoeducation and family therapy group for parents and caregivers of children at risk for opioid and other substance use disorders.
    • Jefferson
  • NewSong Counseling Center, $44,341
    • Support at-risk youth and their caregivers by providing two key services: a youth mentoring program and mental health group sessions.
    • Montgomery 
  • Owensboro/Daviess County Family YMCA, $208,508
    • Develop and implement evidence-based opioid prevention strategies tailored to the diverse needs of communities across Kentucky.
    • Barren, Boone, Bourbon, Boyd, Campbell, Christian, Daviess, Graves, Henderson, Hopkins, Mason and Union 
  • Panacea Health Care, $83,000
    • Reduce opioid use and support long-term recovery among youth and adults by providing comprehensive prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery services tailored to the needs of the community.
    • Anderson, Boyle, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Lincoln, Mercer, Scott and Woodford 
  • Somali Community of Louisville, $149,237
    • Work within Louisville’s refugee and ethno-cultural communities to prevent opioid, alcohol and other drug use.
    • Jefferson 
  • South Central Kentucky Kids on the Block, $27,636
    • Focus on breaking the cycle of abuse by presenting substance use prevention and child abuse prevention programs.
    • Allen, Barren, Boone, Bullitt, Butler, Calloway, Campbell, Daviess, Edmonson, Fayette, Fleming, Hopkins, Jefferson, Kenton, Logan, Magoffin, Marshall, Monroe, Nelson, Ohio, Russell, Todd and Warren 
  • St. John Center, $200,000
    • Reduce overdose deaths among unhoused adults, increase access to treatment and recovery services, and address health disparities for individuals with or at risk of SUD/SMI/OUD through promoting housing stability.
    • Jefferson 
  • Taylor County Schools, $150,000
    • Use the public school setting to address systemic issues that make our community particularly vulnerable to opioid misuse.
    • Taylor 
  • The Beacon of West Kentucky, $91,015
    • Support efforts of community collaborators in identifying adults needing treatment and provide the opportunity to support youth’s social-emotional needs while parents are incarcerated, in treatment and in recovery.
    • Webster 
  • The Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families, $155,588
    • Support grieving children, teens and families who have experienced loss due to overdose or other causes.
    • Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Madison and Woodford 
  • Three Rivers District Health Department, $337,825
    • Serves four rural communities in Northern Kentucky that are in dire need of substance abuse education, prevention programs and recovery assistance.
    • Carroll, Gallatin, Owen and Pendleton 
  • Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment & Education (Operation UNITE), $859,000
    • Involve students in the creation and implementation of opioid use prevention strategies, while also offering opportunities for leadership development through internships and scholarships.
    • Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Gerrard, Greenup, Harlan, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, McCreary, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley. Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Wayne, Whitley and Wolfe 
  • Young Adult Development in Action, $96,383
    • Emphasize building skills in emotional regulation, decision-making, and resilience, while fostering strong relationships with adult mentors.
    • Jefferson 
  • Young Men’s Christian Association of Greater Louisville, $175,000
    • Connect youth with a trusted adult mentor, creating a supportive community to help process their experiences and encourage alignment with self-directed life goals rather than those shaped by adverse environmental influences.
    • Jefferson

 

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