By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
More than 100 Kentucky organizations will receive a total of $34 million in grants from the latest round of opioid settlements, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced recently at Lexington’s Woodhill Community Center.
The awards include several serving Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties and are awarded by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.
“It is our largest funding distribution to date, and we are grateful and excited to see those dollars go to organizations focused on saving lives and helping to rebuild families,” Coleman said.
Coleman noted that since its launch in 2024, nearly $10 million of settlement money has been allocated to the state’s first youth prevention social media campaign, called Better Without It, which uses social media influencers to encourage youth not to use drugs. Coleman said the social media post has had more than seven million views.
“Make no mistake. As excited as I am about Better Without It, this is blood money,” he said. “What we spend, what we announce — it is blood money to those who have lost their sons and their daughters.”
The Kentucky legislature created the commission in 2021 to distribute the state’s portion of what is now about $1 billion from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors, with half of the money going to the state and the other half going to local governments.
The commission is housed in the attorney general’s office and is headed by Chris Evans, a former chief operating officer for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The money is provided in installments. So far, the commission has allocated more than $85 million to 130 organizations for treatment, prevention and recovery efforts, according to its website. This is the fifth round of grants.
The following organizations received grant funding from the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, along with the top five counties they serve:
Treatment grants 2026:
• Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, $39,435
To operate a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in the school district.
• Appalachian Artisan Center of Kentucky, Inc., $95,302
For a program designed to offer new training opportunities to individuals in recovery. Knott, Perry, Letcher, Floyd, Magoffin
• Baptist Health Deaconess, $405,471
For education, early intervention and community engagement to prevent first-time opioid use, address mental health needs, and promote resilience among vulnerable populations. Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Webster, Caldwell, McLean
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass, Inc., $144,331
To support a high school mentoring program. Fayette, Scott, Clark, Montgomery, Jessamine
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, $198,729
To support youth mentorship programming. Jefferson, Hardin, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby
• Blue Grass Community Action Partnership, $213,268
To provide recovery supports in nine county community services offices. Jessamine, Lincoln, Franklin, Scott, Boyle
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana, $100,000,
To support the SMART Moves youth program. Jefferson, Hardin, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, $175,696 Kenton, Campbell
• Bright Light Foundation, $77,450
For a statewide school-based initiative to educate, empower and protect Kentucky students from the rising dangers of fentanyl and substance-related harm. Fayette, Madison, Boyle
• Campbell County Drug Free Alliance Incorporated, $274,717
For youth prevention programming. Campbell
• City of Bellevue, $29,315
For a DARE Middle School program in Bellevue Independent Schools. Campbell
• Communicare, Inc., $181,271
For youth prevention programming. ardin, Nelson, Marion, Breckinridge
• Community Advocates for Resources and Empowerment, $201,055
For harm reduction efforts and shelter for those dealing with substance misuse and homelessness. Jefferson
• Comprehend, Inc., $155,575
For family-focused and youth prevention efforts. Bracken, Fleming, Lewis, Mason, Robertson
• Cordata Healthcare Innovations, Inc., $496,190
To support Quick Response Teams and Situation Tables in several communities. Franklin, Warren, Hardin, Jessamine, Boyd
• East Kentucky Health Services, Inc., $218,639
For youth prevention programming. Knott, Floyd, Perry
• Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky, Inc., $179,975
To support year-round shelter and wrap-around services for adults experiencing substance use disorder and homelessness. Boone, Campbell, Kenton
• Erlanger Elsmere Board of Education, $250,000
For youth programming through the PeaCE Project in the school district. Kenton
• Franklin County Health Department, $750,000
To support the county-wide Just Say Yes initiative and its partnerships in youth programming. Franklin
• Girl Scouts Of Kentucky Wilderness Road Council, Inc., $224,995
To establish trauma-informed Girl Scout troops for girls ages 5–18 who are in foster care or kinship care due to parental substance use, incarceration or related instability. Rowan, Perry, Whitley, Fayette, Laurel
• Graves County Local KYASAP Board, $180,400
To support activities of the Mayfield Graves County Youth Council focused on opioid and substance use prevention, mental health awareness, and providing safe, positive alternatives for young people. Graves, Calloway, Fulton, Marshall, McCracken
• Green River Regional Health Mental Retardation Board, Inc. d/b/a River Valley Behavioral Health, $253,169
To support various youth prevention projects in the region. Daviess, Hancock, McLean, Ohio, Union
• Hope Center, Inc., $186,318
To provide prevention and harm reduction services to homeless adults. Fayette, Bourbon, Clark, Jessamine, Scott
• Hope’s Hands Inc., $297,182
For youth prevention programming. Owen
• Hotel Inc., $75,000
To support adults experiencing homelessness and substance misuse. Warren
• I Would Rather Be Reading, $301,568
To support prevention efforts for youth ages 5–15 by expanding the Educate & Elevate afterschool program. Jefferson
• Kentucky Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, $600,000 To support youth programming in several locations. Barren, Warren, Daviess, Harlan, Jefferson
• Knox County Board of Education, $226,417
To provide family and youth prevention programming in the school district. Knox, Whitley, Laurel
• Lawrence County Health Department, $299,973
To support the Lawrence County Health Department’s CommUNITY prevention program. Lawrence
• Lexington Leadership Foundation, $222,654 To support programming for at-risk youth. Fayette, Jessamine, Scott
• Lincoln Trail District Health Department, $129,262
To support regional overdose fatality review efforts. Hardin, Larue, Nelson, Marion, Washington
• Men 2 Be, $400,000
To expand the Tools in the Toolbox youth program. Christian, Trigg, Todd
• Morehead State University, $235,000
To support the Collegiate Recovery Resource Center (CRRC). Rowan, Montgomery, Boyd, Floyd
• Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, $444,620
To support youth programming in the region. Pike, Johnson, Floyd, Magoffin, Martin
• NewSong Counseling Center, $37,802
To support youth mentoring and mental health support for youth and adults. Montgomery
• North Central District Health Department, $246,457
To provide mobile harm reduction services. Henry, Shelby, Trimble, Spencer
• Northern Kentucky Area Development District, $500,000
To support a regional deflection and public safety effort in Northern Kentucky. Boone, Campbell, Kenton, Grant, Pendleton
• Northern Kentucky Community Action, $263,246
To provide father-focused prevention efforts. Boone, Campbell, Kenton, Grant
• Owensboro/Daviess County Family YMCA, $56,614
To support families involved in juvenile drug court. Daviess
• Pendleton County Champions Inc., $221,968
To provide youth prevention programming. Pendleton
• Shawnee Transformation Youth Coalition, $250,000
To provide youth prevention programming. Jefferson
• Somali Community of Louisville, $219,560
To provide prevention and education programming to the refugee community. Jefferson
• South Central Workforce Development Board, $392,586
To support workforce development efforts in the region. Barren, Warren, Simpson, Logan, Hart
• South Central Kentucky Kids on the Block, $21,960
To support educational programs in schools. Bourbon, Breathitt, Clay, Harlan, Jessamine
• St Claire Regional Medical Center, Inc., $249,759
To enhance the Rural Health Scholars program. Boyd, Carter, Clark, Montgomery, Rowan
• St. John Center, $300,000
To support harm reduction services and prevention for the homeless population. Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt
• Taylor County Schools, $100,000
To support middle school youth prevention programming. Taylor
• The Greater Louisville Workforce Development Taskforce, $101,798
To deliver training to businesses. efferson, Oldham, Bullitt, Shelby
• The Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families, $200,001
To support school-based grief support groups for students in schools. Scott, Woodford, Clark, Jessamine, Franklin
• The Support Agency, $18,060
To promote drug disposal practices. Russell
• Thompson Scholars Foundation, Inc., $260,140
To support out-of-school youth programming. Clay
• Three Rivers District Health Department, $200,182
To support Planet Youth programming. Carroll, Gallatin, Owen, Pendleton
• University of Kentucky Research Foundation: Education, $198,906
To support the #IChampionHealth school- and community-based youth prevention initiative. Fayette, Lawrence, Rowan, Montgomery
• University of Kentucky Research Foundation: Social Work, $200,000
To support Stronger Together is a statewide text message education project for Kentucky parents, guardians, spouses or partners, and adult children or siblings of people who use opioids. Fayette, Jefferson, Kenton, Pike, Madison
• Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment & Education (Operation UNITE), $500,000
To support youth prevention programming. Pulaski, Martin, Lawrence, Russell, Madison
• Western Kentucky MH-MR Board, Inc. dba Four Rivers Behavioral Health, $207,661
To support the Before the First Time community-based prevention initiative. McCracken, Graves, Calloway
• Young Adult Development In Actn Inc., $150,000
To support the Blueprint 502 out-of-school time program at the Smoketown Community Center. Jefferson
• Young People in Recovery, $357,996
To support local chapters in four communities. Carter, Boyd, Rowan, Laurel
Prevention grants 2026:
• 4th Dimension, $167,060
To support transportation, continuity of peer support, and post-discharge recovery navigation for women with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Harlan, Letcher, Perry, Knott, Leslie
• A New Beginning for Women and Children, $156,871
To provide recovery supports for women and their children. Graves, McCracken, Fulton, Carlisle and Hickman
• Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky, Inc., $122,366
To support Project Renew. Lee, Breathitt, Powell, Clark, Wolfe
• Bluegrass Community and Technical College,$427,622
To support workforce development efforts and training. Fayette, Scott, Boyle, Woodford, Jessamine
• Boyd County Detention Center, $422,218
Recovery and treatment support for incarcerated individuals. Boyd, Carter, Greenup
• Camp Graves, $86,908
To support recovery-oriented peer support for veterans and vulnerable community members impacted by Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Graves, McCracken, Calloway, Marshall, Ballard
• Celebrate Recovery Fairdale, Corp., $33,754
Transportation support for Celebrate Recovery programs. Jefferson, Bullitt
• ChooseWell Communities, Inc., $498,594
To expand the early-recovery stabilization model. Jefferson
• Chrysalis House, Inc., $360,050
To support recovery for pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders (SUD). Fayette, Jefferson, Madison, Kenton, Jessamine
•. Clark County Health Department $114,040
To support harm reduction efforts. Clark
• Comprehend, Inc., $297,350
To support access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Fleming, Lewis, Mason, Bracken, Robertson
• Cumberland River Behavioral Health, Inc., $108,359
To support the CRBH Quick Response Team (QRT). Laurel, Whitley, Bell, Clay, Knox
• Cumberland Trace Legal Services, Inc. D/b/a Kentucky Legal Aid, $123,221
To support Project Renew. Christian, Hopkins, Daviess, McCracken, Warren
• DV8 Kitchen Vocational Training Foundation, Inc. and DV8 Kitchens, $263,918
To support the Employee Success Program. Fayette, Clark, Scott, Jessamine, Bourbon
• Family Nurturing Center of Kentucky, $484,625
To support coordinated services for children and caregivers affected by opioid and polysubstance use. Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Grant
• Fivco Area Development District, $434,596
To support the establishment of Pathways to Recovery: Boyd County Recovery Community Center. Boyd, Carter, Lawrence, Elliott, Greenup
• Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Inc., $553,864
To support the Aspire to Recovery (ATR) program, a pioneering initiative in Kentucky to support justice-involved individuals recovering from opioid-related substance use disorder. Jefferson, Oldham
• Graves County Local KY-ASAP Board, $317,602
To support the Next Steps Reentry Program. Calloway, Graves, Marshall, McCracken, Hickman
• Grin Grant Inc., $359,084
To support recovery, stabilization and successful re-entry. Fayette, Jessamine, Clay, Christian, Shelby
• Horsesensing, Inc., $114,844
To provide support for treatment of opioid use disorder, therapy, on-site sober living, transportation, vocational training and job placement. Jefferson, Shelby, McCreary, Fayette, Washington
• Housing Development Alliance, Inc., $112,500
To support the Hope Building hands-on workforce training program. Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, Perry
• Jubilee Jobs of Lexington, $298,179
To support the Mobile Outreach for Recovery & Employment (MORE Initiative). Fayette, Jessamine, Scott, Madison, Woodford
• Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, $380,736
To support the Training Institute for Peers (TIP), a workforce infrastructure initiative. Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, Shelby
• Kentucky Pharmacists Association, $648,674
To support a pilot to provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in jails. Greenup, Marion, Mason
• Kentucky River District Health Department, $320,450
To support the Women’s Reentry Recovery Program creation of a comprehensive, peer-led reentry and recovery navigation model for incarcerated women. Lee, Perry, Letcher, Leslie, Knott
• KVC Behavioral Healthcare Kentucky, Inc., $631,323
To support the EMBARK (Elevate Mothers and Build Addiction Recovery in Kentucky) program to support pregnant mothers. Boyd, Perry, Letcher, Greenup, Pike
• Legal Aid Society, Inc.,$123,046
To support Project Renew. Jefferson, Grayson, Hardin, Nelson, Shelby
• Lexington Leadership Foundation, $231,526
To support the Restoring Fathers to Strengthen Recovery (RFSR) project. Fayette, Jessamine
• Lifeline Recovery Center, Inc., $422,120
To support the workforce and clinical services to residents of a new women’s transitional supportive housing campus. McCracken, Ballard, Graves, Marshall, Calloway
• Louisville Recovery Community Connection, $114,600
To support the Families Recovering Together initiative efferson, Kenton, Pike, Warren, McCracken
• Memorial Hospital, Inc. d/b/a AdventHealth Manchester, $447,895
To expand Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Behavioral Health services to multiple counties within Southeastern Kentucky. Clay, Bell, Jackson, Knox
• Mercy Health – Marcum and Wallace Hospital, $253,076
To support the Healing, Empowering, and Living Program (HELP) program. Estill, Powell
• Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation, $211,142
For recovery efforts. Letcher, Harlan, Pike, Perry, Owsley
• Nelson County Addiction Response Effort (NelCARE), $253,202
To support community efforts in addressing the opioid crisis. Nelson, LaRue, Washington, Marion, Bullitt
• Northern Kentucky Legal Aid Society, Inc., $111,880
To support Project Renew. Boone, Boyd, Campbell, Fayette, Kenton
• Northern Kentucky University, $410,994
To support the “No Wrong Door” (NWD) system for substance use disorder and opioid use disorder recovery support services. Carroll, Owen
• Oxford House, Inc., $500,000
To support access to safe, peer-led recovery housing and enhance recovery supports. Jefferson, Fayette, Kenton, Boone, Campbell
• Recovery Cafe Lexington, Inc., $748,576
To support operations and programming in several Recovery Café locations. Boyle, Fayette, Franklin, Whitely, Harlan
• Revive Ministries Inc., $232,244
To expand family counseling, psychoeducation and support groups to address the unmet needs of family members of clients in its treatment programs and in the community. Jessamine, Fayette, Woodford, Garrard, Mercer
• Saint Joseph Catholic Orphan Society, $299,500
To strengthen addiction-informed treatment capacity within St. Joseph Children’s Home’s existing licensed residential, therapeutic foster care, and behavioral health services. Jefferson, Fayette, Hardin, Warren, Kenton
• Save The Children Federation, Inc., $425,000
To support an evidence-based early childhood and parenting education program that strengthens the family unit. Clay, Jackson, Whitley, Lincoln, Perry
• Seven Counties Services, $250,000
To expand access to evidence-informed treatment and recovery support services for adults. Trimble, Oldham, Bullitt
• Shepherds House, Inc., $449,651
To support women’s access to crisis recovery housing. Boyle, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Shelby
• The Healing Place, $198,850
To support delivering targeted life skills, parenting education and peer support services. Jefferson, Bullitt, Hardin, Oldham, Shelby
• The Morton Center, Inc., $234,776
To support treatment and mental health support for adolescents impacted by parental substance use. Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, Henry, Shelby
• Three Rivers District Health Department, $249,916
To establish a Recovery Resource Center (RRC) in Owen County. Owen, Carroll, Gallatin, Pendleton, Grant
• University Medical Center, Inc., $500,000
To support the CORE Program, a multidisciplinary, Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program designed to reduce opioid dependence and restore function. Jefferson, Bullitt, Shelby, Nelson, Spencer
• Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (vocal-ny), Inc., $499,999
To support a community drop-in center. Jefferson
• Voices Of Hope – Lexington, Inc., $231,663
To support the annual peer support conference and provide recovery supports to those in need Madison. Fayette
• Volunteers of America Mid-States, $800,000
To support Recovery Community Center operations in Pulaski, Lincoln and Calloway counties to deliver peer support, education, outreach and recovery services. Pulaski, Lincoln, Calloway
• Western Kentucky MHMR Board, Inc., dba Four Rivers Behavioral Health, $245,873
To support mobile harm reduction services in the region. Fulton, Hickman, Ballard, Carlisle, Livingston
Research and innovation grant 2026:
• The Fletcher Group, Inc., $499,899.46
Fatherhood and Recovery (FAR): Examining a person-centered intervention for fathers in
recovery housing