Fahe receives $1M to Address Opioid Epidemic in Eastern Kentucky
Fahe received a $1million Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization(POWER) award from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to work with our partners to address the epidemic of prescription opioid abuse in Eastern Kentucky. Funding will finance three community health/recovery facilities, provide needed health services, and create jobs in coal-impacted communities.
The lack of economic opportunity in these coal-impacted communities only fuels the growing epidemic of drug addiction, a major public health issue facing rural eastern Kentucky. With POWER funding, Fahe Uplift Appalachia Recovery project will forge a clear pathway through recovery and into successful employment using a multi-pronged approach. We will improve opportunities and the quality of life not only for those who are recovering from addiction, but all residents in the small towns and communities who are impacted by this devastating trend. Furthermore, POWER Funding will enable Fahe to formalize our commitment to addressing substance abuse by leading a taskforce of service providers, state personnel, and community leaders who share this commitment such as Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY 5th District) and Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY 6th District) who support Fahe’s Uplift Appalachia Recovery Project.
The award will serve 5,060 patients and create or retain 63 jobs. Combining resources made available through POWER and Uplift America will enable Fahe to stimulate local economies in coal impacted communities
“Geographic isolation, lack of infrastructure, and a dearth of federal resources dedicated to rural health are just a few of the circumstances that make it difficult for people in small Eastern Kentucky towns to receive high quality healthcare, recovery services, and a pathway to employment opportunities following recovery,” noted Fahe VP of Business Development and Outreach Pam Johnson. “Fahe and our allies will take these challenges into account when developing community facilities on the ground, blending resources and engaging our collaborative expertise to develop lasting capacity that complements the facilities’ purposes and creates opportunities for improved health and quality of life.”
Fahe will work with partners Addiction Recovery Care, the Adanta Group, and Juniper Health to develop or expand community recovery/health facilities. Specifically, the award will facilitate the development of a housing facility in Louisa, KY, that works with patients for 2-3 years and focuses on transitioning them from the center’s care directly into a job or internship; assist in the creation of a 100-bed facility in Somerset, KY, that employs a peer-based care model in which patients in different stages of recovery work together to get and remain sober; and enable an existing facility in Jackson, KY, to expand their services to an additional 990 people, adding a dental clinic as well as partnering with the University of Pikeville for optometry care.
Fahe Members Awarded
In addition to the award that Fahe received from ARC, two of our Members also received funding.
Fahe Member KHIC was awarded $1.25 million for their Kentucky Highlands Employment and Financial Training Program. Fahe Member Woodlands Development Group’s community lending fund, Woodlands Community Lenders, was awarded $300,000 for their Financing Entrepreneurship in Randolph, Barbour and Tucker Counties program.