Funds support a wide range of services to fight drug addiction
FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 13, 2016) – The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet announced today that eight program areas in Kentucky will receive a total of $15.7 million from the state budget this year to combat heroin and substance abuse in the Commonwealth. That’s up from the $10 million that was provided in fiscal year 2016.
Signed by Gov. Matt Bevin in April, the two-year budget increased funding for anti-drug efforts by a total $12 million over the biennium. In addition to this year’s sum, the second year of the budget allocates $16.3 million toward substance abuse programs.
“I applaud Gov. Bevin and the General Assembly for channeling more funds into these critical efforts,” said Justice Secretary John Tilley. “We are facing a public health crisis, and Kentucky is pushing harder than ever to beat back addiction with a broad, multi-faceted approach that leverages every resource at our disposal.”
Among other efforts, the expanded funds will help support treatment in communities and jails, alternative sentencing programs and care for expectant mothers who are struggling with drug dependency.
“These funds will go a long way to improve access to treatment at the community level,” said Van Ingram, director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.
Funding for fiscal year 2017 includes:
· The Department of Corrections (DOC) will receive $1 million for substance abuse treatment programs that help county inmates in local jails. DOC also will receive $1 million to help state inmates in local jails and $1 million for a Naltrexone pilot program. Naltrexone is a medication that helps stave off the desire to use opioids and can be administered to inmates as they leave custody.
· Community mental health centers will receive more than $4.3 million to provide substance abuse treatment in local communities throughout the state.
· The Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy will receive $2.75 million to support substance abuse programs across the state.
· The Department of Public Advocacy will receive $1.75 million to fund its social worker program, which helps develop alternative sentencing plans.
· The Prosecutors Advisory Council will receive $1.2 million to support “rocket docket” prosecutions in cases that involve controlled substances. That matches another $1 million that the council will receive from elsewhere in the budget for a total of $2.2 million.
· Established programs that provide services related to neonatal abstinence syndrome and help pregnant women with addiction will be able to apply for $2.5 million in grants.
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