Clinic that serves 33 Ky. counties is first in state to get a grant from program for comprehensive drug treatment and recovery

Owensboro Hope House is one of MCCC's facilities.

Kentucky Health News

A behavioral-health clinic that serves 33 Kentucky counties is the first in the state to receive a grant from a national program that fosters comprehensive drug treatment and recovery centers with a full spectrum of treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services, especially for people without commercial health insurance.

Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, based in Prestonsburg, is getting the $850,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"This grant will allow us to provide treatment for substance-use disorder to persons whose insurance coverage is not sufficient for the treatment required," Promod Bishnoi, CEO of MCCC, said in a press release issued by Eastern Kentucky's congressman, Rep. Hal Rogers.

Rogers said, “This is a life-saving grant program that is needed now, more than ever before. Last year, more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, so every investment that we make into recovery programs, workforce training, counseling and other resources could mean the difference between life and death for someone.”

Rogers, a Republican from Somerset, announced the grant with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Rep. Brett Guthrie of Bowling Green, the ranking Republican on the health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The release said he recently re-introduced the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, which would extend the grant program through 2028. It was enacted in 2018.

Guthrie said, “This is welcomed news that Kentucky received its first Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers grant. I was proud to lead legislation establishing the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Center program five years ago. These centers provide targeted resources to communities most impacted by the overdose crisis, including workforce training, medication assisted treatment services, recovery housing, and peer to peer counseling.”

McConnell said, “Kentucky tragically remains one of the states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. The good news is care centers across the commonwealth are constantly stepping up and finding new ways to combat this crisis. I’m happy to see Kentucky receive its first Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Center grant, which funds crucial services to communities devastated by the opioid epidemic.”

In the eastern third of the state, MCCC has facilities in Bath, Boyd, Carter, Clay, Floyd, Greneup, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, Morgan, Pike, Perry, Rowan and Wolfe counties. In Central Kentucky, it is in Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Garrard, Harrison, Madison and Powell counties. In Western Kentucky, it is in Caldwell, Christian, Daviess, Hopkins, Marshall and McCracken counties.