County approves $5,000 youth prevention and $25,000 barrier-relief request for local recovery hub

Lee County Fiscal Court approved funding on record for two programs run by the county's recovery hub, after the hub's representative described plans to expand youth prevention work and remove barriers to recovery. The court approved $5,000 for a youth prevention project and $25,000 for barrier-relief services, both proposed by the hub and identified by the court as to be paid from the county's opioid fund. The hub's presenter, Joanne (representative, SASM/hub), told the court the youth program uses surveys to "gauge our youth" and will provide local data to guide prevention strategies. She described the barrier-relief initiative as helping people in or recovering from substance use disorders with needs that block recovery: "we help them transition back into the community," she said. Joanne also told the court the hub received a national recognition: "We just received the 2025 MACHO Model Practice Award." She said other Kentucky counties and the Kentucky Department for Public Health have expressed interest in replicating the hub model. Court discussion indicated the funds will come from the county's opioid account. When asked about the opioid fund balance, a court member said the balance was "80 something right now," and no precise figure was provided in the meeting record. The court recorded a motion to approve the two allocations; Rodney seconded the motion and the vote was recorded in favor. Joanne said the hub will continue client outreach and requested that community members refer people in need to the hub for assistance. The hub representative also said she will provide the required opioid-fund report to the court at the next scheduled reporting date. No ordinance or statute was cited during the discussion; the request was recorded as a funding allocation from the county's opioid fund and not as a contract or multi-year commitment. The court's approval directs that the hub receive the specified sums and that the hub provide the county with the opioid-fund report at the next reporting cycle. The court did not set any additional conditions in the meeting for release of the funds beyond the usual reporting referenced by the hub representative.