Knott County approves Beacons of Hope transitional-housing agreement using opioid settlement funds

Knott County Fiscal Court voted June 20 to approve a resolution authorizing an agreement with Beacons of Hope to provide transitional housing to people recovering from opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance-use or mental-health conditions. The court discussed restrictions on how opioid-settlement funds may be used and confirmed the transitional-housing subsidy meets those restrictions.

A county staff member stated the county has received $454,049.69 in opioid-settlement funds and said the proposed subsidy would cover transitional housing costs; court discussion referenced a pilot subsidy level of about $125 per person per week. Court members clarified that all draws from the opioid fund must be directly tied to addressing the opioid crisis to be eligible.

Court members also discussed the role of a proposed Casey’s Law advocate — a court-appointed caseworker position to help family members and participants navigate the involuntary-treatment petition process under Casey’s Law and support compliance with court-ordered treatment. The court indicated the advocate’s duties would include assisting clients with court dates and counseling appointments and providing follow-up reports to the court.

A motion to approve the Beacons of Hope agreement was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The court recorded no roll-call opposition in the meeting minutes.

Next steps: staff will finalize the contract documents, and the county will proceed with disbursements under the terms of the agreement and applicable settlement restrictions.