Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Substance Use Treatment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Two recovery proposals outline expansion of residential and device‑based treatment in Boyle County
Summary
Presentations at the Sept. 10 Boyle County Fiscal Court meeting described a planned 50‑bed residential men’s center and recovery housing (Altogether Recovery/Better Life Properties) and an FDA‑cleared peripheral‑nerve stimulation device (NET Recovery) that proponents asked the county to fund with opioid settlement dollars.
Two presenters on Sept. 10 pitched different approaches to expand substance‑use treatment in Boyle County: a local recovery‑housing and residential program and a medical device therapy to reduce opioid withdrawal and cravings.
Mark LaPalm, representing a collaborative branded Altogether Recovery and Better Life Properties, described a multi‑phase project with about $10 million in total investment. Phase 1 is a renovation of 117 Letton Drive (about $800,000) to open a 50‑bed men’s residential facility offering 3.1 (low‑intensity) and 3.5 (high‑intensity) clinically supervised care and withdrawal management. LaPalm said the program plans 24/7 admissions, medical and psychiatric coverage, medication‑assisted therapies (including buprenorphine formulations) as clinically appropriate, and a phased occupancy target by February 2025. He outlined recovery housing (72 beds) on a sliding fee scale, job training partnerships, ASL and Spanish language staff, and a women’s/children expansion as future phases.
Jeff Lott of NET Recovery then described a small company’s peripheral nerve stimulation device that the Food and Drug Administration recently cleared for opioid withdrawal. Lott said their blinded pivotal trial included about 108 participants and that 98 percent of treated people experienced meaningful reductions in withdrawal scores; he reported no serious device‑related adverse events and cited a one‑time treatment cost of $5,500 per person in residential use. Lott asked the court to consider using some opioid settlement funds to sponsor residents to receive the NET treatment as part of residential rehabilitation.
Magistrates and staff asked operational questions about certification, zoning, neighborhood outreach for recovery housing and treatment cost for incarcerated individuals. Concerns about siting, neighborhood feedback and coordination with probation/parole were raised. LaPalm said certification and neighborhood notification are part of the NAR process and that the program plans to collaborate with local employers and BCTC for training. Lott said the device is prescribed under the device’s FDA clearance, is typically used 3–5 days in a residential setting, and that the company seeks funding sources to make access possible.
Neither presentation included a formal county funding decision; magistrates requested further follow‑up and indicated they would revisit the proposals in future meetings or committee work.
