Opioid liaison says Powell County will seek Recovery Ready status after 12 overdose deaths in 2025

Opioid Liaison LeAndre Knox told the Powell County Fiscal Court on Jan. 13 that the county's Recovery Ready application is close to completion and that the advisory council identified anti-stigma training as a key gap to address before applying.

Knox said the advisory council and chamber are completing required sections and scoring the community's current efforts; once the remaining questions are answered, the county will submit the Recovery Ready application. Knox also said he has been asked to serve on the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Commission, a 20-member panel that will meet over the next several months to identify statewide gaps and recommend budget priorities to the State Opioid Commission.

On local overdose data, Knox said the coroner's toxicology report identified 12 confirmed overdose fatalities in 2025. He added that suspected overdoses increased during the year, and that naloxone (Narcan) was administered 29 times to suspected overdose patients. Knox and advisory-council members plan to offer anti-stigma training for local employers and community groups to strengthen prevention and recovery supports.

The court heard the update during department-head reports and did not take specific policy action on the Recovery Ready application on Jan. 13, but members of the court expressed support for continued community and interagency coordination.

Next steps: advisory-council members will finish the application, coordinate anti-stigma training outreach, and Knox will participate in the statewide abatement commission process.