U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) on Aug. 25 announced that the Willisburg, Ky.-based Isaiah House Treatment Center will receive more than $2.48 million in federal grant monies to address workforce challenges caused by ongoing substance abuse challenges across his home state.
“Isaiah House continues to provide a roadmap and hope for Kentuckians struggling to overcome addiction,” Rep. Barr said. “With overdose deaths rising in Kentucky by over 50 percent last year, we must move aggressively to provide resources to our frontline treatment and recovery providers.”
The funds will be provided through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment, Recovery, and Workforce Support grants established as part of the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act.
The bill was introduced in Spring 2018 by Rep. Barr and U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to provide funding for treatment centers that assist individuals in recovery to reenter the workforce. It was enacted into law in October 2018 as part of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, a comprehensive and bipartisan bill addressing America’s opioid crisis via increased federal substance abuse prevention and treatment resources, among numerous provisions.
Sen. McConnell joined Rep. Barr to announce the Isaiah House workforce grants during a press conference at the Isaiah House Women’s Center, a 28-bed, short-term, intensive outpatient residential program for women located in Versailles, Ky.
“Senator McConnell and I supported this grant request and championed the legislation that made this funding available,” said Rep. Barr. “I will continue to support Isaiah House in its mission to reduce substance abuse in our community moving forward.”
Isaiah House will partner with the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, the Bluegrass Workforce Innovation Board, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, and other organizations in using the grant funds to serve more than 6,000 Kentuckians over the next five years, according to the congressman’s office.
Mark LaPalme, CEO and founder of Isaiah House, said the new funding “will significantly improve our ability to impact the lives of thousands of Kentucky residents who have struggled to get the support and training they need to succeed in life and the workplace.”