EKCEP Awarded $450,000 in KY Opioid Abatement Funds to Help People in Recovery Connect with Career Services, Employment Opportunities
Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), Inc. has been awarded a $450,000 grant from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (OAAC) to further EKCEP’s efforts to assist people in recovery enter transformational employment opportunities within the region.
Since 2019, EKCEP has administered programs focused on providing services that help individuals in recovery from substance use disorder as they navigate a path to self-sustaining employment. Those services can range from basic career advising to funding that helps overcome barriers to employment, such as covering the cost of transportation or childcare. This round of funding from Kentucky’s OAAC will ensure resources are available to maintain that focus and assist additional Eastern Kentuckians to succeed in recovery from opioid addiction.
“We know that employment can be a crucial factor in the successful long-term recovery for people battling addiction, and we are grateful to the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission for this funding,” said EKCEP Executive Director Becky Carnes-Miller. “With this grant, EKCEP can deploy more resources and help ensure more people in our region have the support they need to step onto a viable career path and away from addiction.”
EKCEP was one of 51 organizations across Kentucky funded this year by the OAAC, which is responsible for distributing Kentucky’s share of nearly $900 million in opioid settlements. EKCEP’s grant will be used to fund Project REACH (Recovery Employment and Career Help) and place two support specialists in the service area who will work directly with clients in recovery, help them build a career plan, and provide access to a wide array of services and support as they transition into employment opportunities.
“Through this grant process, we’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the extraordinary work being done to save lives in Kentucky,” said Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Executive Director Chris Evans. “I’m grateful to the Commission members and staff for their dedication and partnership that will promote real recovery across this Commonwealth.”
Project REACH will be managed through EKCEP’s newly formed Recovery & Reentry Services division, which also includes the Strategic Initiative for Transformational Employment (SITE) and its new barrier relief program. Project REACH is expected to launch by October 2024.
“EKCEP is committed to helping Eastern Kentuckians affected by the opioid crisis,” Carnes-Miller added. “Our mission is to prepare, advance and expand the workforce of Eastern Kentucky, and that can’t happen if we do not include opportunities for everyone who is willing and able to work. We look forward to building on that work with Project REACH.”
Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. is a non-profit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Kentucky. EKCEP serves 23 Appalachian coalfield counties, providing a wide range of workforce development services and operating the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network. Learn more at ekcep.org.
