N.E. Ky. Substance Use Response Coalition gets national award after winning $1 million grant to help newly released inmates

The Northeast Kentucky Substance Use Response Coalition has been named the Outstanding Rural Health Program of 2021 by the National Rural Health Association as part of its annual Rural Health Awards, given to individuals and organizations in rural health care who have "dedicated their time and talents to improving the health and well-being of others," NRHA says.

NKSURC is a formal network of health care and social service organizations,  that represents 18 counties and is focused on building a community-based approach to address the region’s opioid crisis. The organization aims to create educational, clinical, and preventive interventions for those who struggle with substance use disorder.

St. Claire HealthCare in Morehead hosts a nonprofit called the Northeast Kentucky Area Health Education Center, which administers NKSURC. The coalition includes representatives from St. Claire, the AHEC, Achieving Recovery Together, the Clark County Health Department, Comprehend Inc., the Gateway District Health Department, the Kentucky Rural Healthcare Information Organization, Pathways Inc. and Tri-State Primary Care.

The coalition won a three-year, $1 million federal grant to establish “First Day Forward,” a program to connect recently released jail inmates who struggle with substance-use disorder to community resources to give them a true “First Day Forward” following incarceration.