Franklin County Health Department Awarded $750,000 RCORP-Impact Grant

The Franklin County Health Department (FCHD) has been awarded $750,000 in annual funding through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Impact grant to support treatment, recovery, and prevention initiatives.

This award makes the health department one of only 87 organizations nationwide to receive support through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Impact grant. The funding, provided by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), is designed to improve access to coordinated and sustainable services for substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural regions.

The four-year project, titled “Franklin County 2039: Scaling Coordination for Impact and Sustainability,” functions as a collaborative effort involving the Franklin County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy (ASAP) and the various prevention, treatment, and recovery organizations within ASAP’s Opioid Alliance.

To achieve this, the project will focus on several key areas:

Bridging funding gaps for medical and behavioral treatment.
Strengthening recovery support services for residents.
Expanding life-saving overdose prevention efforts.
Scaling evidence-based primary prevention programs specifically for youth.
Developing a Strategic Public Financing Plan and Reinvestment Model to ensure these services continue after the grant period ends.

The financial resources will be distributed among several local subrecipients, including CommonHealth Recovery, Recovery Café Frankfort, the Wanda Joyce Robinson Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area – Frankfort, Yes Arts, and the Thorn Hill Education Center.

Franklin County ASAP, which was established in 2025 with support from the City of Frankfort, the Franklin County Fiscal Court, and the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, will also serve as a subrecipient. The alliance meets monthly to identify resource gaps and adapt strategies to meet community needs.

Health officials noted that the grant aligns with existing cross-sector efforts already underway in the county. By coordinating these various organizations, the department hopes to create a more permanent infrastructure for public health.

“This funding represents a vital investment in the proactive, long-term health of Franklin County. By aligning our existing public health efforts with the shared expertise of our community partners, we are moving away from reactive measures and building a sustainable system that truly supports recovery and prevention,” said FCHD Public Health Director Judy Mattingly.

Abbi Peck, MPH, has been selected to serve as the project director for the RCORP-Impact initiative. Peck has spent the last year working with the health department to support its risk reduction programs.

“Having served with the Health Department over the past year to support our risk reduction program, I have seen firsthand the resilience of our community and the dedication of our local organizations,” Peck said. She added that she is honored to work with partners to ensure resources reach the individuals and families who need them most.