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Recovery Kentucky

A cost-effective network of recovery centers across Kentucky that provides housing and recovery services to individuals with social determinants of health challenges

Begun in 2005, Recovery Kentucky is a network of 18 recovery centers across the Commonwealth that can provide supportive housing and recovery services for up to 2,200 persons simultaneously. It is a joint collaboration of the Kentucky Department for Local Government, the Kentucky Department of Corrections (KDOC), and the Kentucky Housing Corporation and is funded by an annual allocation of Low Income Housing Tax Credits, community block grants, the Department of Corrections, and federal and state benefits.  

The Recovery Kentucky programs were designed to increase treatment capacity in rural areas and serve adults who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness, including those with recent incarceration. In fact, the majority of those referred to the program are from the criminal justice system and many are experiencing homelessness. The model is in the framework of a modified sober living, peer-led supportive housing program, and is a long-term option (sometimes one year or longer) that is provided at no cost to the client and broken into different phases:

  • Safe off the Streets (SOS) - program orientation
  • Motivational tracks I & II - 1 to 2 months of assessing client readiness for recovery, educational classes, and integration into 12-step meetings
  • Phase I - the core of the recovery program, which consists of 4 to 6 months of life skills, accountability, and increasing responsibility
  • Phase II - a voluntary phase of 3 to 6 months where clients serve as peer mentors

More detail on this program model and contact information can be found in the presentations here and here. Results of this program are promising based on both individual outcomes and societal costs. Recovery Kentucky is annually evaluated by the Center for Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR) at the University of Kentucky. 

This program has been replicated to expand this model to rural and underserved areas across the state as the Recovery, Hope. Opportunity, and Resiliency (RHOAR) initiative. More detail on this replicated program can be found in the white paper here.  

For every dollar invested in the program, taxpayers save $2.56...vastly improved substance use, mental health, quality of life, and social determinants of health for the individuals

Continuum of Care
Treatment
Recovery
Type of Evidence
Peer-reviewed
Replicated
Response Approach
Diversion
Housing, Education, and Employment
Peer-reviewed Article
Examining Recovery Program Participants by Gender: Program Completion, Relapse, and Multidimensional Status 12 Months After Program Entry
Related Resources
Choice Matters: Housing Models that May Promote Recovery for Individuals and Families Facing Opioid Use Disorder
Caring for Homeless Patients with Opioid Use Disorders: Clinical Guidelines
Homelessness and Opioids: A Roadmap for Sharing Data to Enable More Effective Collaboration
Interventions for Incarcerated Adults with Opioid Use Disorder in the United States: A Systematic Review with a Focus on Social Determinants of Health
Social Determinants of Health Toolkit
Lived Experience in New Models of Care for Substance Use Disorder: A Systematic Review of Peer Recovery Support Services and Recovery Coaching
Applying the Evidence: Legal and Policy Approaches to Address Opioid Use Disorder in the Criminal Justice and Child Welfare Settings
Partnering with Jails to Improve Reentry: A Guidebook for Community-Based Organizations
Reentry Matters: Strategies and Successes of Second Chance Act Grantees
Recovery Coaches in Opioid Use Disorder Care
Recovery Kentucky.pdf

Evidence of Program Effectiveness

"Although participants had significant psychosocial problems, polysubstance use patterns, and severe substance use disorder (SUD), the majority of both men and women reported completing the program (80.3%), a small minority reported relapse (9.5%)...Study results suggest the recovery program provides an important option for some of the most vulnerable individuals with SUD." (Logan et al., 2020)

From 2019 Annual Outcomes Report: 

  • For every dollar invested in the program, taxpayers save $2.56
  • Substantial reduction in substance use after completion of the program
  • Substantial reduction in mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety
  • Improved self-reported quality of life
  • Improved social determinants of health. For example, 38% were homeless upon intake and only 5% were homeless at follow-up and 48% were employed upon intake and 82% were employed at follow-up
  • Only 8% of clients reported an arrest at follow-up and 13% reported spending any time incarcerated