Mountain Talk: Opioid Settlement Money in KY—What's Happening With It Now, & How It Could Help Most

As a result of lawsuits filed across the country in the wake of the opioid crisis, some $1 billion in opioid settlement money will be coming into Kentucky, between now and 2038. But according to a new report from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, of this settlement money that’s come into Kentucky counties and communities so far, as of the end of last fiscal year, some 90% of it has not actually been spent. Meaning that this funding—which is supposed to be used to help directly address the effects of opioid crisis in communities, like so many of ours in EKY, that have been devastated by it—is, so far, mostly just sitting there. In this edition of Mountain Talk, we dive into this opioid settlement money: what’s going on with it right now, and how advocates think it could go to best use in KY & EKY communities, to help make a real & lasting recovery. First, we speak with Ashley Spalding, of the Ky. Center for Economic Policy, who helped put together this new report on the settlement money, to get a handle on what’s happening with this pot of funding right now, across Kentucky. Then, we hear from EKY advocate Amanda Hall, to learn more about what’s going on with this $ in East Kentucky in particular, and what she, as a local community member, would love to see happen with it. Then, we hear about someplace that some advocates say could be a model for how this settlement money could go to truly help KY communities: the Letcher County Hub, one of six recovery centers sponsored by KY River District Health Department. Through interviews with Hub staffers Amanda Parker and Jamie Madden, we hear about how the Hub has become a one-stop-shop that serves people across the spectrum, from active addiction to active recovery. We also hear Amanda’s & Jamie’s personal stories of overcoming addiction in their own lives, and how their personal recovery journeys fuel their work at the Hub every day. (MUSIC in this show includes selections from: J.P. & Annadeene Fraley, from the June Appal Records release “Galleynipper”; Andrew Boarman, from the June Appal release “Mountain State Music”; Don Bikoff, from the Free Music Archive; and Glenn Jones & Laura Baird, also from the Free Music Archive.) (MOUNTAIN TALK airdates this week: Wed, 9/30, 8 p.m. (SPECIAL); Thurs, 9/1, 6 p.m.; Sun, 9/4, 12 p.m.; Monday, 9/5, 11 a.m.)