We are excited to announce that we received a $600,000 grant from the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.

The announcement was made by Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Wednesday, October 4 during the second day of the 2023 SOAR Summit, presented by Appalachian Wireless and the Appalachian Regional Commission, at the Corbin Arena.

SOAR was selected as a recipient of the second round of grant awards by the commission. Our grant was part of a round of funding supporting  30 projects across the Commonwealth. 

Our project will allow us to partner with the Kentucky Department of Corrections (DOC) and Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex (EKCC) to provide high-quality DigitalBridge training to inmates with a history of substance use disorder. 

The Partnership that will help create new beginnings

This training will provide skills for in-demand technology jobs and help prepare participants for employment upon release. 

The goal is to lower relapse rates by helping lower barriers to employment for drug-impacted individuals. The project will target individuals approaching the end of their sentences at EKCC.

About the funding

On February 25, 2022, Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced a $26 billion agreement with Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – and Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which manufactured and marketed opioids, for the companies’ role in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic. 

The settlement resolves more than 4,000 claims of state and local governments across the country. It is the second-largest multistate agreement in U.S. history, second only to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.