Gov. Beshear Signs Legislation to Support
Kentuckians Fighting Addiction
Today, Gov. Andy Beshear joined lawmakers, recovery and addiction prevention experts and an addiction survivor to sign two pieces of legislation that support ongoing efforts to help Kentuckians fighting addiction.
House Bill 248 supports recovery housing by setting requirements for certification, operation and oversight of these residences. It is also aimed at helping these resources be more accessible and equitable.
“Our hope is potential barriers can be identified – like location, transportation and language services accommodations – and that programs can be created to overcome these obstacles and get more people the quality care they need,” Gov. Beshear said.
Last year, Gov. Beshear announced a new searchable website to help people in recovery find housing, FindRecoveryHousingNowKY.org.
“We are fortunate to have a governor and General Assembly that are so committed to addressing the social determinants of recovery and improving outcomes for individuals impacted by substance use,” said founder and CEO of Addiction Recovery Care Tim Robinson Jr. “For people earlier on in their recovery journeys, having a safe place to stay can make all the difference. House Bill 248 ensures that Kentuckians across the state will have access to quality housing as they transition out of a treatment program and work toward reentering society.”
Meanwhile, House Bill 148 will ensure direct payments from health insurance to the facilities providing care. Ultimately, this will not just help with the direct payments, but make things easier for those receiving treatment and their family members involved.
Full Remarks | ARC Founder and CEO, Tim Robinson
“…Thank you, Governor Beshear, for inviting us to today’s bill signing. Thank you to the General Assembly for getting this legislation across the finish line. It was truly a collaborative effort.
We are so fortunate to have leaders in our state who understand recovery and who are working alongside us to address the many factors that lead to long-term success.
Recovery is more than just treatment. It is housing, it is transportation, it is job training, it is education and it is childcare.
House Bill 248 addresses one of the key components to long-term recovery by improving access to quality, safe recovery housing.
For Kentuckians who are overcoming a substance use disorder, having a safe place to stay can make all the difference.
Under House Bill 248, our community members who are transitioning out of a treatment program and seeking recovery housing can rest assured that they will be entering an environment that’s safe and substance-free.
This legislation provides much needed protections against substandard housing providers that are not necessarily looking out for the health and wellbeing of their tenants – and I am very grateful to see it signed into law today by Gov. Beshear.
We also have to express our appreciation for Team Kentucky’s dedication to expanding access to addiction treatment and recovery. Governor, since you took office in January of 2020, with your administration’s commitment to help our neighbors in addiction access treatment – Addiction Recovery Care has opened 1322 new beds including repurposing St. Catherines College into an innovative recovery campus. A campus with treatment, recovery, on-site GED classes, and job training.
Washington County’s largest employer, Toyotomi, has now hired over 20 program graduates. With the Cabinets help vocational rehabilitation departments help we are now training welders for Toyotomi. Second Chance employment is a crucial part of meeting Kentucky’s ever increasing workforce demands
This coming year with CFHS and Secretary Friedlander’s help we will reopen the Bellefonte Psychiatric hospital in Northeast Kentucky and will open an additional 1000 new treatment beds across the Commonwealth. Thank you for working with us to make Kentucky a Second Chance state. We are a better and stronger Kentucky because of it.”
Does it require ARC to transport patients BACK to where they came from if the don’t complete the program? It should.