Carroll, Franklin, Jefferson counties certified as Recovery Ready Communities
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 5, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that Carroll, Franklin and Jefferson counties have been certified as Recovery Ready Communities. The announcement builds on the recent progress that Team Kentucky has made in combatting addiction and improving public safety, which includes securing four straight years of decreases in overdose deaths, two consecutive years of recidivism rate decreases and two years in a row of falling serious crime rates. Kentucky now has 45 counties certified as Recovery Ready Communities, serving nearly 3.1 million Kentuckians, including in the state’s largest county, Jefferson.
“Across Kentucky, our neighbors are seeing that it’s possible to win against addiction because of the countless individuals who are there to help each step of the way,” Gov. Beshear said. “By certifying these three counties, we’re wrapping our arms around our people and making sure fewer families feel the pain of losing a loved one to addiction.”
The certification of Carroll, Franklin and Jefferson counties ensures an additional nearly 860,000 Kentuckians have access to addiction treatment in their home county.
“The Recovery Ready Communities Program is doing important work to make sure every Kentuckian is able to get the help they need in their fight against addiction,” said Recovery Ready Communities Advisory Council Chair Pam Darnall. “I’m proud of all our 45 certified counties for stepping up and helping us reduce the stigma around addiction in every corner of our commonwealth.”
Across Carroll County, strong local and regional partnerships create a meaningful recovery network for the county’s more than 11,000 residents. Relationships between Carroll County Memorial Hospital and Empowered Living, NorthKey Community Care, Cleanse Clinic, Carrolton Treatment Services and the county’s public schools, courts, first responders and more have created a robust prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery support ecosystem for all ages.
“This certification is a testament to all of the folks that are fighting daily in the addiction treatment trenches, helping individuals who have fallen victim to this modern-day plague get a second chance,” Carroll County Magistrate, District 3, J. Scott Nab said. “They bring us hope that our community can heal and recover.”
Franklin County’s more than 52,000 residents benefit from collaboration among prevention, treatment, public health, law enforcement and recovery partners across the county. The Franklin County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy supports a wide range of prevention and community initiatives, while the Franklin County Health Department offers syringe services, fentanyl test strips, education and treatment referrals and provides multiple ways for citizens to obtain naloxone. Wings of Hope also provides post-overdose outreach services, while Voices of Hope provides peer services four days a week. The county’s justice system and law enforcement have also worked to make recovery possible through alternatives, including the Frankfort Police Department’s Angel Initiative and the county’s Drug Court.
“The most important part of this certification is the word ‘community,’” Franklin County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy Coordinator Charles Kendell said. “We know those suffering from addictions do so in isolation, and it is through the community that we can overcome that and lead people to a path of recovery and long-term sustainability.”
Jefferson County, the commonwealth’s largest county, with nearly 800,000 Kentuckians, has built one of the state’s most extensive recovery-oriented systems that brings together public health, healthcare, treatment providers, first responders, the justice system and community organizations to help citizens at each stage of recovery. The county’s public health-focused overdose response network includes Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, Louisville Recovery Community Connection and Young People in Recovery. Community resources, including Seven Counties Services, Park DuValle Community Health Center, the Healing Place and the county’s major hospital systems, provide access to inpatient and outpatient treatment for addiction, while Louisville Recovery Community Connection, People Advocating Recovery, the Icehouse and others provide long-term recovery options, including recovery meetings, peer and family support and recovery housing.
"Becoming a Recovery Ready Community helped to identify gaps in services in Jefferson County,” Billy O’Bryan, Young People in Recovery Kentucky Program Director said. “This is a great opportunity to work with the city and to leverage opioid settlement funds to close those gaps.”
After signing legislation during the 2022 legislative session, Gov. Beshear launched the Recovery Ready Communities application in January 2023. In May of that year, Boyle County became the first county to be certified for its commitment to providing residents with access to addiction treatment and recovery support while removing barriers to the workforce. In September 2023, Perry County received its certification. The Governor shared today that both Boyle and Perry counties received their recertifications for continued work to improve and grow their respective treatment and recovery ecosystems.
Recovery Ready Communities certifications are for a period of three years, at which time counties must apply for recertification to ensure the same level of work and support is being provided to residents. The Northern Kentucky region of Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties became the first to receive recertification earlier this year.
Addiction and Recovery
By increasing access to recovery resources, reducing the stigma around asking for help and removing dangerous drugs from communities, the Beshear-Coleman administration remains focused on turning Kentucky’s progress into prosperity.
The 2025 Crime in Kentucky Report, released in June, shows that, from 2024 to 2025, reports of serious crime rates decreased by 8.14%. This includes an 11.25% decrease in drug/narcotic offenses.
In April, Gov. Beshear announced that overdose deaths in the commonwealth decreased for the fourth year in a row, with a 22.9% decrease in 2025 compared with the previous year and a 50.8% decrease from 2021. 2025 saw the lowest number of overdose deaths recorded in the commonwealth since 2014.
In 2025, the Governor announced the emergency designation of bromazolam, also known as “designer Xanax,” as a Schedule I controlled substance, banning the drug from being sold in Kentucky.
Also in 2025, Gov. Beshear announced he was taking action to prevent the sale and distribution of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), an addictive form of Kratom, by moving to classify the drug as a Schedule I narcotic, making it illegal to sell, possess or distribute any isolated or concentrated forms of 7-OH in the state.
In 2024, the administration launched FindNaloxone.ky.gov to help Kentuckians access lifesaving naloxone, or Narcan, which is used to reverse an opioid overdose.
In 2022, Team Kentucky launched FindRecoveryHousingNowKY.org, a searchable website to help people in recovery find housing.
Also in 2022, Kentucky launched the easy-to-remember three-digit mental health crisis hotline, 988, which connects Kentuckians facing a risk of suicide, mental health distress or an addiction crisis to compassionate and trained counselors who can help.
Treatment Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call the KY HELP Call Center at 833-8KY-HELP or visit FindHelpNowKy.org to find recovery resources near you.
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