NE KY Substance Use Response Coalition Awarded Federal Grant to Assess Substance Use Stigma

UK St. Claire/Northeast Kentucky Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and the Northeast Kentucky Substance Use Response Coalition have been awarded a $100,000 Rural Health Network Development Planning grant to examine stigma related to substance use disorder (SUD) across a 17-county region.

The one-year federal grant, which runs from July 2025 through June 2026, will fund a regional needs assessment aimed at understanding how stigma toward SUD impacts first responders, public officials, medical providers, medical and pharmacy residents, and other health professions students. It will also assess their interest in participating in recovery-focused educational programs. The project will utilize surveys and focus groups to gather data from across hospitals, clinics, universities, and other institutions throughout northeastern Kentucky.

In addition to UK St. Claire/Northeast Kentucky AHEC, network members for this initiative include the Gateway District Health Department and the Clark County Health Department.

“This region has made great strides in building a strong recovery ecosystem, but stigma remains one of the most persistent barriers to care,” said Matthew Porter, who will serve as project director. “By better understanding how stigma shows up in our systems—especially among those training or working in health and public service—we can begin to design more compassionate, evidence-informed interventions.”

KaSandra Hanshaw, director of the Northeast Kentucky Substance Use Response Coalition, emphasized the importance of this work to the long-term health of the region. “Stigma doesn’t just harm individuals with substance use disorder, it undermines trust in the entire health care system,” she said. “This project is a critical next step in strengthening the workforce and improving outcomes for our communities.”

The Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program, administered by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), supports the development of formal integrated health networks in rural communities. The Northeast Kentucky Substance Use Response Coalition is one of only 35 recipients nationwide selected for this year’s grant cycle.