FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday announced over $39 million in federal funding for opioid response and mental health services in Kentucky

From the grouping of grant funds, $35.9 aims to combat addiction and support recovery statewide. An additional $3.4 million targets behavioral health services for victims of the December 2021 tornado outbreak.

“These funds will allow us to help more Kentuckians suffering from addiction as well as help those who lived through the deadliest tornado outbreak in our history recuperate from the trauma they experienced,” Gov. Beshear said in a press release.

The State Opioid Response (SOR) grant comes from the federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SOR funding helps increase access to FDA-approved medications to treat opioid addiction, while also supporting prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services.

Support and care for cocaine and methamphetamine abuse are also included in the SOR program, state officials said.

“These have been challenging times, but Kentuckians are good people … tough people … resilient people. And these challenges cannot break us – we will overcome and rebuild together," Beshear added.

The additional $3.4 million grant from FEMA's Disaster Care Management Program will boost existing disaster assistance in the 16 counties included in the presidential disaster declaration of Dec. 11, 2021.

Residents of the impacted counties now qualify for long-term recovery mental health group activities. CHFS Secretary Eric Friedlander said the grant represents an obligation to prioritize mental wellness.

“We are pleased to be a part of this collaborative approach that will assist people who have suffered greatly," Friedlander said.