Kentucky River Comm Care Inc.

Kentucky River Comm Care Inc., a nonprofit community mental health center based in Hazard, Kentucky, operates as a federal grant recipient delivering comprehensive homelessness prevention, behavioral health, and supportive services to rural Appalachian populations in its eight-county service area across eastern Kentucky. The organization receives the vast majority of its federal funding through HUD Continuum of Care Program (CFDA 14.267) grants as a prime recipient, with secondary exposure to SAMHSA behavioral health block grants and Department of Justice victim services grants as a sub-recipient.

The organization's federal footprint is heavily concentrated in HUD Continuum of Care Program grants. HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development has awarded 41 prime and sub-awards in the recent portfolio, accounting for 66% of all recent awards by count. Representative prime COC grants include a $347,649 project grant effective October 2025 through September 2026 supporting permanent housing, rapid rehousing, and supportive services; a $324,080 project grant (October 2024 to September 2025) providing housing assistance and case management across the eight-county region; and a $188,920 project grant (October 2025 to September 2026) addressing youth homelessness, justice-involved populations, and behavioral health challenges. Beyond HUD COC, Kentucky River Comm Care acts as a sub-recipient on multiple Kentucky Housing Corporation and Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services awards covering Continuum of Care Tenant Rental Assistance (TRA), rapid rehousing, Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), Project-Based rental assistance, and HOME TBRA tenant-based rental assistance. The organization also operates The Rising Center, a regional rape crisis center within its Trauma Services Division, and receives sub-awards from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (VAWA) and Victims of Crime (VOCA) programs to provide therapy, case management, and support services to sexual violence survivors.

Secondary behavioral health funding flows through SAMHSA. The organization received multiple sub-awards from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (the state pass-through for federal SAMHSA grants) including Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants, Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), Kentucky Partnerships for Success, Kentucky's Service and Infrastructure eXpansion (KYSIX) Initiative, and 988 Capacity Expansion funds. A single $5.99 million five-year SAMHSA grant for the Restore Hope Early Diversion Program (September 2023 to September 2028) supports court diversion, case management, and wraparound services for justice-involved youth and young adults ages 18–35 across the Kentucky River region. The organization also holds a Rural Communities Opioid Response Program award addressing neonatal abstinence syndrome (September 2023 to August 2026).

Activity has grown substantially year over year — five awards in 2022 to 43 awards in 2024 — though this reflects the receipt of multiple small HUD COC and state pass-through sub-awards rather than fewer large individual awards. Combined obligated dollars across all 117 awards total $29.5 million against $427 thousand in combined potential value, indicating that the bulk of the portfolio consists of executed, invoiced grants. Five awards carry ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months and represent recompete exposure. The organization operates 200 scattered-site affordable rental units it owns and manages across the region and delivers in-house clinical services including physical health, mental health, community support, substance abuse treatment, case management, life skills, supported employment, and housing counseling, with community partnerships to fill service gaps.