A $25,000 request to keep a part-time peer-support position at the SEK Recovery Resources Coalition’s Recovery House in Iola received approval from Allen County commissioners Tuesday, although commissioners made clear the funding is a one-time commitment.
The money will come from the county’s opioid settlement funds and will support the position for one year beginning Oct. 1. The 25-hour-per-week position provides peer support and recovery coaching.
The decision followed lengthy discussion about whether Allen County should be responsible for funding a program that serves residents of multiple counties and how the position could be sustained after the county’s opioid settlement funds are depleted.
County Clerk Shannon Patterson reported that $62,000 remains in the opioid settlement fund. At $25,000 a year, the county could fund the position for only a little more than two years if it continued at the same level.
APRIL JACKSON, Thrive Allen County’s addiction prevention and recovery resources director, said she has been unable to devote enough time to securing additional funding while balancing the position with other responsibilities.
“If I’m looking ahead, my goal is to have a sustainable program in a year,” Jackson said. “I just have not been able to build that yet.”
Jackson said the funding would allow the position to continue while she works to develop a more sustainable funding structure. “This is my last-ditch effort to buy me some more time to be able to secure more funding,” she said.
The commission previously asked Jackson to approach other counties and local governments about contributing to the program. Commission Chairman David Lee said he had spoken with two Neosho County commissioners. One supported the idea, while the other did not, with Neosho County considering using its opioid settlement funds for Humanity House instead.
Lee said he had not spoken with officials in Wilson or Woodson counties. His concern was that Allen County could use a substantial portion of its remaining opioid funds on the position, only to face another funding request once the money runs out.
Jackson acknowledged she had not contacted the other counties.
“I’ve not had time to put a package together to answer all the questions,” she explained.
Jackson said the requested money specifically would support an employee who lives in Allen County.
THE RECOVERY House opened in March 2022 and provides housing for up to five men at a time. The abstinence-based, peer-led program provides structured living, recovery support and staff monitoring.
The SEK Recovery Resources Coalition was formed in 2017 and serves Allen, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties.
It originally was established through a federal Health Resources and Services Administration grant and has operated without dedicated grant funding since September 2024.
Through its partnership with the 31st Judicial District’s Recovery Court program, the coalition provides transportation, peer support and access to treatment services.
