Former Whitesburg High School Becomes Men's Recovery Facility

Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation opens transitional living program in converted school building.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 10:51pm

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Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation has transformed the old Whitesburg High School in Letcher County, Kentucky into a transitional living facility with 22 fully furnished apartments for men in recovery. The program provides residents with housing, employment assistance, and other services as they transition back into the community after completing inpatient rehab.

Why it matters

Southeastern Kentucky has some of the highest rates of addiction and recurring addiction in the country, so this new recovery facility aims to give men a fresh start and help break those negative statistics by providing a sober living environment and comprehensive support services.

The details

Residents must come directly from inpatient rehab to the facility, where they will participate in the year-long program. In the first few days, staff will assess each resident's needs and create a personalized recovery plan to connect them with employment, clothing, food, insurance, and other necessary resources. The facility also has a plan to provide increased support or refer residents back to rehab if they experience setbacks in their recovery.

  • The former Whitesburg High School was converted into the transitional living facility in 2026.

The players

Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation

A healthcare organization that has opened the new men's recovery facility in the former Whitesburg High School building.

Dr. Sydney Whitaker

The clinical services director of the transitional living facility at Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation.

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What they’re saying

“So, we're working really hard to give people that fresh start so that way we can break some of those negative statistics that we have. Because if we can give them a fresh place to live that's sober, then they can work on a new trajectory for their life.”

— Dr. Sydney Whitaker, Clinical Services Director

“Find out what their interests are. Do they want to go back to school? Do they want employment? What do they need to reach those things? So, are they missing a birth certificate? Do they need, you know, XYZ? And we'll assess that within the first few days of them being here. And then, we'll help to create a recovery plan for them.”

— Dr. Sydney Whitaker, Clinical Services Director

What’s next

The recovery facility is open to anyone in the state of Kentucky, and interested individuals or referrals can contact transitionalhousing@mchcky.com for more information.

The takeaway

This new transitional living program in the former Whitesburg High School represents a community-driven effort to address the region's high rates of addiction and provide comprehensive support services to help men in recovery successfully reintegrate into the local community.