West Virginia is the number one state affected by addiction in the United States. West Virginia has been suffering through an opioid epidemic for years. The most pressing threats to West Virginia are the illegal trafficking of controlled prescription drugs, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, however cocaine, crack, marijuana, and new psychoactive substances (NPSs) including synthetic cannabinoids are both accessible (dea.gov, 2017). According to the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources, in the year 2020, there were 1,275 confirmed deaths in the state of West Virginia (dhhr.wv.gov, 2021).
Addiction not only impacts the addict but also their family and friends. There is a big stigma around addiction but many are unaware that addiction can be developed genetically, through coping with trauma and pressure, social location and upbringing, etc. Addiction is a disorder and should be cured like any other mental health disorder. Every individual who is struggling with addiction should have access to free resources to help them recover and grow.
1. The Opportunity House, Inc.
About
Location: Buckhannon, West Virginia
The Opportunity House, Inc. was founded in 2003, when a group of Buckhannon citizens came together in efforts to help with the drug and alcohol addiction that was impacting their town.
“Opportunity House is open to everyone and provides an island of hope in central West Virginia.”
The Opportunity House, Inc. strives to create a secure and caring environment for people who are trying to recover from drug and alcohol addiction. At Opportunity House, Inc. they aid, support, and encourage individuals in developing a personal recovery plan, offer assistance in resolving previous conflicts, and lead them in developing necessary skills for a successful life.
Programs & Services
Opportunity House
For those seeking a new lifestyle independent of addiction, Opportunity House offers a stable and supportive atmosphere. The Opportunity House takes a comprehensive effort to addiction recovery by treating the individuals overall health and psychological needs.
Serenity House
Serenity House is a permanent housing alternative for individuals seeking a secure living situation. Allowing them access to assisting resources as well as the assurance that their housemates are also on the path to healing.
Promise House
Promise House's mission is to meet the urgent requirements of homeless veterans who are disabled as a result of chronic drug and/or alcohol addiction, with the majority of them also struggling with psychological disorders such as PTSD and/or Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Recovery Center
The Recovery Center offers multiple recovery support meetings throughout the week. These Healing Group Meetings are founded on the belief that people in different stages of addiction recovery have a number of similarities and may improve from communicating their experiences. This program provides a safe environment for individuals to exchange their addiction recovery journeys, with a focus on the hope and healing of recovering, as well as how recovery has impacted their lives, despite the drug or behavior that developed their addiction.
2. Help4WV
About
HELP4WV is a non-profit organization that utilizes the power of technology to help those in need struggling with substance disorders. HELP4WV is a 24-hour 7-days a week hotline, live chat, and text messaging hotline that offers urgent assistance to anybody in West Virginia who is battling with an addiction or mental health condition.
Programs & Services
Peer-support experts and rehabilitation coaches make up a large portion of people who answer the calls received on their authorized hotline. This indicates that they have firsthand experience with mental health or drug addiction recovery. The Department of Health and Human Resources is funding this effort, which aims to make getting care for mental health disorders easier.
3. Reintegrate Appalachia
About
Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
West Virginia Sober Living and Coalfield Development Corporation partner on Reintegrate Appalachia, which is funded by West Virginia University Health Sciences Center and Ascension Recovery Services. The project enables each member to re-engage in their community via valuable work, while also providing participants with the chance to further their education, develop their occupational skills, and get the therapeutic and peer-to-peer assistance they need to stay sober.
Programs & Services
Reintegrate Appalachia offers a program called 33-6-3-PLUS. In this program, participants must engage in full-time employment for 33 hours a week, 6 hours of higher education per week at a community/technical institution, 3 hours each week of personal and professional growth, and a comprehensive monitoring program for addiction recovery.
After applicants get the news that they have been approved they will:
4. Recovery Point West Virginia
About
Location: Huntington, Charleston, Bluefield, & Parkersburg, West Virginia
Individuals battling with a substance use disorder can attend one of many free treatment programs offered by Recovery Point West Virginia. To provide their programs to those in need, the organizations depend on grants, contributions, and fundraisers. Its mission is to assist people in achieving long-term rehabilitation and a fresh, clean, and healthy lifestyle.
"Recovery Point West Virginia’s long-term recovery program alumni maintain a 68 percent sobriety rate on year after graduating the program."
The Healing Place of Huntington was the forerunner of Recovery Point West Virginia, which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The company has expanded from assisting ten males in Huntington in 2011 to supporting hundreds of men and women in numerous places who are battling substance abuse.
Programs & Services
The Recovery Point West Virginia Behavioral Health Outpatient Clinic provides a wide variety of psychotherapy services for mental health, substance abuse disorders, and other cognitive health concerns.
They have a number of qualified and registered addiction counselors on site. Their participants receive outpatient assessment, treatment, and referral service. They also provide therapy to people who have been recommended by medication-assisted treatment facilities.
They also have a wide variety of other kinds of treatment including, long-term recovery programs, peer recovery coaches, peer recovery coach training, and “Her Place” which is a secure and caring atmosphere where women, children, and families recieve free peer support and instructional programs to help them conquer substance use disorder.
Recovery Point West Virginia has multiple locations including Huntington, Charleston, Bluefield, & Parkersburg, West Virginia.
More Substance abuse & Recovery Resources
The following Links to resources are not only for West Virginia residents.
Partnership to End Addiction: "9 Facts About Addiction People Usually Get Wrong"
Help Guide: "Helping Someone with a Drug Addiction"
American Addiction Centers: "Guide for Children of Addicted Parents"
Partnership to End Addiction: 7 Truths About My Son's Addiction That Took 5 Years to Learn"
About the Author
Hello everyone, I'm Catie Malone! I am graduating from West Virginia University this May with a B.S. in Business Administration & majoring in Marketing with an area of emphasis in Digital Marketing Promotions.
Substance abuse & addiction have always been prominent throughout my life therefore, I am passionate about spreading awareness. I chose to make this website for others to be educated about how substance abuse is impacting the state of West Virginia and also the country as a whole. I used my creative skills by making digital artwork that would help others have a better understanding of what substance abuse is really like.