Putting the fight against opioids first | News, Sports, Jobs

If money is what it will take to resolve the damage done by the substance abuse epidemic in the Mountain State, we are sitting on an enormous opportunity through funds distributed by the West Virginia First Foundation. Just this month nearly $18 million in Momentum Initiative Grants was awarded to tackle the problem.

In this round, there are 76 projects — some statewide, some regional — that will focus on foster care and non-parental caregiver initiatives, youth prevention, recovery housing, behavioral health and workforce development, and reentry and diversion programs.

The statewide projects, totaling more than $3.85 million, all target foster care and non-parental caregivers through Foster RISE (Recruitment, Intervention, Support and Expansion); Pressley Ridge Treatment Kinship Care statewide services; West Virginia CASA Association’s Continuum of Care for children and families impacted by the opioid crisis; and West Virginia Wesleyan College’s capacity-building initiative with CASA.

Hancock and Brooke counties are part of Region 1, although, once again, most of the funds awarded locally appear to be focused for services in the Wheeling area.

The Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless, for example, received $250,000 for day report centers and re-entry programs, while HoH Share Inc. received $125,000 for youth prevention programs. Northwood Health Systems, which has some operations in Weirton, will receive $216,065 for its behavioral health and workforce development programs, and Youth Services System, which also offers some of its programs in our two counties, will receive $125,000 for youth prevention services.

West Liberty University is getting $249,397 for its own day report centers and re-entry programs through the Hilltopper Pathways services.

YWCA Wheeling, meanwhile, is set to receive three grants: $124,744 for youth prevention; $380,000 for recovery housing; and $186,450 for day report centers and re-entry programs.

This is wonderful news for hardworking people in need of support to fulfill a critical mission.

“The Momentum Initiative Grant reflects a new way of responding to the substance use crisis; one grounded in evidence, shaped by local expertise and guided by accountability,” said Jonathan Board, the foundation’s executive director. “We traveled the state, listened to those holding the line in their communities, and answered the call to honor the lives lost by putting these resources into the hands of those ready to create real, lasting impact for West Virginia.”

While we wait, the organizations that have received this round of money are no doubt ready to hold up their end of the bargain.

As that work gets underway, lawmakers and economic development officials must remember it is their job to also be expanding and diversifying our state’s economy and working to improve quality of life for everyone.

Hope is as necessary in this process as is money.