Federal Funding Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

W.Va. Principals Advocate For Federal Funds At Nation’s Capitol

Hundreds of educational leaders from across the country were in the nation’s capital Wednesday to advocate for more support to address the mental health and educator shortage crises.

Hundreds of educational leaders from across the country were in the nation’s capital Wednesday to advocate for more support to address the mental health and educator shortage crises. Principals and administrators urged Congress to prioritize educational spending in current budget negotiations as part of the National Conference on School Leadership.

John Conrad, principal of Westwood Middle School in Morgantown, and Wheeling Park High School Principal Meredith Dailer spent the morning meeting with the staff of West Virginia’s Congressional delegation.

Conrad said schools in West Virginia rely on a myriad of federal funds to function.

“People are very familiar with Title I, but also Title II and Title IV and IDEA state grants,” he said. “We’re just hoping that they at least keep the level of funding.”

Conrad said staffers don’t hear from educators and principals enough, and being able to make personal contact goes a long way. He was able to meet with Sen. Joe Manchin directly and urged him to support specific legislation to address mental health and staffing issues in schools.

“We talked a lot about educator shortages and the principal pipeline, and what we can do to get people into the profession, become an educator, and then stay in the profession,” he said. “We talked about the Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act, and how we can utilize that to attract people and to stay in the field of education.”

Revitalization Of Communities Is EPA’s Focus In State, Ortiz Says

Adam Ortiz, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator for Region 3, says the EPA has invested half a billion dollars in West Virginia during the Biden presidency.

State and local environmental advocates welcomed a special guest to the Capitol Tuesday for E-Day.

Adam Ortiz, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator for Region 3, which includes West Virginia, came to the Capitol to speak to lawmakers and advocacy groups.

Ortiz says the EPA has invested half a billion dollars in West Virginia during the Biden presidency. That money has gone to improving water and wastewater systems and cleaning up abandoned coal mines and industrial sites.

“It’s not just cleaning up the stuff in the past but preparing this infrastructure for the future. So, it’s hard to attract a hotel to a community if you don’t have strong water systems, both drinking water and wastewater. So, we’re partnering with localities partnering with the state because we want to help West Virginia open its next chapter revitalization and you know, cleaning up the old stuff as part of that process.”

Ortiz says West Virginia has the infrastructure and the workforce to support its economic future. He says the EPA’s role is to help the state clean up the legacy pollution of its historical mining and industry.

“So our focus at EPA working with the state is on revitalization, taking a lot of these abandoned mine areas, as well as brownfields. And it wasn’t just coal production here, but also lots of chemicals and companies that are long gone. And often these sites, these properties are right in the middle of, you know, great old towns and cities, they’re connected to the water, they’re connected to the rail. So our job is to help the state clean them up and get them back online economically.”

Ortiz also praised the young people who came to the Capitol to speak out on environmental issues and share their ideas with lawmakers.

“So we’re really cheering on the young people, the universities and the schools for their environmental programs, because they’re going to have the baton before too long.”

Federal Funds Support Criminal Justice, Recovery Efforts

During his regular briefing Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Jim Justice announced close to $4 million from two federal funds for criminal justice and substance use programs.

More than $2.5 million will fund 18 projects to address substance use disorders across the state.

The money comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program (COSSUP), formerly the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP). This program was developed to provide financial and technical assistance to states and local governments to develop, implement or expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat and support those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants and other drugs.

Horizon Behavioral Health will receive the largest individual award of $600,000 to expand and improve substance use, mental health treatment and peer recovery support services. Horizon works in Monongalia, Ohio, Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Tyler, Wetzel and Tucker counties with individuals suffering from one or more substance use disorders.

The next largest individual award of $500,000 will go to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) to enhance and expand the West Virginia Quick Response Team, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Angel (QLA) Early Intervention Program.

“We’re very, very, very very tickled to have those grants going out,” Justice said.

Justice also announced more than $1 million in Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program funds to 43 projects statewide.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program is a U.S. Department of Justice project to provide federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions.

“These funds will be used to assist state agencies, local governments, private nonprofit agencies to improve the criminal justice system,” Justice said.

Special emphasis was placed on multi-jurisdictional projects and statewide projects that seek to create and/or retain jobs in the criminal justice system in West Virginia.

The West Virginia State Police received the largest individual award of $200,667 to combat the war on drugs and reduce incidents of violent crime. The next largest individual award of $72,000 was awarded to the City of Bridgeport for the same purpose.

State, Federal Funds Support Fire Services, Water Infrastructure

Millions of dollars in state money will help the state fund fire services, as well as infrastructure improvements.

During his weekly media briefing Thursday, Governor Jim Justice announced the first distribution of $3 million dollars in funding for fire services in West Virginia.

“Our volunteer fire departments, gosh. What would we do without all these people?” Justice said. “People that are stepping up and volunteering and trying to help communities over and over and over. And they do, not only they save all kinds of lives, but to help us in every way imaginable.”

The funding comes after the passage and signing of Senate Bill’s 1022 and 1023, supplementing appropriations to the Division of Emergency Management, Growth County Fire Protection Fund, and County Fire Protection Fund.

The first round of funding contained in SB 1022 has been released through the County Fire Protection Fund, delivering resources to all 55 counties in West Virginia.

The funds can be used for Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to purchase equipment, education and training expenses or to offset costs associated with compliance with Insurance Service Office (ISO) recommendations, utility bills and insurance payments.

The governor also announced more than $10 million in federal funds for infrastructure advancements in three West Virginia communities.

“I’m thrilled to be able to share some news regarding critical infrastructure projects in West Virginia,” Justice said.

The funding from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency was secured through $2.8 million in matching funds from the state.

The projects in Randolph, Wyoming and Tucker counties will improve water infrastructure, including water treatment and extending water service to communities lacking a reliable drinking water source.

State Charter Schools Receive Millions In Federal Grants

West Virginia charter schools will receive millions in federal funding over the next two years.

The West Virginia Professional Charter School Board (PCSB) was awarded more than $12 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter Schools Program. The PCSB was created in 2021 by House Bill 2012 to oversee charter schools in the state.

In announcing the grants during his administrative update briefing Friday, Gov. Jim Justice emphasized the importance of school choice.

“We absolutely moved forward by just putting our toe in the water and lo and behold, what does it tell us?” Justice said. “It tells us we should be listening to parents. It tells us absolutely that we should have HOPE Scholarship. It tells us over and over and over. We should give kids and parents a choice.”

West Virginia currently has five operating charter schools – three physical and two virtual – with two more authorized for fall 2024.

In its application, the charter school board said it will use the money to double the number of charter schools from seven to 14 and increase student achievement in all West Virginia public schools.

House Bill 2012 increased the number of brick-and-mortar charter schools authorized and in operation in the state from three to 10. The law also states that beginning July 1, 2023, and every three years thereafter, an additional 10 public charter schools may be authorized.

DHHR To Distribute Federal Funding For Mental Health And Substance Use Services

In a release, the DHHR outlined seven grant programs that will support various health initiatives across the state.

More than $33 million in federal funding was awarded to the Bureau for Behavioral Health (BBH) to enhance mental health and substance use prevention services for West Virginians.

Federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will support prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery services across the state.

“BBH and its partners are seizing every opportunity to meet our state’s behavioral health needs,” said Dawn Cottingham-Frohna, commissioner for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ (DHHR) Bureau for Behavioral Health. “With this funding, we are not only addressing the immediate needs of our communities but also investing in the long-term well-being of West Virginians.”

In a release, the DHHR outlined seven grant programs that will support various initiatives:

The Screening and Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders program will provide $750,000 annually for five years from the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand health care provider’s capacity to screen, assess, treat and refer pregnant and postpartum women for maternal mental health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD). BBH is partnering with the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership’s Drug Free Moms and Babies Project to implement the program.
The Children’s Mental Health Initiative will provide $3,000,000 annually for four years to provide resources to improve the mental health outcomes for children and youth up to age 21, who are at risk for, or have serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness and their families with connection to mobile crisis response and stabilization teams and other community-based behavioral health services through the 24/7 Children’s Crisis and Referral Line (844-HELP4WV).
The First Responders – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Grant will provide $800,000 annually for four years to build upon the Police and Peers program implemented by DHHR’s Office of Drug Control Policy. The activities will be administered by the Bluefield Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in collaboration with Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center, Fayette County Health Department and Logan County Health Department.
The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness grant will distribute $300,000 annually for two years to support the system of care for adults in West Virginia and promote access to permanent housing and referral to mental health, substance abuse treatment and health care services. Grantees are located in areas of the state with the most need, based on the population of individuals experiencing homelessness, including the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless, Prestera Center, Raleigh County Community Action, the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness and Westbrook Health Services.
The Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care grant will provide $1,678,044 annually over five years to serve adults with serious mental illness who have co-occurring physical health conditions or chronic diseases and adults with SUD. Three provider partner agencies have been identified to work on this project including Seneca Health Services Inc., Southern Highlands Community Behavioral Health Center and United Summit Center, covering 16 counties in the state.
The Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Improve Local 988 Capacity will provide $1,251,440 annually for three years to enhance the capacity of West Virginia’s single 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline center, which is funded by BBH and operated by First Choice Services, to answer calls, chats and texts initiated in the state. In addition to this award, First Choice Services received $500,000 from Cooperative Agreements for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Crisis Center Follow-Up Programs and a National Chat and Text Backup Center award from Vibrant Emotional Health to help answer overflow chats and texts from more than 200 local 988 centers nationwide.
The Behavioral Health Partnership for Early Diversion of Adults and Youth will provide $330,000 annually for five years to establish or expand programs that divert youth and young adults up to age 25 with mental illness or a co-occurring disorder from the criminal or juvenile justice system to community-based mental health and SUD services.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.