Tag: Substance Abuse Treatment

Bill to Create Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities Passes in House

The West Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill that will encourage the creation of substance abuse treatment facilities in the state.

While lawmakers have considered several bills this session aimed at punishing drug traffickers and dealers, House Bill 2428 is about recovery. The bill would establish a special fund to collect donations from the public and any appropriations the Legislature can offer in the future to open more substance abuse treatment facilities.

Democratic Delegate Phil Isner from Randolph County spoke in favor of the bill. He says he’s glad the body got to vote on a bill like this, this session.

“We’ve spent a lot of time this session passing bills that will punish the dealers; the people that are bringing the drugs into our state, and I’ve sponsored, cosponsored, and voted for several of those bills, but I am so encouraged that we are now trying to attack this problem from the other side,” Isner said, “and that is to deal with the users that have got caught up in this, and every one of us probably has a friend or a family member that’s been there.”

The new fund would be called the Ryan Brown Addiction Prevention and Recovery Fund, named after a young man from Kanawha County who died of heroin addiction.

House Bill 2428 passed 99 to 0 and now heads to the Senate.

First Substance Abuse Treatment Unit Opens at a WV Regional Jail

West Virginia launches its first inpatient substance abuse treatment program in a regional jail today. The 28-bed unit will serve male inmates at the Southwestern Regional Jail in Logan County who are awaiting transfer to prison.

The Logan County program is the ninth treatment facility overseen by the state’s Division of Corrections, but the first at a regional jail.

The hope is that by opening a facility at a regional jail, substance abuse treatment can be begin earlier for eligible inmates who have a demonstrated history of drug use, but are not in a state level prison because there isn’t enough bed space.

The units are designed based on a therapeutic model that stresses structured, group-based therapy combined with individual participation and social interaction. Treatment lasts six- to 12-months.

The goal of the DOC treatment units is to help inmates break the cycle of addiction and improve their ability to live healthy and productive lives outside of a correctional facility, according to a Monday press release. Administrators also hope that rehabilitation will help inmates achieve parole earlier and ease prison overcrowding.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.

Tomblin Announces Substance Abuse Treatment Funds

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says new substance abuse treatment services will be offered in 12 counties, while services in eight others are being expanded.

Tomblin this week announced more than $1.5 million in funding for such services.

It will support nearly 150 new inpatient treatment beds, a women’s recovery residence, outpatient services, and have community engagement specialists and recovery coaches in each of the counties.

The counties involved in the announcement are Berkeley, Cabell, Fayette, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Kanawha, Logan, Mason, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Morgan, Pendleton, Putnam, Raleigh, Summers, Wyoming,

House Passes Bill to Aid Pregnant Women Addicted to Drugs

Seven bills were up for passage in the House Wednesday, including one that would give pregnant women in the state priority for substance abuse treatment.

We all know West Virginia has a huge substance abuse problem; one of the worst in the nation. So lawmakers are considering measures to address it.

House Bill 4347 would ensure pregnant women addicted to drugs be given priority to receive a treatment bed.

House Health Chairman Joe Ellington says the cost at some hospitals treating babies born addicted to drugs is anywhere from $30,000 to $200,000 dollars. He says this bill would help those babies before they’re born.

Delegate Don Perdue, a Democrat from Wayne County, says this legislation is an important step but just one piece to a much larger puzzle.

“We have to recognize that although the bell just rang for the marathon, we have got to finish the race, otherwise, there’s not going to be anybody left at the finish line to cheer,” Perdue said.

House Bill 4347 passed 97 to 2 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.

Gov. Tomblin Announces $1.3 Million in Justice Grants

Gov. Tomblin is announcing more than one million dollars in grants for community-based substance abuse treatment and recovery service across West Virginia.

Seven providers will receive grants through the Justice Reinvestment program. One grant will help fund a new, 60- to 100-bed Mercer County treatment facility.

Smaller, six- to 10-bed treatment facilities in Marshall and Wood counties will benefit. So will outpatient and treatment programs in Kanawha, Logan, Marshall, Mercer and Wood counties.

The funding will also help hire counselors and specialists in multiple counties.

The largest grant, totaling 440 thousand dollars, will go to Healing Place of Huntington.

Tomblin says the grants will help reduce prison overcrowding and drug abuse.

A spokesperson for Tomblin said Thursday the grant money is coming from the state general revenue budget.

Exit mobile version