Us & Them: Black West Virginians With Substance Use Disorder Face Unique Challenges

The Trump administration’s effort to cut federal spending targets a broad range of agencies and initiatives, including the low-income health care program Medicaid. Republican lawmakers are considering adding work requirements or decreasing federal investment dollars toward states providing the program. Typically, this money would be used to pay for doctors visits, nursing home care, or prescriptions. But the scope of Medicaid programs goes beyond day-to-day health care. 

Many people rely on Medicaid to seek help for substance use disorder and drug and alcohol addiction. West Virginia has the nation’s highest overdose rate. In recent years, the state’s overdoses among African Americans have risen above any other group. 

In this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay learns how Medicaid money supports the organizations that work in recovery and what that work looks like.

This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.

“Every time we had discussions, I was doing focus group research. We started talking about kids, the challenges they face, and other issues in our communities. Everybody kept saying, ‘the real problem is them drugs’—that’s exactly how they said it. So, we decided to do something about it. We began by implementing prevention programs and training community health workers, and then we trained them in peer support as recovery coaches.”

— Rev. James Patterson, founder and president/CEO of the Partnership of African American Churches

“Every day, people face subtle but constant annoyances because of their color—especially Black people. They are insulted, invalidated and sometimes physically, verbally and mentally assaulted just for being Black. I see this as a double malady that people must overcome daily, particularly when they’re also dealing with addiction and racism. The stress they endure is something others rarely experience.

We are a licensed behavioral health center that provides treatment for substance use disorder. We offer a residential treatment facility, medication-assisted treatment and multiple sober living facilities.”

— Dr. Wendy Lewis, clinical director for the Partnership of African American Churches, Charleston, WV

“I had a teacher who was trying to help me, to show me the right way. I was one of those kids with ADD—I could never sit still—so I spent most of my time in the office. I don’t think he understood the full extent of my problem, or he wouldn’t have paddled me as he did. I knew I had issues when I tried to break into his house.

Looking back, I wonder why I did it all. Part of it was the divorce—my dad was never around, having started another family—so I never had the support system other kids had. I felt like I fell through the cracks in Orchard Manor. Sometimes I’d wake up in the old county jail, not even knowing why I was there, beat up and bleeding. I knew I had a serious situation on my hands.”

— Kevin Watkins, peer support coach trained by the Partnership of African American Churches

“Residential treatment programs in West Virginia have grown dramatically. Back in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the state had about 150 to 200 treatment beds. Today, there are more than 1,700. Providers are expanding services on the theory that Medicaid funding will continue.

The bulk of Medicaid money comes from the federal government—with Congress and the president’s approval—while West Virginia must supply matching dollars. The Partnership of African American Churches is funded similarly; as they apply for grants from the Bureau of Behavioral Health or the federal government, they have opportunities aligned with their expertise. Otherwise, their core funding is no different from any other addiction treatment provider.”

— Robert Hansen, former director of West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control Policy