We are so excited to share news and updates from the main divisions of our organization – Peer Recovery, Housing, and Behavioral Health. Each one of these branches plays a crucial role in accomplishing our mission of providing premier clinical and supportive services to individuals affected with substance use disorders (SUDs) and other mental health conditions. We hope that you find the impact that our organization is having in West Virginia to be a source of hope and inspiration.
OUR 11TH ANNIVERSARY
WVSL Solutions just celebrated our 11th anniversary! We are so thankful for the many years of support that have made a milestone like this possible. Every day we strive to be the best organization that we can be, and work hard to accomplish our mission to provide premier clinical and supportive services to individuals affected with substance use disorders (SUDs) and other mental health conditions.
DAY OF SERVICE
We had the honor of celebrating our 11th anniversary by completing service projects in the Morgantown and Charleston communities for the Volunteer WV Day of Service. More than simply a milestone, WVSL Solutions continues its tradition of giving back with this service to the local community.
“All too often, we see the poor outcomes of substance use disorder; however, there are many West Virginians in our communities who maintain long-term recovery. We show that recovery is possible when we give back to our communities who supported us in our recovery process. Having a beautiful community takes action, and we are proud to be a small part of ensuring these organizations and those they serve have an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere and the tools needed to impact the lives of others,” says Jon Dower, WVSL Solutions’ Executive Director.
We’d like to thank the organizations below, as well as Cafe Appalachia, Piggly Wiggly, Americorps, and all of our amazing volunteers for helping make this possible!
**This material is based upon work supported by AmeriCorps. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of, or a position that is endorsed by, AmeriCorps.”
Peers
Have you met our Peers? You may have seen them out in the community doing outreach, giving out free naloxone, and so much more! Our peers are a group of individuals with lived experience concerning substance use disorder recovery and are passionate about sharing their recovery experience with others.
PEER RECOVERY CLASSES
One way that our Peers create lasting impact in our communities is by offering Peer Recovery courses online multiple times throughout the year. The PRC (Peer Recovery Coaching) Basics class 2-3 times per year & a re-certification class once a year. Taught by Elizabeth Shine Neil and Taylor Cole, the PRC Basics class covers the four domains of peer recovery ( Ethical Responsibilities, Recovery/Wellness Support, Advocacy, Mentoring & Education). The re-certification class consists of Ethical Responsibilities and Advanced Peer Skills. These classes are certified by the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals.
“This was one of my favorite trainings. It was engaging, informative and was actually fun most of the time,” said one of our recent students.
“I liked that the class was interactive. [It was] interesting getting different point of views.”
Who can benefit from these classes? “Anyone with lived experience or anyone who needs to re-certify – they learn how to become a PRSS, they meet others who are peer recovery coaches, they can take the state certification test, and they can re-certify.”
The re-certification class is $100, and the PRC Basics are $300, although often the cost of the class can be covered by an outside entity.
SAVE A LIFE DAY
On Sep 26th, 2024, all the states East of the Mississippi River (and a few beyond) set up the largest day of naloxone distribution to date. Over 300 counties from 30 states participated.
“Save a Life Day” events grow bigger every year. Last year, all 13 Appalachian states joined together and distributed over 45,000 naloxone doses in a single day.
This year WVSL Solutions partnered with other community organizations in Monongalia & Kanawha counties to help distribute free naloxone.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Behavioral Health is the newest branch of our organization, having opened in May of 2023. Our behavioral health team serves clients struggling with SUD, Depression, Anxiety, and any other mental health diagnosis. There are often mental health diagnoses co-occurring with SUD (substance use disorder), so treating both is a key part of our focus. However, we are willing to help and treat any mental health diagnosis and, if a higher level of care is needed, we have an excellent team capable of giving an appropriate referral for a specialist.
Staff Highlight
Sina King-Smith is a Clinical Therapist and Registered Dietitian who specializes in disordered eating, eating disorders, body image, trauma, ADHD, and autism). Sina utilizes a person-centered & weight-neutral approach in her work and does not offer weight loss counseling. Sina also provides SUD counseling.
How can I make an appointment?
You can schedule an appointment by calling our office (304)-413-4301, submitting a Verification of Benefits form online or inquiring through our admissions email, [email protected]. When you arrive for your first appointment, please make sure to bring a copy of your insurance card and a form of identification .
HOUSING
In August, our Charleston housing participants were able to spend a day together at Galaxy Lanes. Everyone seemed to enjoy spending the day out bowling together, while also connecting with each other over their shared experiences in recovery.
Would you like to help our recovery housing program participants? We recently completed a wishlist for items for both Charleston and Morgantown housing. You can either bring items to the listed address on our housing donation page or purchase from our Amazon wishlist.
Learn more about housing donations here:
KICKOFF TO RECOVERY
Our third annual “Kickoff to Recovery” event was held on September 1st, 2024. We celebrated the beginning of recovery month with speakers, awards, raffles, food trucks, vendors and activities for the whole family. The event featured multiple guest speakers from within the recovery community as well as our “Gamechanger Award” presented to Deb Harris.
We’d like to once again thank our wonderful sponsors for helping to make events like this happen!
Bream Church
HRRC
Leary Repair
Rea of Hope
First Choice Services
We hope you enjoyed the first edition of the WVSL Solutions newsletter. So much of our impact is made possible by the generosity of donors like you! If you’d like to make a tax deductible gift to our organization, you can do so here!
WVSL Solutions
Our Mission:
To provide premier clinical and supportive services to individuals affected with substance use disorders (SUDs) and other mental health conditions.
OUR IMPACT by the numbers:
1/1/24-7/1/24
Number of Housing Participants: 124
Behavioral Health Clients served: 71