TABLE OF CONTENTS
IN 2023, THINK KID HELD EIGHT COMM MEETINGS.
3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4 ABOUT THE PROJECT 5 DEMOGRAPHICS AND DATA 7 COMMUNITY MEETINGS: PREVAILING THEMES 17 ARTICLES BY AMELIA FERRELL KNISELY 19 FILMS BY TIJAH BUMGARNER 21 GET CONNECTED: STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was produced by Think Kids, a Charleston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of West Virginia’s kids. The primary author of this report is Kelli Caseman. We thank the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation for financially supporting our work to address the unmet needs of children/adolescents affected by the drug epidemic. Many thanks to Carol Geletko for designing this report. We also appreciate all who have worked with Think Kids on this project for the last four years. To those who shared their time, resources, and ideas with us, we thank you for your contribution. You’re making West Virginia a better place for kids and families. The ideas and experiences shared in this report are not necessarily those of Think Kids and its partners.
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ABOUT THE PROJECT
“THERE IS NO SIMPLE SOLUTION FOR COMPLEX PROBLEMS.” – Attendee, Clay County Community Meeting, September 2023
This report is the culmination of a year’s work on the project, Addressing the Unmet Health Care Needs of Children Affected by the Drug Crisis, and it is the last report about this project. Children and adolescents affected by the drug crisis have acute and immediate needs that are different from adults. Think Kids collaborated with community partners on a ground-up approach to identifying, articulating, and responding to these needs. The project focused on a six-county area: Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam Counties. The increase in parental drug misuse and abuse, impaired parenting, incarceration, extended separation from parents, overdose deaths, and introductions into the child welfare, court, and foster care systems have resulted in a children’s health crisis in West Virginia. The project goal was to articulate and contextualize the environment and experiences where these children are being raised in a way that would generate a larger discourse around what can be done to help them and elevate the voices of those who, in their own communities, champion their cause. This report offers no simple solutions. Instead, it documents how people working in this space offer nuanced, thoughtful ideas for charting a path out of this ever-unfolding crisis.
KELLI CASEMAN – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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This work took many different forms and is documented in this report. To learn more about the project, visit our website at https://thinkkidswv.org.
DEMOGRAPHICS AND DATA The data tells an important story about the children, adolescents, and the communities where they live. This information is by no means comprehensive — comprehensive data isn’t available — but it helps illuminate and contextualize the unique environments found in each county in which kids affected by the drug epidemic are being raised.
Boone County
Population estimate: 20,968 (2022) Persons under 18 years of age: 4,277 (2022) Percentage of people of color: 2.1% (2022) Number of public schools: 16 School attendance (percent): 87.93% (2022-2023) Children in poverty: 28.2% (2021) Children in foster care under Medicaid: 17.3% (2023) Children living with grandparents: 14.1% (2023) Babies born exposed to drugs: 15.3% (2023)
Photo By Amelia Ferrell Knisely
Clay County
Population estimate: 7,814 (2022) Persons under 18 years of age: 1,711 (2022) Percentage of people of color: 2.5% (2022) Number of public schools: 6 School attendance (percent): 91.89% (2022-2023) Children in poverty: 31% (2021) Children in foster care under Medicaid: 22.8% (2023) Children living with grandparents: 13.2% (2023) Babies born exposed to drugs: 18.1% (2022)
Fayette County Population estimate: 39,487 (2022) Persons under 18 years of age: 8,095 (2022) Percentage of people of color: 6.6% (2022) Number of public schools: 13 School attendance (percent): 91.03% (2022-2023) Children in poverty: 23.6% (2021) Children in foster care under Medicaid: 14.5% (2023) Children living with grandparents: 9.1% (2023) Babies born exposed to drugs: 14.1% (2023)
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DEMOGRAPHICS AND DATA Kanawha County
Population estimate: 175,515 (2022) Persons under 18 years of age: 34,401 (2022) Percentage of people of color: 11.5% (2022) Number of public schools: 75 School attendance (percentage): 91.89% (2022-2023) Children in poverty: 20.6% (2021) Children in foster care under Medicaid: 14.2% (2023) Children living with grandparents: 6.2% (2023) Babies born exposed to drugs: 16.6% (2023)
Lincoln County
Population estimate: 19,901 (2022) Persons under 18 years of age: 4,319 (2022) Percentage of people of color: 2.2% (2022) Number of public schools: 8 School attendance (percentage): 87.76% (2022-2023) Children in poverty: 26.7% (2021) Children in foster care under Medicaid: 15.8% (2023) Children living with grandparents: 9.7% (2023) Babies born exposed to drugs: 11.1% (2023)
Putnam County
Population estimate: 57,015 (2022) Persons under 18 years of age: 12,144 (2022) Percentage of people of color: 4.1% (2022) Number of public schools: 23 School attendance (percentage): 92.75% (2022-2023) Children in poverty: 12.3% (2021) Children in foster care under Medicaid: 9.7% (2023) Children living with grandparents: 8% (2023) Babies born exposed to drugs: 7.3% (2023) Data Sources U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts U.S. Department of Agriculture WV Kids Count WV State Department of Education
Photo By Amelia Ferrell Knisely
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COMMUNITY MEETINGS: PREVAILING THEMES
IN 2023, THINK KIDS HELD EIGHT COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
In 2023, Think Kids held eight community meetings — four in Kanawha County, one in Clay County, one in Fayette County, and one in Putnam County. All were open to the public, and gas cards were available to all who wanted to attend but needed assistance with transportation.
On the following page is an informal summary of prevailing themes, ideas for better out-comes, resources to learn more, and people to contact to get involved. Notes from these meetings are in our public project folder.
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NALOXONE IN SCHOOLS We can’t ignore the escalating use of harder drugs at younger ages. Naloxone policies in our public schools should be comprehensive and publicly posted. No designated school personnel should be called to determine if someone is overdosing before the person overdosing receives help — especially if the school employee is assigned to multiple schools and only on-site at a particular school a few times a week. Naloxone training should be available to all staff. Stigma shouldn’t deter school administrators from passing policies that can save lives. Attendees in community meetings overwhelmingly agreed that overdoses were happening in both middle and high schools, yet went unreported. They believed school administrators were more likely to call parents instead of 911 if an overdose was suspected, making it impossible to track the actual number of possible overdoses in schools.
Attendees acknowledged that there are individuals in government systems (WVDHHR, WVDE) who have worked on model policies, and there are organizations that have advocated making naloxone available in schools. This is great news and steps in the right direction. However, each county school system is responsible for passing and posting its policies on naloxone. And so, none of us should take for granted that policies have been passed or are being enforced, and none of us should deter others from advocating for comprehensive policies or better access and staff training to administer naloxone. As one community member shared, “Having life-saving medication on hand in every school won’t encourage students to use drugs.” Naloxone is safe and effective, and it will take a village to encourage all schools to pass sound policies and train their staff to administer it. Stigma remains a big concern and challenge to implementing better policies. Due to community outreach efforts in places across the state, school staff are increasingly already trained to administer Narcan. If these staffers respond to an overdose on school grounds, even if it is against school policy, wouldn’t they be covered by good samaritan laws? And final food for thought: While some attendees agreed that county school systems should have local control over programs and policies, others challenged this idea, arguing that a state school naloxone policy would negate stigma and job loss concerns.
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IDEAS •
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Identify “champion schools” that have passed comprehensive strategies and are taking a proactive approach. Attendees cited Mingo County Schools' policy as a great example.
Resources and How to Get Involved •
An attendee at one of our community meetings questioned why high school students • aren’t trained in administering naloxone. After all, her child had been trained during a community event, and there are no federal recommendations for the age at which one can be trained. We mandate CPR training in • West Virginia high schools; why shouldn’t we make naloxone training available as an elective? So, Think Kids worked with students from WVU’s School of Public Health 521- Public Health Prevention and Intervention Course, instructed by Dr. Elizabeth Claydon on pilot• ing a curriculum. Check out this presentation that details the evaluation of this project and contact Dr. Seth Lilly if you have any questions or would like to learn more. If students are witnessing overdoses in school or participating in administering naloxone, schools should have wrap-around services • available to help cope with potential trauma.
STIGMA SHOULDN’T DETER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FROM PASSING POLICIES THAT CAN SAVE LIVES.
We’ve compiled school naloxone policies in this project’s service area: Boone, Clay, Fayetteville, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam Counties.
Read the 2017 bill that permitted the administering of naloxone in our public schools, SB 36: Permitting school nurses to possess and administer opioid antagonists. Read the law in state code, West Virginia Code: §18-5-22d. Providing for the maintenance and use of opioid antagonists; administration; notice; indemnity from liability; rules. Download the guide prepared jointly by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau for Behavioral Health (BBH), Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP), and the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), Naloxone Guide for School Nurses. The Drug Intervention Institute works to reduce opioid and drug-related deaths by preventing substance use through education, reducing overdose through training and distribution related to naloxone and other opioid reversal agents, and supporting harm reduction and other drug-response efforts. If you’d like to learn more about recent efforts to improve, expand, or implement naloxone policies in schools, contact them.
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YOUTH VAPING West Virginia has the highest percentage of youth vaping in the country, and they are increasingly vaping at school. Vaping can cause severe health consequences because the devices contain tobacco and other harmful substances. We should do more to curb youth vaping, especially in schools. Attendees saw vaping in school, primarily in bathrooms, as a potential way for students to unsuspectingly try harder drugs. A few attendees in different community meetings shared that their children have told them that drugs have been passed around via vaping pens in bathrooms on campus.
WEST VIRGINIA HAS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH VAPING IN THE COUNTRY.
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Because of this, some schools have installed vape detectors. In August 2023, Governor Jim Justice announced the West Virginia’s Clear Future: Don’t Let Vaping Cloud It initiative. The initiative does not have a website or online presence. Still, according to a press release, it will implement the CATCH My Breath vaping prevention curriculum. This evidence-based, peer-led program will begin in year one with West Virginia middle schools.
IDEAS Advocates should assess which county school systems are responding to the escalation of youth vaping and be transparent with parents about what they’re doing to address it.
Resources and How to Get Involved •
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We’ve compiled school vaping policies for this project’s service area: Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam Counties.
Learn more about Catch My Breath: Evidence-Based Vaping Prevention Program.
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Read the CDC’s Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults.
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Read the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ 2020 report, West Virginia Youth and Vaping: A Dangerous Combination.
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The West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention is the lead state agency for comprehensive tobacco prevention, cessation, and control. Contact them to learn more about what the state agency is doing to address youth vaping and about the implementation of the Catch My Breath program.
WE SHOULD DO MORE TO CURB YOUTH VAPING, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOLS.
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RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOLS We need to improve treatment and recovery options for the pediatric population. One way to do this is to start recovery high schools across the state, and we should actively promote them. The WVDHHR Office of Drug Control Policy’s Data Dashboard shows a surprising number of suspected overdoses and overdose fatalities of people ages 19 and younger. After viewing this data, attendees asked: What kind of services, referrals, or information are these adolescents and teens receiving before they are released from the ER? Where are these adolescents and teens now? In response to the high number of pediatric overdose data, the WVDHHR Office of Drug Control Policy released a Request for Applications (RFA) for an adolescent detox facility. No one applied. This indicates a larger problem: We have a high demand for services that no organization is willing to take on.
This is what led a few community stakeholders to get the wheels in motion for West Virginia’s first recovery high school. Recovery high schools are public, private, or charter schools with the primary purpose of educating and supporting students in recovery from substance use or co-occurring disorders. These schools are often accredited to meet state requirements for awarding a secondary school diploma. Students are placed on individualized treatment plans, and the makeup of each school — staffing, curriculum, etc. — differs from school to school. School administrators are advised to build programs to meet the needs of their students. Attendees who discussed this issue agreed; students would have to commit to full abstinence to participate in recovery high schools in West Virginia. Stakeholders would expect nothing less. Photo By Tijah Bumgarner
WV'S FIRST RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOL IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN A CHURCH IN ST. ALBANS.
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IDEAS •
As the year and project progressed, West Virginia’s first recovery high school was underway! Putnam Wellness Coalition, the Regional Family Resource Network, and the West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network worked collaboratively and found a partner, Kings River Church, to donate the space. This work was documented by both creative project members Amelia Knisely and Tijah Bumgarner and has opened in St. Albans on the Kanawha County side of town.
Resources and How to Get Involved •
Learn more about recovery high schools from the Association of Recovery Schools (ARS). ARS supports and inspires recovery high schools for optimum performance, empowering hope and access to every student in recovery.
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Read about Colorado’s only recovery high school in this NPR article: Recovery high schools help kids heal from an addiction and build a future.
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If you want to help get a recovery high school started in your community, contact Tina Ramirez, Director of the Great Rivers Systems for Addiction Care, and Susie Mullens, Project Coordinator with the WV Collegiate Recovery Network.
WE NEED TO IMPROVE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY OPTIONS FOR THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION. ONE WAY TO DO THIS IS TO START RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE.
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OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDING
OVER $1 BILLION IN OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDING IS COMING TO WEST VIRGINIA.
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With over $1 billion in opioid settlement funding coming to West Virginia, it’s imperative that a portion be allocated to youth prevention and treatment and to provide the social support needed to keep kids from affected families safe, healthy, and on the road to a thriving future. More than any other issue discussed during the duration of our community meetings was how West Virginia’s opioid settlement funding should be spent. We’ve compiled a list of ideas from every meeting. Many suggestions were made more than once.
IDEAS •
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Funding should be used for more drop-in centers throughout West Virginia. Drop-in centers are locations that provide a safe place for homeless or at-risk teens and young adults. They provide a location where homeless/at-risk teens and young adults can take care of their essential needs, such as temporary shelter from inclement weather, restroom facilities, bathing facilities, a place to launder their clothing, counseling services, and food. It would also be beneficial to incorporate a rapid rehousing program into these facilities. Funding should be used to hire more Peer Recovery Support Specialists (PRSS). A PRSS is a person who has at least two years of lived substance use history and is in recovery. They must be vetted and licensed to conduct peer support sessions. This is a billable service that organizations hire/train people to perform. The problem in West Virginia is that according to the WV State Code, for a person to provide youth PRSS services, the person providing the service must be considered a youth who is under the age of 18 years old, has a history of two years of lived substance use and been in recovery for 6 to 10 months to qualify to be trained and to perform youth PRSS services. Funding should be used to address the lack of transportation for youth and families to access health care, mentoring programs, and other community activities. We know that a lack of caring adults and quality programming in our more rural communities isolates children; we need to ensure they have transportation to participate in local services.
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Funding could support more community mapping projects and address the identified gaps in programs and services.
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Use funding to provide support for the faith-based community. They have led many efforts to address the needs of these children and families. They could use the funding to build a leadership structure that helps stakeholders articulate how funding is being, and should be, spent.
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The West Virginia First Foundation, the nonprofit formed to oversee the allocation of this funding, should create a formula that more evenly distributes funding throughout counties so smaller areas more impacted by the drug epidemic are assured to receive funding.
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Funding should be used to create more mobile crisis response services for underserved communities.
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Funding should be used to create more rehabilitation centers in underserved communities — not more in Huntington and Parkersburg, for example, but in counties like Clay and Boone, so people can stay close to their families.
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More rural communities are experiencing an increase in their homeless populations and have no services to assist them. Settlement funding could help address this challenge since it is a direct consequence of the drug epidemic.
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IDEAS •
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In several meetings, attendees discussed the expansion of the ICE Collaborative. It has been quite successful in engaging youth in Fayette County, and they have garnered additional grant funding to continue the project, which is led by the West Virginia Prevention Research Center and Fayette County Health Department. Seven percent of West Virginia’s children are being raised by their grandparents. Opioid settlement funding should help support them to raise their grandkids. The Healthy Grandfamilies program could be further expanded into more communities across the state. Funding could help support teens aging out of foster care. Funding could help address gaps in our mental health care system, such as for care for the incarcerated upon release from jail or prison, more counselors and social workers in schools.
SEVEN PERCENT OF WEST VIRGINIA’S CHILDREN ARE BEING RAISED BY THEIR GRANDPARENTS.
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Resources and How to Get Involved •
Sign up for the Community Education Group’s Opioid Remediation listserve. It is space for stakeholders across all 13 states of Appalachia to share updates regarding the management and distribution of opioid settlement money.
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Connect with Tricia Christensen, the Director of Policy at Community Education Group.
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Follow Aneri Pattani, Senior Correspondent with KFF Health News. She writes specifically about opioid settlement funding and welcomes ideas and feedback from people working in this space.
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At this time, the West Virginia First Foundation does not have an Executive Director or a website. Be sure to follow their work once it’s underway! There’s nothing more critical to the livelihood of West Virginia’s kids than ensuring those adversely affected by the opioid epidemic receive the support they need to live happy, healthy lives.
Thanks to those of you who joined us for these conversations. We appreciate your time, thoughts, and ideas.
AMELIA FERRELL KNISELY She joined Think Kids for this project as a creative contributor and wrote several pieces for our blog, interviewing a few inspiring people we met along the way who provide meaningful support to families in their communities. Empty backpacks and hurting families: A daycare director navigates child care in a substance abuse crisis. Amelia interviewed Micha Webb, owner of Zion Child Development Center, a child daycare center located on Charleston’s West Side. Most of the center’s 70 children come from families living in poverty – 85% of the daycare’s payments are from state funds for needy residents. Their families have needs beyond child care. AMELIA FERRELL KNISELY – INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
Amelia is an investigative reporter who has examined poverty and its ramifications in West Virginia for several publications, including the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and now with West Virginia Watch. She has written extensively about homelessness and poverty and previously served as editor of The Contributor, a nonprofit newspaper sold by people experiencing homelessness. Originally from West Virginia, Amelia started her journalism career as a freelance journalist in her hometown. She holds a B.A. from Shepherd University and a master’s degree from Marshall University.
– When a paramedic saw kids impacted by parental drug use, he started a summer camp to provide mental health support. “At Camp Appalachia, a kids’ camp in Putnam County, a twisting dirt road winds by the large swimming pool. On a very hot day in June, dozens of children splash around as camp counselors keep watch.” For this piece, Amelia interviewed Jared Davis, Camp Director at this “yearlong camp whose target camper is a child between the ages of 7 and 17 and is at a high risk for destructive life choices.”
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AMELIA FERRELL KNISELY
NEARLY HALF OF WEST VIRGINIA GRANDPARENTS RAISE THEIR GRANDKIDS, SPURRING FINANCIAL AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. Nearly half of West Virginia grandparents raise their grandkids, spurring financial and mental health needs. As one of the nation’s most elderly states, it’s now a common experience for nearly half of all West Virginians who are grandparents to raise their grandchildren, and it’s largely due to the state’s drug epidemic. For this piece, Amelia spoke with Sue Burton, who helps grandparents navigate things like school technology and support services in Lincoln County. “Most of the grandparents are on a fixed income,” she explained. “You’ve got one bed at home, then you’ve got three grandchildren to come into your home. Then you’ve got bedding to buy, food to buy.” In West Virginia’s mental health care desert, a health center focuses on providing help in schools. School-based health clinics, which serve kids impacted by West Virginia’s poverty and drug epidemic, are infusing kids’ mental health services into rural areas. 18
Amelia spoke with staff with Southern West Virginia Health System (SWVHS), which serves seven counties and now operates 12 schoolbased clinics in Boone, Lincoln and Logan counties. SWVHS health professionals respond to childhood medical needs, including some dental issues, along with the need for other sports, like food assistance and behavioral health support. In rural Clay County, opioid settlement money could fund children’s resources and substance abuse treatment. County leaders worry the money could pass them by. Amelia spoke with three community stakeholders in Clay County: Kelly Duffield, a school psychologist; Leslie Osburn, a high school counselor; and Angela Brown, a nurse practitioner with the health department. Opioid settlement funding could provide much-needed resources and opportunities for young and future generations living in their rural county — resources like a mobile crisis unit. But will this funding make its way to rural communities?
TIJAH BUMGARNER On My Path: Jostin’s Story The “On My Path: Jostin’s Story” series shares the story of Justin, a person in long-time recovery and employee with the WV Office of Drug Control Policy. He now works to help reduce overdoses, but like many of us, even as a clinician, he struggled. After a suicide attempt, he got help. And now, he’s not just a person struggling with addiction or in recovery. He’s Jostin — a Dad and husband.
TIJAH BUMGARNER – FILMMAKER AND PROFESSOR
Tijah Bumgarner is a filmmaker and professor who teaches narrative and documentary video production at Marshall University. She holds a BFA in film/video from the California Institute of the Arts and a master’s degree in Media Studies from West Virginia State University. In 2017, Bumgarner completed her first feature film, Meadow Bridge, a coming-of-age narrative set in rural West Virginia. Most recently, her film Picture Proof chronicles everyday moments in the life of one family in West Virginia as they rebuild, repair, and extend their life in the aftermath of substance use disorder. We were fortunate to have Tijah join us this year as a contributor for this project, creating short films about people in recovery and those working in West Virginia communities to support them.
On My Path with Fruits of Labor Fruits of Labor is more than a cafe; it’s a place that provides a holistic View on YouTube approach to nurturing those in recovery from substance use disorder. On a 218-acre farm in Fayette County, founder Tammy Jordan cultivates a space of learning and growing – especially for Casey and Jessica. Both women share their stories of recovery, hope, and finding their purpose at Fruits of Labor. Through cooking, baking, and harvesting, we see the strength they have to work toward their full potential. Recovery High School: West Virginia’s Story According to the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy, between 2021-2023, there have been 2,720 emergency room visits from kids 19 and under related to overdoses. This film details the first steps partners in St. Albans take to start West Virginia’s first recovery high school. Recovery high schools are public, private, or charter schools with the primary purpose of educating and supporting students in recovery from substance use or co-occurring disorders. With the state sorely lacking in detox and treatment facilities for the pediatric population, this video shows a community response and collaboration to the need for treatment and recovery options for its youth.
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TIJAH BUMGARNER On My Path: Betty’s Story In this series of videos, filmmaker Tijah Bumgarner interviews Betty H, a Recovery Coach at Logan County QRT. Betty is 28 months into her recovery journey. She visits residences where a nonfatal overdose has recently been reported to talk to individuals about naloxone, detox, treatment, and community resources to address social determinants of health. Since 2019, Logan County’s Quick Response Team (QRT) has been offering support to victims of recent drug overdoses. They are a collaboration among the Southwestern Regional Day Report Center, the Logan County Health Department, the Logan County Sheriff’s Department, and the Logan County Emergency
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Ambulance Service Authority. The Southwestern Regional Day Report Center hopes to work with Boone and Lincoln Counties to expand these services into their communities. On My Path: Taylor’s Story The “On My Path: Taylor’s Story” series is the story of Taylor, a View on YouTube 26-year-old in recovery from Charleston. She experienced a hard childhood and tried drugs at the age of 12, and that’s when she wound up in a juvenile detention center for three years. And it’s where she gave birth to her first child. She admitted that she needed help and surrendered her kids to state custody while she got help. Now, she’s a Mom with two children and has been in recovery for five years.
GET CONNECTED: STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES
We’re often asked by those interested in this project how to help children and adolescents in their lives who are affected by the drug epidemic. What’s the first step? What if my child’s friend is living in a home that seems unstable? What if I find out that my child is experimenting with drugs? What if my neighbors are in recovery and have their kids back; what can I do to be supportive? The resources below are great places to start and revisit. We’re amazed and appreciative at how some of these resources have grown over the past four years. And most are looking for volunteers.
STATE RESOURCES
Findhelp was built in 2010 to offer an easier way to find social services and to connect to them directly and electronically. Findhelp has since built the largest network of free and reducedcost programs in every ZIP Code across the United States — this includes federal, state, county, municipal, and local resources in the biggest cities and smallest towns.
Handle with Care is a program that facilitates a network of coordinators who work collaboratively with law enforcement and West Virginia public schools. If a law enforcement officer encounters a child during a call, that child’s name is forwarded to the school and delivered to the child’s teacher before the school bell rings the next day. It encourages schools to implement individual, class, and whole school trauma-sensitive curricula so that traumatized children are “Handled With Care.” To see if the program is running in your county, visit Handle with Care. Healthy Grandfamilies is a free initiative led by West Virginia State University to provide information and resources to grandparents raising one or more grandchildren. Designed as a series of nine discussion sessions and follow-up services, Healthy Grandfamilies is taught by volunteer professionals and paraprofessionals knowledgeable about each topic. Upon completing the program, participants receive a certificate of completion and three months of follow-up services with a social worker. RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN OF THE DRUG CRISIS 21
STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES The Help and Hope WV initiative was created by a collaborative team to prevent prescription misuse and reduce the stigma against people with substance use or mental health disorders. Prestera Center offers a family-centered, strength-based approach to services for children and adolescents experiencing behavioral, emotional, substance abuse or problems with addictions. Services include: case management, outpatient, intensive outpatient, school-based, intensive care coordination, in-home, addictions treatment, psychiatric services, and psychological evaluations. To The Moon And Back provides caregiver education and support to those families raising a child born substance-exposed. Email Cindy Chamberlin to get connected. WV 211 keeps an accurate and comprehensive database that you can use to find health and human services to meet your needs. Their database allows you to browse hundreds of health and human services online, learn about specific programs, intake requirements, eligibility, operation hours, and more. The database also has information on disasterrelated services. West Virginia 211 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The WV ACES Coalition includes over 400 different organizations and individuals working together to improve the health and well-being of all West Virginians by reducing the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and preventing their occurrence.
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The West Virginia CASA Association partners with counties in West Virginia to develop programs to create a network of these CASA volunteers. A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a volunteer that provides a voice for abused and neglected children who find themselves in the court system. The West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute aims to reduce deaths in West Virginia from opioid and drug abuse by being (a) an independent advocate for life-enhancing drug policies and practices, (b) a hub for coordinating drug response activities, and (c) an educational center to address the prevalence of drug abuse and the stigma of drug addiction. The West Virginia Foster Care Ombudsman is an independent, impartial, and confidential resource that advocates for the rights of foster children and foster/kinship parents, investigates and resolves complaints, and makes recommendations and proposals for systemic reform. If you have a concern, complaint, or suggestion regarding the foster care system, please contact Pamela M. Woodman-Kaehler, Foster Care Ombudsman, West Virginia Office of Inspector General at 304.558.1117 or email: FosterCareOmbudsman@wv.gov. WVPath is your go-to site to see if you qualify for SNAP, child care support, and health care assistance. There is a screening process for assistance that makes the process easy.
THESE RESOURCES CREATE BETTER AND HEALTHIER LIFESTYLES FOR CHILDREN.
STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES The West Virginia Prevention First Alliance is a network of organizations that promote substance use prevention, recovery, and education. Prevention is an integral part of the continuum of care and is a critical component of any thriving community. Prevention Lead Organizations are a part of the Prevention First Alliance and are located in six regions throughout the state. These leads have extensive training and experience related to prevention and coordinate efforts among county coalitions and other specialists. Contact the regional Prevention Lead Organization in your area to coordinate efforts. West Virginia SADD Chapters serve as agents of change in local schools and communities – creating healthier, happier lifestyles for students. You can find Chapters around the state. The West Virginia Statewide Afterschool Network is one of fifty afterschool networks across the country funded in part by the C.S. Mott Foundation. The WVSAN works to sustain a statewide partnership to raise awareness of:
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the importance and accessibility of high-quality afterschool and summer learning programs for all school-age children
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share criteria of effective programs and best practices among providers and the public, and
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promote the sustainability of such programs throughout the state.
WVU Extension envisions a West Virginia where all its people can reach their fullest potential. Browse recent annual reports to learn how the WVU Extension impacts the state’s 55 counties. Visit their website to learn more about the many programs and events happening in communities across the state. A Family Resource Network (FRN) is the primary coordinating and planning body for local services for children and families in West Virginia. Although the FRN does not provide direct services, they represent an important partnership between state government and local communities.
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STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES
COUNTY RESOURCES Boone County
Generations Saved is changing things across the board in this drug epidemic. They are an educational Primary Prevention project set out to slow the NAS rate while healing and rebuilding our community through the arts. Visit their Facebook page. Barn Community Center in Nellis has started its own nonprofit. Currently, they operate a food bank, clothes closet, and programming for kids.
Clay County
Clay County Health Department holds a monthly prevention meeting and invites local stakeholders to attend and share information about programs, events, and services. If interested in attending, contact Kari Osborne.
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Fayette County
Adventure: Fayette County provides around 900 Fayette County 4th and 5th grade students a hands-on introduction to experiences and opportunities in Fayette County. More than a field trip, it is the first step to a long-term evidence-based drug prevention initiative based on the successful Iceland Model. Active Southern WV is a collaboration of public and private partners to support this non-profit organization, focused on improving those statistics and assisting local communities in improving health, increasing activity, and becoming the model for active living. FMRS provides an array of children’s behavioral health, including: The RAPP Project, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), adolescent substance abuse services, children’s mobile crisis response services, children’s wraparound services, and school-based mental health. Call 888-811-1844.
STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES Kanawha County
The Fun Fitness Kids Club is a nonprofit organization formed in May 2018 in Charleston to help curb the adult and childhood obesity rate in West Virginia by providing fun fitness activities thus burning calories with exercise. Kanawha Communities That Care is committed to investing its expertise and resources to further achieve its cause. Since 2000, they’ve been supporting the Kanawha Valley community members in various ways and measuring success not by monetary size but by more qualitative measurements, such as the scale and effectiveness of their efforts. Legal Aid of West Virginia’s Lawyer in the School program works to stabilize the lives of children enrolled in participating schools by providing on-site family legal assistance on issues like eviction, poor housing conditions, disrupted economic support, and lack of secure legal custody for children not living with biological parents. The project currently operates in Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary School and is expanding through the county and into other schools across the state.
KEYS 4 HealthyKids focuses on creating environments that support healthy habits and behaviors. KEYS 4 HealthyKids has a mission to make the healthy choice, the easy choice. The YMCA of the Kanawha Valley’s mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. Their focus areas include youth development.
Lincoln County
Lincoln County Starting Points is located at the Board of Education in Hamlin and offers a variety of services that are not income-based.
Putnam County
Camp Appalachia works to enrich the lives of vulnerable youth in the areas of dynamic character and leadership development, spiritual growth, substance abuse prevention, and social and educational advancement. The Putnam County Wellness Coalition engages communities within Putnam County in ongoing efforts to eliminate substance abuse by creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment that informs, advocates, and supports youth and adults.
Photo By Amelia Ferrell Knisely RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN OF THE DRUG CRISIS 25
ABOUT THINK KIDS Our mission at Think Kids is “fostering ingenuity, inspiring change, and cultivating generations of healthy, happy kids.” We work to ensure that all of West Virginia’s kids grow up healthy, safe, and equipped with the needed tools to thrive as they develop. We connect parents, guardians, and care providers with resources and services to ensure kids are raised in healthy environments. We inform and promote changes to local policies, systems, and environments to foster healthy living and prevent health inequities. Kids are the most important investment we can make to change the trajectory of poor health outcomes in our state. We envision a day when all of West Virginia’s kids are safe, healthy, and aspire to do great things.
To learn more, check out our bi-monthly newsletter, our websiteat thinkkidswv.org, and our Facebook page.
Think Kids • PO Box 11590 • Charleston, WV 25339 Phone: 304.410.0499 Contact: Kelli Caseman at kelli@thinkkidswv.org
“Responding to the Needs of Children of the Drug" Crisis has been made possible in part by a grant from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.
