Substance Use Disorder Services

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West Virginia Community Health Centers have long been at the forefront of providing high-quality, cost-effective care to underserved rural and urban communities across the state.

Community Health Centers are leaders in integrating medical care, behavioral health, dental care, pharmacy, and other services all under one roof.

As communities across West Virginia cope with a dramatic increase in the prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid addiction, CHCs are meeting this challenge by providing much-needed SUD services to their patients.

As community-based providers, Health Centers are always ready to respond to the changing needs of their communities. This is more important than ever as the incidence of SUD has been on the rise for nearly two decades, with the age-adjusted death rate for drug overdoses more than tripling since 2000. (CDC)

Community Health Centers in the state are expanding access to behavioral health services, substance use disorder treatment services, which include Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT), and group therapy. There are currently 262 behavioral health service locations throughout the state. Of these, 57 sites offer MAT services.

For more information, please contact John Kennedy, Director of School-Based/Behavioral Health Services at john.kennedy@wvpca.org or 304-320-5780.

Resources

For CHC Providers

  • Prevention Collaboration in Action

    Effective prevention requires the involvement of multiple players, working together to address complex problems. This toolkit showcases some of the exciting ways SAMHSA's prevention grantees are collaborating across communities and behavioral health fields to prevent substance use and misuse and promote overall health and wellness in their communities.

    Read the stories and discover the factors that contributed to collaboration success. Then explore the toolkit’s 30+ tools and worksheets, designed to help you initiate, strengthen, and maintain collaborative relationships in your own community.

  • CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain—United States, 2022

    This guideline provides recommendations for primary care clinicians who are prescribing opioids for pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

  • This link will take you to a comprehensive listing of resources for treatment of mental illness and substance use disorder, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Veterans Crisis Line, and the SAMHSA National Helpline. This website can help you find a patient a treatment program closest to their home by zip code and needed specialty.

    Learn about SAMHSA’s efforts to prevent and reduce the impact of mental illness and substance use in America’s communities.

  • Opioid analgesics rank high among drugs most frequently associated with adverse drug events. They require judicious prescribing, safe administration, and vigilant monitoring of the patient. This link will take you to HRSA sponsored resources to familiarize you with the risks inherent in the medical management of pain. All resources are provided for free by ECRI Institute on behalf of HRSA.  If you do not currently have access and would like to set up an account, just email them clientservices@ecri.org or call (610) 825-6000. 

  • The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions (CIHS) promotes the development of integrated primary and behavioral health services to better address the needs of individuals with mental health and substance use conditions, whether seen in specialty behavioral health or primary care provider settings.

  • HELP4WV offers a 24/7 call, chat, and text line that provides immediate help for any West Virginian struggling with an addiction or mental health issue.

    Many of those answering our accredited helpline are peer-support specialists or recovery coaches. This means that they have personal experience in recovery from a mental health or substance abuse issue.

    The helpline staff offer confidential support and resource referrals, including self-help groups, outpatient counseling, medication-assisted treatment, psychiatric care, emergency care, and residential treatment.

    The helpline provides assistance for those who need help themselves and guidance for those seeking help for loved ones. It is also an ideal way for social workers, nurses, and others involved in discharge or care planning to access a comprehensive list of state resources.

For Patients

  • Prevention Collaboration in Action

    Effective prevention requires the involvement of multiple players, working together to address complex problems. This toolkit showcases some of the exciting ways SAMHSA's prevention grantees are collaborating across communities and behavioral health fields to prevent substance use and misuse and promote overall health and wellness in their communities.

    Read the stories and discover the factors that contributed to collaboration success. Then explore the toolkit’s 30+ tools and worksheets, designed to help you initiate, strengthen, and maintain collaborative relationships in your own community.

  • This link will take you to a comprehensive listing of resources for treatment of mental illness and substance use disorder, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Veterans Crisis Line, and the SAMHSA National Helpline. This website can help you find a treatment center near you.

  • HELP4WV offers a 24/7 call, chat, and text line that provides immediate help for any West Virginian struggling with an addiction or mental health issue.
    Call (844) HELP4WV
    Text (844) 435-7498