September is National Recovery Month

PARKERSBURG - What began 11 years ago as a dream to help women pull themselves away from a life of substance abuse has become a successful residential treatment program that has seen many of its clients return to healthy, productive lives.

"To me, if we save one person, if we help one person in this program it was worth all the money, all our efforts, energy and heartaches, and we've had many such stories. We are very proud of this program and what it stands for, it's been a lot of hard work, but it's all been worth it," said Karen Schimmel, substance abuse outpatient director at Westbrook Health Services.

"Westbrook Health Services Genesis Program is nine to 12 months in duration. Women in the program are addicted to drugs or alcohol. They may have tried various other treatment options from outpatient to intensive services that have not met their needs, so they seek residential treatment. A lot of them may have been involved with the Department of Human Services, Child Protective Services, or referred from the local Drug Court. Their children may have been removed, families have been destroyed, some are pregnant, others have their children with them when they enter. We are here to help reunite families and teach the skills the women need to return to life as a productive member of society including followup and outreach after they leave here," Schimmel said.

September has been designated National Recovery Month.

"We help the women with referrals, provide case management, assist them in getting treatment, benefits, housing, food, helping them to reunite with their families and help them rejoin their community," Schimmel said.

Twenty-four hour supervision is not provided, the women must be able to live independently, officials said, but there is staff available around the clock if needed.

Melissa Nelson, women's services program director, said the women in the program are 18 and up.

"The average stay in the program is between six to nine months, but some stay up to a year, depending on their circumstances. We have three different residential homes in this area. The program serves the entire state. We do an assessment of their needs. They participate in treatment groups like Narcotics and or Alcoholics Anonymous. The first few weeks there is an intensive outpatient treatment program, after that they may return to work or school," Nelson said. "I'd say about 85 percent of the women in the program are addicted to painkillers, and we have seen an increase in those numbers."

"Prescription drugs are the No. 1 rise in West Virginia in substance abuse," Schimmel noted.

"The women accepted into the program can't be at risk for significant withdrawal. We don't have detoxification services, usually they are at least 30 days sober. They just need to be medically stabilized. Some of the women have skill needs, some may have been using other drugs. Some developed their addiction to pain medication they were taking, there are various routes. And addiction knows no socioeconomic boundaries," Schimmel said.

"We've had a lot of the women who have gone through the program that have stayed clean, some who relapsed came back into treatment. On average there are between 15 to 20 women a year who go through the program. We do need additional facilities," Schimmel said.

"In the second phase of the program, the women are required to work or go to school. If they are disabled and unable to do that, they must volunteer, or do something. If child care is needed, we contract for those services," Nelson said.

The Genesis Women's Program is funded, in part, from the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Block Grant provided through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. The women in the program also pay a fee for services which helps subsidize the program.