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Westbrook among West Virginia Freedom First grant recipients

(Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

CHARLESTON — Westbrook Health Services in Parkersburg was awarded two of 76 grants announced Tuesday from the West Virginia First Foundation.

The WVFF named the recipients of the Momentum Initiative Grant (MIG), which is nearly $18 million, to support high-impact initiatives addressing substance use disorder, prevention, recovery, and workforce and system capacity across West Virginia, according to a press release issued Tuesday.

WVFF Grant Awards

Approved by the WVFF Board of Directors earlier this month, MIG represents a landmark opioid abatement investment and reflects a revolutionary, nationally distinctive model for stewarding settlement dollars, one that combines objective evaluation and local expertise. Funding was awarded to 76 projects spanning statewide and regional target areas, reflecting both community-driven priorities and statewide needs.

Wood County is a part of District 3 within the WVFF which also includes Tyler, Pleasants, Ritchie, Wirt, Calhoun, Roane and Jackson counties.

Westbrook Health Services received a $125,000 grant focusing on Youth Prevention through the Westbrook Health Services Thrive Together Project and a $250,000 grant focused on the Westbrook Health Services Workforce Development Project to help with Behavioral Health & Workforce Development.

Other recipients in Region 3 include: $224,000 to Hope House Ministries Inc. for Recovery Housing; $58,329 to TEAM for West Virginia Children Inc. for Youth Prevention; and $113,554 to The Bomar Club Inc. for its On the Road to Success: Expanded Wraparound and Reentry Services as part of its Day Report Centers & Reentry Programs.

There were four statewide awards given to help with foster care and non-parental caregivers. Those awards include: $954,469.45 to the National Youth Advocate Program Inc. for the Foster RISE (Recruitment, Intervention, Support and Expansion) program; $974,751 to Pressley Ridge for the Pressley Ridge Treatment Kinship Care Statewide Services program; $975,000 to the West Virginia CASA Association Inc. for its Continuum of Care for Children & Families Impacted by the Opioid Crisis program; and $947,916 to West Virginia Wesleyan College for its WVWC & WV CASA Capacity Building Initiative program.

MIG investments will support a broad range of efforts, including foster care and non-parental caregiver initiatives, youth prevention, recovery housing, behavioral health and workforce development, and reentry and diversion programs, the press release said. Collectively, these investments are designed to strengthen systems of care, expand access to services, and promote long-term, sustainable impact for West Virginians, the release added.

“We were intentional in building a structure that reflects both feedback and best practices,” said Greg Duckworth, WVFF Board Chairman. “What emerged is a landmark opioid abatement model, distinct from any other foundation of its kind, made possible by volunteer board members and expert panelists dedicated to serving West Virginia.” To support consistency and objectivity, the WVFF review process followed a structured, multi-step approach, the press release stated. This first-of-its-kind model engaged local expert panelists, statewide leaders in their fields, neutral and objective data-driven specialists, and the full Board of Directors (both locally-elected and appointed). Independent, outcomes-based scoring was conducted and focused on program design, feasibility, and potential impact, the release said.

“The Momentum Initiative Grant reflects a new way of responding to the substance use crisis; one grounded in evidence, shaped by local expertise, and guided by accountability,” said Jonathan Board, WVFF Executive Director. “We traveled the state, listened to those holding the line in their communities, and answered the call to honor the lives lost by putting these resources into the hands of those ready to create real, lasting impact for West Virginia.”

For more information about the Momentum Initiative Grant, visit wvfirst.org/MIG.

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