CHARLESTON, W.Va. – More West Virginians died as a result of substance abuse in 2013 than auto accidents. That doesn’t come as a surprise to Jim Wilkerson. He’s the development director of the T Center. Once it’s built, it will be the first of its kind residential facility for the treatment of substance abuse in West Virginia.
The developers kicked off a $10 million capital campaign on Thursday during a ceremony in Charleston.
Wilkerson, who struggled with substance abuse earlier in life, stressed the T Center will be unique.
“In my own personal situation, I ended up having to travel out of state. There are no facilities like this in the state,” he stressed.
Wilkerson said the West Virginia does have a lot of good substance abuse programs but they don’t offer long-term treatment.
“A lot of programs, they take a patient in and they work with them to detox them. Often times they’re released without the right support for a successful recovery,” explained Wilkerson.
The plan for the T Center is to offer long-term treatment, anywhere from 14 days to three months, however long it takes to make sure those with alcohol and drug problems have the skills to cope with their addiction once they walk back out into the real world.
That will include help for loved ones.
“Patients have the ability to include and involve their family in their recovery,” he stressed.
There will be individual counseling for family members as well as group sessions with the patient.
The T Center will be located somewhere in the Charleston area. The developers are looking a several different pieces of property that will provide “a serene setting” for treatment. They hope to raise the funds and complete construction in late 2016.
Wilkerson admits treatment doesn’t come cheap but the goal is try to make the T Center as affordable as possible.