CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The first in a series of four virtual town hall meetings gets underway this Tuesday regarding West Virginia’s 2024 Substance Use Response Plan.
The state Department of Health and Human Resources’ Office of Drug Control Policy plans to host the meetings. The other three will be held this Wednesday, Aug. 16, next Wednesday, Aug. 23 and Thursday Aug. 31. Each event will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Rachel Thaxton, interim director of the DHHR’s Office of Drug Control Policy, said the goal is to gain feedback from people in the community about what’s working and what needs to be improved in the fight against drug abuse.
“We need to know what we’re missing from a boots on the ground perspective. We need the whole picture, and this is an opportunity for anyone who has a unique perspective from either providing drug services or just working with people one-on-one day-to-day to join in this process with us to identify gaps and barriers and strengths and opportunities,” she said.
Thaxton said they also want to hear from people in recovery from a substance use disorder as they highlight progress on their 2023 plan.
“We want people with lived experience whether they’re in recovery or not to tell us and vet these ideas and say, ‘Is something that would’ve worked for you?’ Could it work for you now? And if not, what would work?” she said.
One of the biggest challenges drug users face in West Virginia is not having adequate transportation to seek treatment and recovery services, Thaxton said.
“I think we all know that transportation is an issue in West Virginia just because of our diverse landscape where we have population hubs in various rural areas. It’s been difficult to get a handle on that,” she said.
Thaxton said the agency earlier this year launched a campaign to improve transportation which targeted people in long-term recovery who offered to provide rides to others who needed resources.
The DHHR’s first plan included data from 2020-2023. There will be a shift to a yearly plan beginning with this new plan in 2024, Thaxton said, allowing the state to narrow their focus and reassess their overall goals more often.
“The hope was that our narrow focus will allow us to achieve outcomes faster. As we meet those goals, we’re able to add new goals and continue to work throughout the year,” she said.
Each town hall meeting will offer breakout sessions for all eight sections of the 2024 plan. Participants will select the session they wish to attend when they pre-register.
To register for the meetings, visit helpandhopewv.org/odcp
Residents who are unable to attend the town hall meetings may submit feedback electronically by Sept. 15.