BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — West Virginia Wesleyan College is now the only institution in the state offering master’s degree and post-master’s degree opportunities in addiction treatment and care.
The program was established with a $246,125 grant award from the West Virginia First Foundation Momentum Initiative under the Behavioral Health & Workforce Development target area.
Jonathan Dower, a person in long-term recovery and also serving as the chief executive officer at West Virginia Sober Living, coordinates the WVWC effort and brings many years of experience, education, and training to the program. Dower holds a Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from WVU, is a certified clinical supervisor, and also serves as the Region 4 representative to the West Virginia First Foundation.
“Every waking moment in some shape or form my life is revolving around better understanding addiction. How do we treat addiction? How do we reduce the impact on our communities? How do we get these individuals back into the workforce and living productive lives?”
Over the last ten years Dower has served in a variety of roles and accumulated many different certifications in the recovery continuum of care. Dower also was elected to represent Region 4 of the West Virginia First Foundation, the organization designated to distribute opioid settlement money.
“I was adjunct at West Virginia University for several years and got stolen away to West Virginia Wesleyan College to become their coordinator of their post-masters certificate program,” Dower said.
Senate Bill 897, sponsored by Brian Helton, R-Fayette, 9, requires professional licensure or certification for those who want to practice alcohol and drug counseling in West Virginia. The bill sets the stage for programs like the one at WVWC and the possibility of a stable career for those who complete the program.
“It’s a mechanism to show base-level knowledge and skillset, as well as contracting with insurance companies so it can be a long-term career,” Dower said.
Dower said there are many great counselors and addiction professionals in the state already, and this will help increase the number and improve the available training. Raising the standards for training and education, Dower believes, will give those suffering from substance abuse disorder access to highly trained professionals.
“A master’s program in addiction and a post-master’s program,” Dower said. “To make sure they are getting the skills necessary to make sure people experiencing substance abuse disorder have the most up-to-date interventions at their disposal.”
Efforts are underway to engage with counties, cities, and municipalities in the Region 4 area to provide matching money to create opportunities for local care providers to get additional training and certifications. The providers who are already familiar with their communities can gain more knowledge and experience to enhance their skills.
“Approach the counties inside Region 4 and talk to the cities and county commissions to match some of those funds,” Dower said. “To put up some scholarships so they are getting the staff to stay in their communities to treat the conditions of the people in their populations.”