The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Office of Drug Control Policy has awarded $140,000 to the West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences, Inc. (WVARR) to support recovery residences across West Virginia.
Recovery housing provides safe, healthy, and substance-free living environments that support individuals in recovery from substance use disorder. WVARR will establish the first statewide recovery community organization to ensure that national recovery residence standards are consistent across the state and will serve all recovery residences throughout West Virginia with advocacy, training, start-up assistance, compliance issues, accreditation offerings and data collection.
“Recovery residences are a vital component of Governor Jim Justice’s plan to combat substance use, which underscores the need for continued expansion of recovery supports,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. “With this funding, WVARR will strengthen long-term recovery support and provide quality resources to facilitate success for residents on the path to recovery.”
WVARR will develop and operate a system aligned with standards and objectives set by the National Association of Recovery Residences to provide accreditation for West Virginia recovery residences. This system will incorporate a reporting requirement that aids in the gathering of data on recovery residences to inform future programming and best practices in West Virginia.
“With the continued support of our state and community partners, this project will maximize the potential for supportive living environments within recovery housing throughout West Virginia,” said Matt Boggs, Executive Director of Recovery Point and founding member of WVARR.