In 2017, West Virginia developed an Opioid Response Plan that addresses key topics from prevention to treatment and recovery. Because of recommendations in the plan, West Virginia Legislators passed House Bill 2620, the West Virginia Drug Control Policy Act, creating the Office of Drug Control Policy within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources to improve drug overdose surveillance and help strengthen the response. The policy enacted the creation of a central repository that will store drug overdose information, making drug overdoses a notifiable condition and placing limits on opioid prescribing. This proposal will build upon West Virginia’s efforts to access complete and timely data while providing support to state and community professionals to inform the scope of the epidemic and assist in targeting prevention and response efforts. Click here to view the Strategic Plan. To learn more about the Office of Drug Control Policy's duties, click here.
Meet the Executive Director
Robert “Bob” Hansen, Executive
Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy for the West Virginia Department
of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), plans and directs West Virginia’s efforts
in combating the opioid epidemic. He was appointed to this position in December
2018 by Governor Jim Justice. Bob also serves as the Director of Addiction
Services for Marshall Health.
Early
in his career, Bob served as Director of DHHR’s Office of Behavioral Health
Services. He then became President and CEO of Prestera Center for Mental Health
Services, Inc. of Huntington, West Virginia.
Bob
has served as a governing board member of Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital and
President of the Behavioral Health Care Providers Association of West Virginia.
He earned a B.A. from Marietta College, and an M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling
from Syracuse University.
WV Department of Health and Human Resources
Office of Drug Control Policy
One Davis Square, Suite 100 East
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: (304) 558-0684