The Potomac Highlands Guild (PHG) is one of thirteen comprehensive behavioral health providers in the state of West Virginia. As one of the six designated Prevention Lead Organizations (PLOs) within West Virginia, we provide prevention services to Region 2 which includes Hampshire, Hardy, Grant, Pendleton, Mineral, Morgan, Jefferson, and Berkeley counties.
Currently our prevention services are funded by the SABG Block Grant, WVPFS, WVSOR, WVSPF-Rx, and our Regional Youth Service Center (RYSC). We provide a comprehensive data-driven approach to implementing our evidenced-based policies, programs, and practices. Our prevention work encompasses experience and partnerships with stakeholders from the grassroots to the national level.
Guided by SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), we conduct community needs and readiness assessments to identify local conditions, build capacity within our resources, adapt planning to deliver proper implementation of environmental strategies, evidence-based programs, and practices and evaluate outcomes for sustainability while ensuring cultural competency.
With multiple successful coalitions working together, ample opportunity is available for sector representation and community outreach. National Rx Take Back Day, Sticker Shock, health and wellness fairs, and community family events are just some of the activities provided on the coalition level. Several coalitions have attended CADCA Leadership Forum, completed the CADCA Academy and are currently enrolled in CADCA Graduate Academy.
Public awareness efforts include participation in SAMHSA’s Talk, They Hear You campaign and others focusing on mental health, stigma reduction, and wellness promotion. These messages are shared in both English and Spanish language through radio and digital mediums. From October 2020 to March 2021, our digital campaigns made more than 3 million impressions.
Each county has multiple MedReturn drop boxes, Deterra disposal system distribution and sharps container distribution. We have been able to provide fentanyl-resistant gloves to law enforcement and first responders, along with health, literacy, and naloxone trainings.
We are able to provide evidence-based programming on the universal, selective, and indicated levels. Too Good for Drugs, Second Step, Positive Action, and LifeSkills are available to our schools and community groups for different grade levels and ages. CATCH my Breath is available as a vaping prevention program. Strengthening Families, Healthy Grandfamilies, and Smart Recovery programs are available through our Regional Youth Service Center. The RYSC program also provides family coordinators and the Youth Suicide Intervention Specialist.
Youth engagement is a priority and will expand with future initiatives such as WVSADD and Youth MOVE. Current youth activities include community revitalization projects and drug refusal technique video collaborations.
Working alongside the other PLOs, we promote statewide initiatives including Help&HopeWV, StigmaFreeWV, Help304, and Prevention First. As our program grows we will be able to foster stronger partnerships, build workforce capacity, strengthen and expand prevention services, and provide future opportunities for policy change. We will continue to provide the best possible services and resources to our evolving communities and work to empower individuals to effect change for a promising future.