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MORGANTOWN - The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommends a ratio of one provider for every 10 individuals facing substance use disorder.
That's the best-case scenario.
In West Virginia, the current ratio is one provider for every 796 individuals needing addiction support and treatment.
Given Monongalia County's standing as a primary economic engine for the state, coupled with its robust resources in both healthcare and education, it would be reasonable to assume the situation isn't quite as dire locally.
That assumption would be incorrect.
In Monongalia County, there are an estimated 8,877 residents impacted by substance abuse and a total of 18 active addiction counselors. That's one counselor for every 960 individuals living with substance abuse disorder.
These numbers were recently provided to the Monongalia County Commission along with a request that the county consider financial support for workforce development scholarships through West Virginia Wesleyan College, which launched the state's first Certificate in Addiction Counseling program in 2025.
"Addiction, obviously, based on your jail bill issue, as well as the amount of money that you give out year after year to nonprofits in this community, is definitely the biggest social issue of our time," Jon Dower told members of the commission. "West Virginia Wesleyan is the only program in the state of West Virginia that has master's degree programming and post-master's degree programming that focuses on training the workforce that actually meets your needs."
Among the titles accumulated over more than a decade in addiction services, Dower serves as the Certificate of Addiction Counseling program coordinator for WVWC as well as the Region 4 representative on the West Virginia First Foundation, the board responsible for distributing hundreds of millions in opioid settlement funds statewide.
In January, WVWC announced it had received $246,125 as part of a $1.2 million Momentum Initiative Grant through the West Virginia First Foundation to support individuals looking to utilize the newly created certificate program to provide counseling within the foundation’s Region 4, which includes Barbour, Braxton, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker and Upshur counties.
Similarly, Dower said, counties and municipalities can support those efforts through use of their directly allocated opioid settlement dollars to provide scholarships for individuals who will practice in their specific jurisdictions.
The city of Buckhannon was the first to get on board, committing $50,000 annually for two years in support of up to 10 scholarships each year.
Dower said the number of addiction counselors actively working in Monongalia County is probably closer to 13.
"I know 11 of them personally. Of the 11, six of them work in private practice, which means they likely don't meet the constituents you need them to meet with. They're not accepting Medicaid. They're in private practice. Most of the individuals experiencing substance use are going to be on Medicaid in West Virginia," he said. "So, in essence, you probably have six or seven of us that actually treat the population that is ending up on your jail bill, unfortunately."
What does that mean for the county?
"That means higher return-to-use rates. That means more people experiencing addiction. That means more recidivism, so more individuals that you guys are paying for on a daily basis to go to jail and stay in jail rather than be meaningful, productive members of society," he said.
It was noted during the meeting that the commission has temporarily suspended the grant program through which it distributes directly allocated opioid settlement dollars. That was done as an "if needed" precaution after learning the county was facing a $1 million budget shortfall on its bill to house individuals in the North Central Regional Jail.
Under the state's guidelines, up to half a county's directly allocated opioid funds can be used to cover jail costs. Thus far, Monongalia County has not used any of the funds for that purpose.
The commission's use of opioid settlement funds has been a talking point of late - specifically the body's decision to commit up to $180,000 in settlement dollars over three years for the placement of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras.
Members of the commission indicated Wednesday that they believe funding for the workforce development scholarships is an idea worth considering.
"These programs are very important to us, and these opportunities ... We are looking for where we can get the most bang for the buck," Commissioner Sean Sikora said. "I won't presuppose an application, but I think we'd be very supportive. It doesn't matter that it's coming from Wesleyan or Fairmont State or wherever. It's a novel idea that nobody else has put forward."