The Hope Scope

June 2023


Hope in Action Alliance (WV HIAA) connects community sectors across West Virginia through collaboration, communication, and facilitation of innovative initiatives in order to address mental health and substance use disorder and their effects in the state. Our coalition is here to support you and the work you do!

Awareness Month Resource Review: Fairness West Virginia

Alliance Announcements

Hope in Action is co-sponsoring the Bridges 2.0: Community Coalition Building Conference with the Marshall University Center of Excellence for Recovery. This conference is for community coalition leaders and will be held Monday, August 14, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV. The Alliance is excited to pay the lodging expenses for 30 participants through an application process in addition to providing lunches for all conference attendees. The Alliance will work with Marshall to provide ongoing support for community coalitions including follow-up webinars in the fall. Register and apply here!

 

The alliance is a paid sponsor for the Life, Hope & Recovery Block Party and Appalachian Save a Life Day. Our sponsorships will support the efforts of these statewide events and increase visibility of the alliance's mission.

 

The Communications Team developed an innovative podcast, Best of West, by professionals for professionals. Guests share their experiences working in SUD while raising awareness of the difficulties they face, sharing positive outcomes and stories of hope, and reviewing their roles at their agencies. The goal of Best of West is to ensure SUD professionals are heard and supported. Episodes will be available on all major platforms airing every other Wednesday. Set to launch July 12.

 

The Steering Committee is meeting on Tuesday, July 25 at Fairmont State University to review the charter and strategic plan. Thanks to Becky King for her facilitation services and the President's Office for providing the meeting space!

 

Please complete the Members' Feedback Survey by Friday, July 7. Your anonymous responses will help steer the Alliance as it further develops.

 

Next Monthly Members' Meeting: Wednesday, July 19 @ 10:00 AM 

Welcoming the New Members from June!

Brittnay Buchanan, Taylor Butts, Debra Gray, Kellie Gunnoe, Nycole Kothe, Lata Menon, Crystal Michael, Dara Pond, Taylor Staubs, Heather Windle, and Tasha Withrow

 

Do you know someone who would benefit from joining WV HIAA?

Ask them to complete the Member Contact Form.

Get to Know Our ED!

Mary Francisco Newlyn

College

I have a B.S. in political science from Shenandoah University and M.A. in human rights practice from University of Arizona.

Hometown

Winchester, VA but lived in Gerrardstown, WV for a few years.

Favorite town you've visited in WV

I probably shouldn't answer, but Shepherdstown has a special place in my heart. If I'm in need of a self-care day, you can find me eating at Maria's Taqueria and strolling along German Street.

Hobbies

I love travelling, attending concerts and sporting events, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Favorite sport

Volleyball, because I played for my middle and high school teams and was on a travel team. However, I prefer watching football and hockey.

Favorite movie

A three-way tie between St. Elmo's Fire, Stand by Me, and Dead Poets Society.

Nickname

My family calls me "Red," because I had red hair when I was little, but my friends call me "Mair."

Top 5 musicians on repeat

According to my Spotify "Liked Songs" playlist, Zach Bryan, The Used, Logic, Johny Cash, and Sam Cooke are my most-listened-to artists this month. I LOVE music and listen to most genres.

Favorite quote

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou

Your "why" for working in SUD

Like most folks, I have experienced loss due to SUD and fentanyl-laced substances. I witnessed much despair due to inaccessible mental health services, pain mismanagement, and health misinformation. In honor of their fight, I am committed to creating real change. Life gets tough, and we all have addictions or unhealthy coping techniques. It is a shared human experience, and as a society we need to support one another. There is hope, and it starts with us.

Meeting Notes 

Monthly Members' Meeting
Advancing Effective Policy
Increasing Public Understanding & Support
Strengthening Local Coalitions

Our Origin Story

Taylor Butts, Social Media Assistant

 

I had the immense pleasure of speaking with Bob Hansen, cofounder of WV Hope in Action Alliance, about where the Alliance started and the direction in which he hopes it will go. Hansen reports the Alliance came to fruition quickly, sparked by discussions between him and Dr. Cathy Slemp. The two would discuss how they might help West Virginia address prevention, treatment, and recovery as well as how they could help the state move forward in terms of solutions. Hansen also recognizes that Dr. Susan Bissett, President of the WV Drug Intervention Institute, provided valuable insight during these discussions as well. “The three of us wanted to be helpful and encouraging to all the initiatives throughout the state, but we also wanted to lend a voice towards quicker progress,” Hansen recalls.

 

No stranger to helping launch non-profits throughout his career, Hansen knew the beginnings of the Alliance would have its fair share of ups and downs. He acknowledges “carving out a solid mission and direction takes time” and they needed and still need as much input as possible. Hansen also credits support from Kim Tieman at the Benedum Foundation as being a key factor in receiving valuable input and resources necessary to work through things. Additionally, he feels the recent addition of Mary Newlyn as executive director is a step in the right direction. He also credits a strong steering committee as a necessary component in helping chart the future of WVHIAA.

 

In looking at the future, Hansen hopes that Hope in Action will become a voice for progress and reason. “The addiction epidemic is so complex and multi-layered. Success in the realms of prevention and recovery will mean so much for the state of West Virginia and its citizens.” Hansen states that he fears the state has become calloused to the fact that overdose deaths continue to affect many people every day. Not only does this motivate Hansen to continue working toward solutions daily, but he feels it should drive a strong sense of urgency in all West Virginians to help people with substance use disorder access quality care. He feels the Alliance has great potential to become a catalyst for meaningful change in the state.

Featured Member

Nicole Horton

 

Nicole Horton is a New Cumberland native but currently resides in Charleston, WV. She is the ODCP Regional Coordinator of Region 5. Horton has two Bachelor of Science degrees, criminal justice and psychology.

 

Horton moved to Charleston in 2018 to participate in the women’s treatment center at Recovery Point. In addition to learning life skills, she worked for a MAT outpatient program as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist for three years. Having sparked an interest in prevention, she began working with the ODCP and Prestera.

 

Horton recently celebrated five years in recovery and is dedicated to finding solutions to address mental health and substance use disorder. She is a strong believer in second chances and believes one small act of kindness can change a person's entire perspective on life. Horton recalls a story when she gave someone a tissue on the sidewalk. They began chatting and by the end of the conversation she was taking them to a detox center. Horton is passionate about working in the SUD field and believes the success stories make it worth it.

 

"I know the only reason I am here today is because others loved me until I learned to love myself. The greatest thank you I can offer is to be that person for those who are struggling." - Nicole Horton

Our Membership

Region 1: Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel

Region 2: Pendleton, Grant, Hardy, Mineral, Hampshire, Morgan, Jefferson, Berkeley

Region 3: Tyler, Pleasants, Wood, Ritchie, Jackson, Wirt, Roane, Calhoun

Region 4: Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Doddridge, Harrison, Taylor, Barbour, Tucker, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Randolph, Braxton

Region 5: Mason, Putnam, Kanawha, Clay, Cabell, Wayne, Mingo, Logan, Lincoln, Boone

Region 6: Webster, Pocahontas, Nicholas, Fayette, Greenbrier, Raleigh, Summers, Monroe, Wyoming, Mercer, McDowell

Policy in the Press

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used for treating severe pain and is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm, overdose and death in the United States are linked to illicitly made fentanyl. Often, fentanyl is combined with other drugs to increase its euphoric effects. The risk of overdose exists when ANY fentanyl is present, given its potency and lethality, but risk is especially high among persons without tolerance and or persons not expecting fentanyl in their substance of choice (i.e., cannabis, cocaine, heroin, or pressed pills). Fentanyl Test Strips (FTS) can be used to determine if drugs have been mixed or cut with fentanyl, providing people with important information about fentanyl in the illicit drug supply so they can take steps to reduce their risk of overdose.

 

Educate in Eight

  1. Using FTS has been shown to impact drug use behavior, with 43% reporting a change in safer drug use based on the results of using the FTS as well as shifting perceptions of overdose safety.

    2. Persons who use FTS are more likely to have recently witnessed someone else overdose making this an important tool to offer for overdose risk reduction.

    3. The use of FTS has prompted change in overdose risk behaviors. 42% report using more slowly and 39% report use with someone else present if confirming the presence of fentanyl with FTS.

    4. In April 2021, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

    announced that federal funding may now be used to purchase rapid FTS in an

    effort to help curb the dramatic spike in drug overdose deaths largely driven by

    the use of strong synthetic opioids, including illicitly manufactured fentanyl.

    5. FTS are about $1 per strip and work best when paired with other harm reduction and overdose prevention strategies.

    6. WV House Bill 4373, which became effective on June 10, 2022, specifically

    excludes FTS from the definition of “drug paraphernalia.”

    7. WV House Bill 4373 adds to the West Virginia’s Uniform Controlled Substances Act that possession, sale, or purchase of FTS is not prohibited by West Virginia law.
    8. Starting June 10, 2022, WV Bureau for Behavioral Health grantees may

    purchase FTS with funds from State Opioid Response Grants or other federally

    funded grants.

 

Contributed by Anita Stewart

What's Happening in July?

 

WV Student Success Summit will be at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center 7/12-13.

 

Loving Our Community will be in Jefferson County 7/12. Community organizations can volunteer and promote their services. Organized by the Berkeley-Jefferson CORE.

 

CADCA's Mid-Year Conference is in Dallas, TX 7/16-20.

 

Lincoln County Community Outreach Program and Marshall University's Nutrition Education Program are offering a free six-week class for people in recovery starting 7/17.

 

Morgan County Partnership is offering a free Mental Health First Aid training 7/21 at Blue Ridge Technical Center from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM.

 

WVAAP is hosting a webinar "Behavioral Health Clinical Supervision: An Overview of Functions, Processes and Models" with Dr. Bill Webb 7/21.

Caring Corner

 

 

 

It is summertime, and the heat will continue to climb! Unpredictable workdays make it is easy to forget to take care of ourselves. How many times have you skipped lunch or forgotten to drink enough water? Schedule reminders to take breaks and invest in a fun water bottle.

Let's Get Social!

Do you want us to promote your upcoming events? We promise to be your greatest hype team. Send your flyers our way! *Email info@wvhiaa.org with "Announcements" as the subject.

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