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Morrisey hears drug recovery concerns in Parkersburg

Tim Craft, left, founder of both Brandi’s Legacy in Marietta and High on Hope Ministries in Parkersburg, sits with West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey during a panel discussion Thursday night to figure out goals and plans to even out care provided for those in recovery. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)

PARKERSBURG — Community members from both Ohio and West Virginia met Thursday at High on Hopes Ministry in Parkersburg with West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey to figure out goals and plans to even out care provided for those in recovery.

“I have come here today to listen to you and get your take, because we don’t want another generation to fall from a senseless death,” said Morrisey.

“In Ohio, Medicaid covers 105 days in a recovery facility, where West Virginia only covers 28 days,” said Tim Craft, founder of both Brandi’s Legacy, a three to six month holistic faith based substance abuse treatment center for women in Marietta, and High on Hope Ministries in Parkersburg.

Craft helps find recovery centers with open beds for people in need.

“Just the other day I had a woman in need, who was ready for recovery and reaching out for help contact me,” said Craft. “I found her a bed in another state, but it takes a month for Medicaid to switch over.”

Craft has been fighting for many years in hopes that the Legislature would intervene and allocate more time for those in recovery to be able to get help.

“I couldn’t imagine at 28 days telling them ‘bye you are no longer funded to be here,'” said Craft.

Some pastors at the event, after hearing this issue, wanted to know how much it would cost per day for someone to go through recovery, and if setting aside a sponsorship fund would be something they could do in the future to help more people receive more time for their necessary care.

“Twenty-eight days wouldn’t even have gotten me started,” said Tyson, a member of the New Hopes recovery program in Ohio.

Other brothers in recovery agreed with Tyson, pointing out that “28 days is not enough to create a new habit” and that “At first it’s hard to see your progress when you feel like crap.”

It was pointed out that for some 28 days might be adequate, for others 105 days may not be enough, but 105 days brings about a better chance of former addicts staying clean.

“As we are moving away from COVID and getting back to facing other challenges within West Virginia, I am glad to have the chance to talk to this region and community about what steps are being taken and concerns that still need addressed,” said Morrisey.

Morrisey said that he agrees with Craft and that “beating this opioid epidemic and the drug crisis has got to be one of the top priorities on all of our lists.”

Wood County and Washington County have both reported seeing an increase in overdoses from years past, which many blame isolation and hard times brought on by the pandemic.

Morrisey said the state is preparing a plan on how to use the money West Virginia will receive from the Perdu Pharma Settlement, pointing out that if a good plan is not set in place, those funds could run out and the state still be in the same mess.

Throughout the panel meeting, the main issue that kept being reiterated was that the state shares borders, and in order to be successful, residents in border regions shouldn’t be pushed to other states instead of easy reliable care at home.

Morrisey said he is co-chair of a national task force made up with representatives from other east coast states, that is working on a model recovery plan to be distributed nationally.

“This is not a West Virginia or Ohio problem, it is a national issues and it will take hard work, conversation and dedication to solve,” Craft said previously.

As a reminder Saturday is Drug Take Back Day. There are 14 locations between Wood and Washington counties alone, and a number in surrounding counties as well, offering the service from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check online for a list of places.

Madeline Scarborough can be reached at mscarborough@newsandsentinel.com

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