CHARLESTON — Potomac Highlands Guild will receive $500,000 to expand access to mental health and addiction recovery services in eight eastern West Virginia counties through a state-supported rural health initiative.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the award through the Rural Health Transformation Program, which will fund technology intended to improve patient monitoring, strengthen recovery support and reduce administrative demands on health care workers.
The project will serve Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton counties. Planned technology includes wearable monitoring devices, mobile applications and artificial intelligence tools to help providers recognize when patients may need additional assistance.
The initiative is designed to help care teams identify potential concerns before they escalate, maintain contact with patients between appointments and support individuals throughout treatment and recovery. Reducing paperwork and other administrative responsibilities is also a goal, allowing providers to devote more time to patient care.
“Getting more West Virginians healthy and back into the workforce starts with making sure people have access to the care and support they need,” Morrisey said in announcing the funding.
He said the investment would help behavioral health providers support people facing addiction and mental health challenges as they work toward recovery.
Potomac Highlands Guild has served communities in the region for more than four decades, according to Dr. Arvin Singh, secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health.
Singh said the funding would give local providers additional resources to connect with patients sooner, address staff burnout and improve recovery outcomes.
The project is intended to benefit people experiencing substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other behavioral health conditions. Organizers expect the combination of technology, clinical care and peer support to help patients remain connected to treatment and recovery resources close to home.
Alina Czekai, director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Office of Rural Health Transformation, said the program emphasizes solutions developed around the needs of individual rural communities.
The award is part of the broader Smart Care Catalyst Provider Productivity Support Fund. Additional awards are expected as the initiative expands across West Virginia.
