Capito announces CDS Award for The Martinsburg Initiative

MARTINSBURG — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., recently announced that The Martinsburg Initiative (TMI) will receive $500,000 through a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) request she made.

TMI is a police, school, community, health and education partnership working to prevent substance use disorders, build strong families and empower the Martinsburg community, according to the official description.

Those involved in the program locally are thrilled about the funding and looking forward to it making a deep impact in the community of Martinsburg.

“For years, I have worked to provide The Martinsburg Initiative with the resources they need, because I have seen firsthand how impactful this program is and the difference it is making in the lives of our children. I have repeatedly highlighted TMI as an example of the kind of community-based solutions that we need in our state, because it has shown to be effective in our goal of preventing our youth from falling into the grip of addiction,” Capito said in the official release.

The mission of The Martinsburg Initiative is to prevent substance use, build strong families and empower the community.

“Based on the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences, The Martinsburg Initiative builds resiliency in children and families to help them overcome barriers in their lives. With the Congressionally Directed Spending award, The Martinsburg Initiative is able to continue its critically important substance use prevention work with children, families and the Berkeley County community. On behalf of the TMI executive board, community partners and TMI staff, I sincerely thank Sen. Capito for providing this award to The Martinsburg Initiative and, even more importantly, through this award, providing support to our community,” Margaret Kursey, TMI director, said in the release.

“It has been my pleasure and pride to see The Martinsburg Initiative grow and develop,” Jennifer Burroughs, TMI lead social worker, added in the release. “Without the support from Sen. Capito and the Congressionally Directed Spending award, The Martinsburg Initiative would not be able to assist and empower individuals, children and families impacted by substance use disorder in the Martinsburg community through school social work, mentoring, case management, wraparound services, police-embedded social work, academic detailing, SBIRT, trauma training and education and much, much more. The amazing growth and impact of this organization would not be possible without the support of Sen. Capito. For this, I am sincerely grateful.”

Burroughs also told The Journal that since the inception of TMI, she has seen the initiative impact the community in countless ways, including collaborative relationships with police, school, community, health and education, and she has seen a more cohesive approach to meeting the needs of individuals and families in the Martinsburg community.

“However, on an individual level, we have helped people find homes, jobs and day care for their children. We have helped furnish and supply homes. We have made sure hundreds of families have had season appropriate and properly fitted clothing. We have provided thousands of meals to families. The Martinsburg Initiative has linked individuals and families with resources from referrals to substance use treatment to assistance with rent and utilities to behavioral health referrals,” she said.

“The school social workers with TMI have assisted hundreds of students who have experienced trauma learn coping, problem solving and friendship skills, just to name a few interventions they provide. School-based mentors have provided positive relationships in students’ lives. More recently, TMI implemented a program with the assistance of Martinsburg Police Department to place the first social worker in a police department in the state of West Virginia. This program has been highly successful in helping people during times of crises.”

She added that The Martinsburg Initiative has a mission to meet people where they are with no judgement.

“We want to meet people where they are with no judgment or stigma to help them through the struggles they may be facing. We strive to be innovative, creative and compassionate to best assist our community,” Burroughs said. “For me, The Martinsburg Initiative is unlike any other organization I have encountered.”

She added that the staff is highly trained and educated about trauma and substance use disorder.

“We come from a variety of social service backgrounds, that gives us an advantage of seeing the big picture of our community. We often talk about ‘grit.’ Our staff and organization have the grit it takes to tackle the big problems and not shy away from them. Because we are willing to collaborate and try to break down barriers, our partnerships keep growing. Our community organizations and entities become more powerful if they bond together, instead of staying siloed, as has been the practice of the past,” Burroughs said.

Julie Harris, TMI executive board member, added that it has been an exciting journey being a part of The Martinsburg Initiative over the past six years.

“What began as a conversation about how we, as a community, could respond to the opioid crisis, has grown into a critical community effort to address the issues that give rise to substance abuse, suicide and mental health issues with the aim of preventing our young people from falling through the cracks. The recognition of these efforts by Shelley Moore Capito and the financial assistance of congressional funds will allow us to maintain the program and to expand our offerings,” Harris said in the release.

The Martinsburg Initiative utilizes a tiered prevention model aimed to increase awareness, identify risk factors, intervene and mitigate negative effects of trauma or substance use.

TMI uses strategies to screen for Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) and trauma among youth and connect them to case management and behavioral health services.

Martinsburg Mayor Kevin Knowles was also excited about the funding, citing another way Sen. Capito has helped Martinsburg.

“The Martinsburg Initiative has come a long way since its inception, and with this, we will be able to push things a little quicker and faster,” Knowles said. “I am excited for the city to see where this will take us. Sen. Capito has always been a very good friend of the City of Martinsburg. She continues to support this area, and we are very grateful to have her as our U.S. senator.”

In total, Sen. Capito secured $241,135,000 in direct spending measures for initiatives and projects across West Virginia through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 appropriations omnibus package.