Two local organizations will be able to continue their work in establishing Mountaineer Recovery Village in Kearneysville, thanks to recently awarded funds from the federal government.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., recently announced that Semper Liberi and Mountaineer Behavioral Health received $1.5 million in support of Mountaineer Recovery Village, a center that includes a variety of services aimed at helping patients recover from substance use disorders.
This funding was made available through a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) request made by Capito.
In an effort to help individuals along the road to recovery from addiction, this announcement adds to the efforts of the recent earmark of $500,000 for the Martinsburg Initiative, a police, school, community, health and education partnership working to prevent substance use disorders, build strong families and empower the Martinsburg community, in November 2022. These two major awards will work toward building recovery efforts in the area.
Sen. Capito’s announcement comes a couple of months after her visit to Mountaineer Recovery Village in October for its groundbreaking ceremony.
At that groundbreaking ceremony, Capito spoke about what the project means to her.
“We all know that to be successful, part of it is to have that sense of community,” she said. “I am amazed at what I have seen, of what has occurred here. Transitional housing is absolutely such an essential part of what we see here.”
“It is an honor for me to see the growth, the positivity,” she added. “Bringing people back together, giving people hope — we need more hope in the life of the future. I am in it to win it like you all are, and I am happy to be a very small part of that.”
In the official release from Sen. Capito’s office, she explained that Semper Liberi and Mountaineer Behavioral Health have made a tremendous impact on addiction recovery in the Eastern Panhandle.
“When I participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mountaineer Recovery Village in October, it was the clear that revolutionary work will be done here. The detailed focus on the housing and workforce development aspects of recovery are crucial, which is why I worked diligently during the Congressionally Directed Spending process to advocate for, and ultimately secure, funding needed to support this project. There is no question that this program is setting the example for addiction recovery efforts across the country.”
Mountaineer Recovery Village will be established as a covenant-based community where 200-plus families will live in a sober neighborhood. The village will offer diverse housing units that will allow those in early recovery to live with family members in a neighborhood setting.
Amenities will include park features, playgrounds, walking trails and a fellowship hall, which will facilitate daily 12-step meetings.
Residences will be self-paid through leasing agreements, and there is no proposed time limit for living on site.
“Living in this community would provide stability and sustained connection with others in recovery, working together to increase individuals’ chances at adopting recovery as a way of life,” the press release for the event in October explained.
Dr. Jonathan Hartiens, CEO of Mountaineer Behavioral Health and board member of Semper Liberi, said that this is a first-in-the-nation place, where there is a recovery center neighborhood.
“These three houses would not have been possible without the support of Sen. Capito, the dedicated employees of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the support of Berkeley County and the City of Martinsburg. The combined efforts of all the partners will see the first-ever recovery community in the country dedicated with new housing units for those exclusively in recovery. This will help members new to recovery reintegrate back into the workforce in a healthy living environment and reconnect with their families and help break the patterns of relapse. It will truly have generational impacts,” Hartiens said.