WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $379,709 to increase the number of accredited addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry fellows at West Virginia University (WVU). This funding was made available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will support WVU in training addiction specialists to benefit West Virginia communities with behavioral and primary care services in regards to addiction.
“It is great to see this support coming into West Virginia to help continue to battle the addiction crisis,” said Senator Capito. “Addiction specialists are crucial to our state’s recovery, and being able to train these students at WVU creates a direct impact in our communities. This program will train specialists to have the knowledge and skills to provide comprehensive health care to people suffering from opioid abuse, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. Combating the addiction crisis remains a top priority, even with the other challenges our state continues to face, and I will continue to drive critical resources to West Virginia to battle addiction.”
“The opioid epidemic has ravaged our state and every West Virginian has been impacted by this crisis. West Virginia has the highest overdose death rate per capita in the nation, and far too many West Virginians have lost family, friends, and loved ones to this epidemic,” said Senator Manchin. “We need an all hands on deck approach to combat this crisis, and this funding is vital in treating substance use disorder for West Virginians across our state. I won’t stop fighting this epidemic and will continue advocating for funding that helps West Virginians combat this crisis.”
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