photo by: Warren Scott
Jessica Moore, associate vice president of foundation and community relations for WVU Medicine, asks the Brooke County Commission to consider providing some of the opioid settlement funds it has received for the establishment of a mental health clinic for children and teens.
Brooke County commissioners on Tuesday heard another pitch for the use of the county’s portion of settlement funds received through a statewide lawsuit against makers and distributors of opioids.
This one came from Jessica Moore, associate vice president of foundation and community relations for WVU Medicine, who suggested part of the funds could help to establish a mental health clinic for children and teens at the Robert Sonneborn Family Children’s Outpatient Center being developed across from WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital.
Ground was broken for the $16 million medical facility in August.
The Brooke County Commission has received about $1.1 million through settlements reached by the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office from the lawsuits.
Moore said plans call for the center to open in 2027 with an after-hours clinic that will be open until 8 p.m. and specialty clinics addressing certain medical issues. She said goals for the facility include a mental health clinic to which other staff may refer families of youth who appear to have substance abuse issues or other mental health problems.
Moore said it’s not uncommon for youth who are depressed to turn to drugs to cope, noting access to such a clinic in the same place where families have sought medical care would improve the chance of children getting the help they need.
Moore said $125,000 from the county’s opioid funds would help to establish a clinic staffed five days a week by a therapist and case manager. She said its operations ultimately would be funded through insurance coverage and other sources.
Moore said available funding for pediatric care is much less than that for adults, and WVU Medicine had to raise 45 percent of the funds needed to pursue the center itself.
She said funds for the mental health clinic will be sought from other sources as well.
In recent weeks, the commission has received requests for the opioid settlement funds from the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department for equipment, and Healthways Inc., which wants to use some of the money to raise awareness of the short-term drug abuse treatment program it offers.
The commissioners suggested earlier they may create a board to consider such requests. On Tuesday, Commission President A.J. Thomas said, “We don’t know that we even need one. We need to make a decision on whether to set that up.”
Thomas said instead of awaiting the recommendation of a volunteer board, the commission could decide how the funds will be used directly.
Commissioner Tom Diserio agreed, but said he would like clarification from state officials about specific uses for the money.
Commissioner Stacey Wise said adoption of a form used by other counties for entities seeking opioid funds may be the next step taken by the commission.