Beginning to Heal

The opioid epidemic has left West Virginia with staggeringly high rates of addiction, overdoses and associated losses. Countless lawsuits have been filed seeking to hold pharmaceutical companies and distributors responsible for their role in overprescribing opioids, leading to the substance use disorder West Virginia finds itself plagued with.

As opioid litigations in West Virginia continue, the state has already received $300 million in settlements aimed at distributing the funds in the most effective way to target the war on drugs. With the immense amount of money comes an enormous responsibility, which is why the West Virginia First Foundation (WVFF) was established by Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and the West Virginia Legislature. The WVFF will take charge of 72.5% of the settlement funds and the decision-making associated with where it will be allocated, while the additional 24.5% will be given to local governments.

“The West Virginia First Foundation is intended to be the crown jewel of the state’s efforts to combat the scourge caused by drug addiction,” says Morrisey. “As a private foundation, it will be uniquely positioned to leverage the already substantial resources delivered through the settlements by partnering with state, federal and private sector entities. By doing so, it will be able to create a durable structure capable of operating long into the future to provide expertise, knowledge and funding to help heal the damage caused by the opioid epidemic.”

Although no amount of money can reverse the tragedy of lives lost, the WVFF will strategically and intentionally work to rebuild and save lives. Morrisey foresees healing the devastation and pain caused by the opioid epidemic will be extremely challenging work; however, it is clear the foundation is up to the task. Currently, the WVFF board members are building its structure and processes.

“We have been given this tremendous responsibility to take this sum of money—so far, $217.5 million—and, based on the desires of the counties and municipalities, we are putting it into a private foundation. What this means is that West Virginians want this money to last for a long time, probably longer than I’ll be around,” says Matt Harvey, chairman of WVFF. “Our goal as a board is to build that structure out so we can safely have that money and start connecting with stakeholders to develop our philosophies and assess our greatest needs and priorities revolving around how it would be best to allocate the funds to maximize the effect for the citizens of West Virginia.”

While the foundation is focused on establishing itself correctly so it can move forward wisely, plans for how the funds will be distributed are already in place. The WVFF can look to the West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding for guidance. The memorandum contains terms and conditions put into place to outline the proper distribution of settlement funds from the opioid crisis.

“The money received through the settlements, which will be distributed to the local governments and the West Virginia First Foundation, can only be used for the approved purposes as set forth in the West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding,” says Morrisey. “Those approved purposes represent a holistic approach, focusing on education, treatment, prevention and law enforcement, that were carefully determined in order to provide guardrails to ensure that the funds would be used to address the devastation of the opioid crisis while providing the flexibility necessary for each local government and region to adopt the best evidence-based programs to address their specific needs.”

West Virginia has suffered as a whole from the opioid epidemic, but some areas have been affected more intensely than others. Plans are in place to account for the disparity, and each region of the state will be assessed based on need.
“From the beginning, it was integral to the vision of the drafters of the Memorandum of Understanding that the settlement money be used in the best possible way to provide a holistic solution to the opioid epidemic,” Morrisey says. “A key component of that process is the use of a needs assessment at both the local and state level in order to determine what services are currently available, at what levels and in what locations. It is anticipated that the West Virginia First Foundation will undertake, with the aid of experienced and knowledgeable consultants, a statewide needs assessment. Likewise, each region will be uniquely positioned to determine the needs of their own region and develop plans to utilize their portion of the settlement money.”

Morrisey explains that the board hopes the WVFF will be a major first step on a pathway toward recovery to help the next generation avoid falling prey to senseless death.

“We have the great responsibility to the citizens of West Virginia to take a comprehensive look at this problem and bring resources together to work as a unit,” says Dora Stutler, superintendent of Harrison County Schools and secretary of the WVFF. “Programming and services will touch all aspects of the issue, including but not limited to addiction, prevention, enforcement and recovery.”

The current board members of the WVFF are steadfast in their commitment to the cause.

“Like most lifelong residents of West Virginia, I have seen what substance use and associated disorders can do to our friends, families and neighbors. As such, mitigating the illicit use and misuse of narcotics in all forms has been a near lifelong pursuit in both my personal and professional life,” says Jonathan Board, vice president of external affairs and strategic initiatives at Mon Health System and board member of WVFF. “Our task as board members is both monumental and simple: stand up an entirely new private foundation, hold its funding in fiduciary for all the people within the state of West Virginia and ensure judiciousness in any distributions of support, regardless of the size or scope of the requesting organization. By electing a strong and diverse board full of varied and unique perspectives, and placing freedom to act within well-defined guardrails, the foundation can move with creativity, haste and wisdom as it approaches meaningful solutions.”

Even though the WVFF will play a significant role in restoring families and saving lives, the responsibility cannot land solely on the foundation and local governments.

“There’s going to have to be some initiative and cooperation from everybody in this state,” Harvey says, “I know we can do it, and I know everyone is ready to stand together as partners on this journey.”

Countless West Virginians have already been taking the initiative to help make a difference.

“Since my election to the fourth district of the WVFF, and the nearly 400,000 residents represented in its 13 counties, it has been an honor to meet incredible people throughout the state,” says Board. “From large hospital systems in city centers, rural health departments and peer recovery teams operating out of their own homes, to first responders, officers, food pantries and those offering housing, counseling and basic hygiene care, they all give so much—and often, that starts with a shoulder to cry upon. Let’s be clear, it is the noble people who selflessly give their time and their very lives to those who need it most that must be celebrated and supported. I am privileged to be their voice and their champion and wholeheartedly endorse their beautiful, singular cause: healing.”

In communities across the state, it is clear there are individuals and groups already dedicated to making a profound impact in this ongoing crisis, and now, the WVFF will have the opportunity to make significant transformations in innumerable lives as well.

“Now, we have a little bit of hope and the resources to fight back,” says Harvey. “I think we can save lives. We can restore families. How we do that is through developing initiatives and funding successful programs that will help families. We can get people stable in their lives, and they can start a family, go to work, support themselves and their families and be contributing members of society. There is no doubt in my mind that this foundation can help do that.”

The plague of substance use disorder and the shattered lives it has caused cannot be cured overnight; however, West Virginia can hold tight to the viable hope that with the calculated distribution of settlement funds and the continued dedication of the WVFF and West Virginians, both prevention and healing can begin at a scale the state has never seen before.