WV Partnership Releases Annual Report

The WV Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being's 2009 annual report is now available online.

New SAMHSA Administrator Sworn In

The new Administrator for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) was sworn in this week. Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., brings more than 30 years of health and human services experience to the post. Hyde previously served as secretary of the New Mexico Human Services Department, and director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health, the Ohio Department of Human Services, and the Seattle Department of Housing and Human Services. She also has worked as a CEO of a private nonprofit behavioral healthcare organization. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says "Pamela Hyde has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of New Mexico to expand access to health and human services programs and improve their quality…. Pamela's health policy expertise and management experience will be invaluable to our department." SAMHSA is the federal agency that provides most of the funding for prevention in WV. Additional info is available at www.samhsa.gov.

Happy Anniversary Prevention Research!

2009 marks the 35th anniversary of The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Created by Congress in 1974, NIDA brought "the power of science" to the field of substance abuse. NIDA Director Nora Volkow summarizes their accomplishments at www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol22N6/DirRepVol22N6.html.

Welcome to the New PrevNET

Welcome to the new PrevNET.org. We hope you like the new design and find the reorganization helpful. In addition to revamping the "face" of PrevNET, we have added a new feature. Prevention WV Online, which is what we are calling this blog, will bring you the latest in WV prevention news. It is intended to complement our Prevention WV television show and also replace PrevNet Magazine.

Share The Vision 2009 - Keynote Video Clips

Share The Vision 2009 - WV's 17th annual statewide substance abuse prevention conference - brought together hundreds of individuals from across WV Nov 17 and 18 at the Charleston Civic Center. Bringing Home the Governor's Plan To Address Substance Abuse was the theme of this year's two-day learning and networking event. This year’s conference followed the 2009 Governor’s Drug Summit, which unveiled Governor Manchin and the WV Partnership To Promote Community Well-Being’s Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Address Substance Abuse in WV. Share The Vision Conference keynotes and workshops provided information and skills needed to implement the Governor’s Plan at the community level. Video clips from several keynote speakers have been posted on the STV - Keynote Speakers webpage.

Share The Vision is coordinated by the WV Prevention Resource Center (WVPRC) and funded with federal Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment Block Grant funds administered by the WV DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health & Health Facilities. Additional support for the 2009 conference is being provided by the WV Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline.

Additional information including presenter handouts is available at www.PrevNET.org/stv.

Governor Manchin Unveils Substance Abuse Plan

Governor Manchin unveiled today his Comprehensive Strategic Plan To Address Substance Abuse in West Virgina. Substance abuse is arguably the most pervasive problem facing WV and the nation. In WV, substance abuse problems cost us more than $1.8 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2006 alone. Addressing substance abuse is therefore a crucial issue for WV and its communities. Governor Joe Manchin and The WV Partnership To Promote Community Well-Being have developed a plan to guide all substance abuse efforts in our state.

Drug Free WV Grants Available

The WV Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being is pleased to announce the availability of Drug Free WV Grants available through Purdue Pharma Asset Forfeiture Funds. Additional information is available by contacting Melissa Crawford.