Diversifying and expanding coal-impacted communities in WV
Led by the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, a new initiative will develop a regional system to provide job training and placement assistance for displaced workers suffering from the effects of the downturn in coal production and the opioid epidemic in southern West Virginia.
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded Marshall University as one of 35 recipients to expand and diversify the economy in Appalachia’s coal-impacted communities through the POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative.
ARC is awarding $1,499,175 to Marshall University for its Creating Opportunities for Recovery Employment (CORE) Program, with additional funding for the project provided by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
“CORE is a large-scale project that includes three hubs, known as PROACT, that offer peer recovery coaches and job training and placement; six Drug Free Moms and Babies sites; three new programs offering medication assisted treatment (MAT); and a network of private sector partnerships. CORE also features the development of social enterprises to create additional sustainable employment opportunities for those in recovery.
“Returning to work is a vital part of individual recovery, and reemployment is essential in reversing the devastating economic effects of the opioid epidemic,” said Robert H. Hansen, director of addiction services at Marshall Health. “This support from the ARC and Benedum Foundation is essential to rebuilding our community and giving those in recovery a sense of normalcy.”
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded Marshall University as one of 35 recipients to expand and diversify the economy in Appalachia’s coal-impacted communities through the POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative.
ARC is awarding $1,499,175 to Marshall University for its Creating Opportunities for Recovery Employment (CORE) Program, with additional funding for the project provided by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
“CORE is a large-scale project that includes three hubs, known as PROACT, that offer peer recovery coaches and job training and placement; six Drug Free Moms and Babies sites; three new programs offering medication assisted treatment (MAT); and a network of private sector partnerships. CORE also features the development of social enterprises to create additional sustainable employment opportunities for those in recovery.
“Returning to work is a vital part of individual recovery, and reemployment is essential in reversing the devastating economic effects of the opioid epidemic,” said Robert H. Hansen, director of addiction services at Marshall Health. “This support from the ARC and Benedum Foundation is essential to rebuilding our community and giving those in recovery a sense of normalcy.”