West Virginia Wesleyan College receives two Momentum Initiative Grants from West Virginia First Foundation

West Virginia Wesleyan College has received two Momentum Initiative grants from the West Virginia First Foundation. The grants, totaling more than $1.2 million, will support two different initiatives of the college: one that will see the college partnering with the West Virginia Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children for training programs to empower foster parents and non-parental caregivers, and one that will expand access to the college’s Addiction Counseling Graduate Certificate program through scholarships.

According to an article on West Virginia Wesleyan College’s website, Dr. James Moore, the college’s president, was quoted as saying of receiving the grants, “We are honored to receive not one, but two grants from the West Virginia First Foundation in this award cycle. These investments allow us to strengthen our growing Certificate in Addiction Counseling Program, which develops well-trained professionals equipped with the training to address substance use disorders in West Virginia. We are also honored to expand our commitment to servant leadership through a new partnership with WV CASA, supporting their vital mission to serve children and families affected by the opioid epidemic while helping to build a stronger, healthier state.”

The college received $947,916 via the Foster Care & Non-Parental Caregivers target area, which it will use to partner with the West Virginia Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (WV CASA) to help support their ongoing efforts to support foster care providers. The university will help the organization through providing training programs for foster care parents and non-parental caregivers.

It also received $246,125 via the Behavioral Health & Workforce Development target area to expand access to its Addiction Counseling Graduate Certificate program, thereby supporting the addiction counseling workforce. As part of this initiative, individuals who live or work in the West Virginia First Foundation’s Region Four, which includes Barbour, Braxton, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker, and Upshur counties, may be eligible to receive scholarship money to use toward the certificate program. 

Jonathan Board, who serves as the executive director of the West Virginia First Foundation, said, “The Momentum Initiative Grant was designed to support organizations that are ready to scale, collaborate, and deliver lasting results. The work of West Virginia Wesleyan College reflects the kind of leadership and local insight needed to move this effort forward.”

Momentum Initiative Grants are awarded to initiatives and organizations that are focused on addressing prevention, treatment, recovery, and workforce needs.

For more information about West Virginia Wesleyan College, visit the school’s website.