Help4WV celebrates 10 years of connecting struggling residents to recovery, mental health services

“It is kind of incredible to think about how far [Help4WV] has been able to come in a decade’s time,” said Salwa Amin, HELP4WV program director.

“Back then, if there was a call because of someone using alcohol, marijuana, [struggling with] mental health, really any other drugs outside of prescription pills, we couldn’t do anything. In 2015 — that’s when we really started to become the [helpline] that we are today,” said Sheila Moran, director of marketing and communications for First Choice Services. “I think that happened at a really important time. There was so much more going on, so much more that people were struggling with and we wanted to help.”

“We’ve come a long way in just 10 years. The work is not all done, clearly, but it is a different environment today,” Moran said. “I think that does make me hopeful for what the next 10 years could look like.”