Marshall University

Center of Excellence for Recovery

Project Highlights and Resources

The Center of Excellence for Recovery is hosting the 5^th Annual Summer Prevention Virtual Learning Series made possible through various federal grants. The training series features 90-minute, interactive sessions hosted throughout July-September on prevention practice topics such as: Changing Community Conditions through Public Policy, Organizing the Community for Prevention, Advanced Application of the Six CSAP Prevention Strategies and others. A 3-hour session on best practices in supervising prevention staff and community volunteers will be offered in September.

For more information, email Amanda Richards at richards88@marshall.edu

Youth Empowerment Summit (YES)

Brought 100+ West Virginia Youth and Adult Leaders

to Marshall University

On June 5-6th, 100+ youth and adult leaders flooded Marshall's campus for the first-ever Youth Empowerment Summit (YES). Hosted by the Marshall University Center of Excellence for Recovery in collaboration with Community Connections, Inc., PEP (Prevention Empowerment Partnership), and CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America), the summit featured the National Youth Leadership Institute (NYLI) training provided by a national team from CADCA. Training focused on the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), allowing youth leaders to leave the Summit with action plans to bring about sustainable and purposeful change in their communities.



In addition to training from CADCA, youth and adult leaders learned from our very own Center of Excellence staff!

“We firmly believe that young people in communities can serve as a catalyst for change when given the platform, opportunity, and resources,” says Tammy Collins, Associate Director for the Marshall University Center of Excellence for Recovery and visionary leader of the Youth Empowerment Summit. "Youth empowerment goes beyond mere participation; it is about equipping young individuals with the tools and knowledge to become change agents within their communities and that's exactly what we hoped to accomplish through this two-day summit."

To learn more about the YES visit https://muyouthempowerment.org/ or contact Tammy Collins at collins@marshall.edu

Marshall University's Wraparound Efforts

Receive National Attention

The Marshall University Center of Excellence for Recovery's Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) team unveiled a new animated video for families in West Virginia to aid in collecting essential Wraparound data and it's receiving national attention!

We extend our deepest gratitude to the exceptional team members behind this initiative, including Senior Associate Director, Tammy Pearson, TCOM and Wraparound Fidelity Coordinator, Lydia Shaw, and the rest of the TCOM team. Your dedication and hard work in supporting children and families in WV is truly commendable!

Project AWARE Hosts Poster Contest During

Mental Health Awareness Month

Project Aware WV challenged all AWARE schools to a poster contest for Mental Health AWAREness Month where students were asked to prepare a poster with a positive message for their communities that could include a coping skill that they recommend to others for dealing with stressful times. The students rose to the occasion and surpassed all expectations!

The winning posters from the Project AWARE WV Mental Health AWAREness contest were printed into placemats to be distributed at local restaurants. Positive messages are now being shared all throughout the community!

Check out the top three posters below!

WVCRN Releases White Paper

Resilience, Recovery & Wellbeing in Higher Education

The West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network (WVCRN) in collaboration with the Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE), Safe Project, and Students Recover, released an official white paper on May 8, 2023 on the cost-effective investment of collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) on higher education campuses.

“Funding collegiate recovery programs is not only vital, but a very cost-effective way to offer recovery support services on our campuses,” shares Kristina Canfield, Executive Director for the Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE). “CRPs are essential services that have demonstrated how investing in peer-recovery support services for college students not only increases student retention and graduation, but also reduces return to substance use and contributes to an overall healthier campus population.”

To build upon the success of the West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network and Be the One, WVCRN would like to see expanded funding of approximately $120,000 per campus to support these critical programs. 

Click button below to view full white paper.

PEP Youth Trainees Present at the YES Summit

Six high school and college youth trainees had the opportunity to be part of a panel session at the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) at Marshall University, where they shared what an Adult Guide's Role is within their community. 

They addressed the following questions:

1. What positive attributes do you think are necessary for an impactful and effective adult guide?

2. How would you describe the relationship between youth leaders and adult guides?

3. What can adult guides do to create a safe space for youth?

4. What do you think is imperative for adult guides to know about today’s youth?

"Youth Empowerment is about encouraging youth to have a voice, and to make change. What better way to empower these youth to have a voice than asking them to use their voice to discuss how we as adults can be effective youth guides for them?" shares Tabetha Blevins, PEP Deputy Director.

PEP Youth Trainee and Marshall Student, Brooklyn Johnson, Selected to Serve on OJJDP's Opioid Affected Youth Advisory Board

Brooklyn Johnson, an exceptional young advocate for youth empowerment and substance use prevention, has been appointed to the prestigious Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Opioid Affected Youth Advisory Board (OJJDP’s OAYI). This board, consisting of seven outstanding individuals aged 18 to 24, chosen from across the nation, aims to effectively address the challenges faced by youth affected by opioids and substance use disorders (SUDs).

Brooklyn shares, “I am honored to represent Appalachia and have this opportunity to impact substance misuse prevention and reactive care for youth within our nation. It is truly a dream come true. I am so thankful for my community for growing me into the person I am today and am beyond grateful for the Prevention Empowerment Partnership for empowering me with the training and experience which have

made me qualified for this national position. I am so excited to learn from the experiences of the amazing youth on OAYI YAB.”

Congratulations to C-SPF Student Leader Graduates

Carley Knuckles and Benjamin Greear

The C-SPF-PFS program is graduating its first Student Leaders, Carley Knuckles and Benjamin Greear. This initiative is the first of its kind in the nation, giving opportunities to college students to implement prevention strategies on their campuses and within their campus communities. The two graduating Student Leaders have been critical in offering prevention efforts to their fellow students and faculty.

Both Carley and Ben have served as panelists on statewide panel discussions and have been crucial in assessing and evaluating their campus culture. They both had so much to offer and made a true difference on their campuses, in the campus communities and in the state of West Virginia. They will truly be missed.

"Being the WVU Tech student leader for the Collegiate Strategic Prevention Framework Partnership for Success (C-SPF-PFS) project here at MURC for two years has changed my life. When I took this job as a junior nursing student, I had no idea of the impact prevention would have on me. Over the past two years, I have had a wonderful group of people who truly believed in me and my ability to help the community and even the world. They showed me my potential. They invested in my growth. They were patient with me. And I am here to say, I am a better person because of it."

"My time with C-SPF has been a wonderful experience during which I learned a lot of important things about prevention in the state of West Virginia. Through working on the Concord University campus with Brandon Whitehouse and CU Prevention & Recovery Organization (CUPRO), I was able to assist with and host a lot of great events that I feel made a difference on the campus and hopefully in some of the participants' lives. Concord University has many resources available on the campus that make being a student leader a stress-free experience and I cannot say enough great things about the work done by CUPRO. Overall, I believe that working with C-SPF has benefited me greatly and I have learned things through this experience that I will carry with me throughout my career and the rest of my life." 

Lori Garrett-Bumba, BA, LSW, PS II

Collegiate Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Success Initiative Director

Email: garrettbumba@marshall.edu

Facebook: Click to visit Facebook page

Behavioral Health Training Center Director, Kari Mika-Lude, PhD Presents Research Across the State

Kari Mika-Lude, PhD, LPC, AADC-S, ALPS, NCC, MAC, ICAADC, ICCS, CCTP, ACS, NREMT was invited to present her research, in addition to trainings, at a number of events over the past six months.

Some of those events included, presenting Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) at the Emergency Services Conference at Pipestem in February and presenting her research on the dehumanization of first responders at the West Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors conference in April.

She was given another opportunity to present QPR and another presentation on burnout during the West Virginia Association of Housing Agencies conference in May.

Finally, she was invited to present her research on the dehumanization of first responders to the WV Legislature's Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services on May 7, 2023.

Kari was recently elected President of the West Virginia Counseling Association for the 2024-25 term. She is currently President-elect and will serve as President from July 1, 2024 until June 30, 2025.

She was also recently notified that an article of hers, based on her dissertation research, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Employment Counseling!

Congratulations Kari on all of your achievements!

Trauma Sensitive Workplace Shares How to

Develop a Personal Self-Love (Care) Plan

Self-Love plans are good for identifying in-the-moment strategies for short term stress reduction, as well as long-term habits to develop a more resilient way of being!

How to Develop a Self-Love Plan

Step 1

Assess your level of trauma, stress, and where you feel your stress most often. (Use ACEs, Stress Inventory, ProQol5, Are you Stressed? And Common Stress Reactions assessment).

Step 2

Identify how you cope and what you do for self-love currently. (Use Lifestyle Behaviors, Self-Care Assessment, Wellness Compass Assessment).

Step 3

Review your assessments and identify areas for improvement and implementation of self-love strategies across the different domains. Include short-term strategies and long-term habits.

Step 4

Make a commitment to yourself to implement your plan!

Marshall University Collegiate Recovery Community Hosts

Walking for Recovery

Walking for Recovery, hosted by the Marshall University Collegiate Recovery Community and Huntington Pride, took place on June 24th at the Marshall University Memorial Fountain. The event aimed to celebrate recovery from substance use, while also providing support and resources to individuals and families still affected by substance use disorder.

The event featured speakers JK McAtee of WV Recovers; West Virginia Delegate Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha; and Ryan Elkins, Marshall University's Peer Recovery Support Specialist.

Become Trained in ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and YOU Could Help Save a Life!

Holly Glick Sly, MA

Wraparound and Mobile Response Training Director

Email: glick4@marshall.edu



Website: https://wvbhtraining.org/wraparound-mobile-response/

Upcoming Events and Trainings

Interested in Joining Our Growing Team?

The Center of Excellence for Recovery is regularly looking for dedicated individuals with a passion for driving change within their communities.

To view open positions, click the button below.

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