Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
St. Joseph’s Recovery Center has been serving West Virginians in two locations – Parkersburg and Summersville – for years, offering recovery support services, therapy and medical services to those recovering from substance abuse issues.
While the facilities are open to serving all those in need, it is difficult for patients in rural areas to travel long distances once a week for those services.
That is why SJRC launched its Mobile Outpatient Clinics in 2020. Four vehicles were outfitted with a working lab, lab technician and a peer recovery support specialist who travel the state, offering the same services to residents in rural areas.
In October 2022, one of those mobile clinics began coming to Marlinton to serve the people of Pocahontas County.
Peer recovery support specialist Clayton Shaver said he learned from a client how beneficial it would be for the mobile clinic to come to this area.
“We were in Rainelle for awhile and they decided if we could find a location to move to, we could,” Shaver said. “That particular patient said, ‘I think you all would do good up here’ and he put me in contact with [Day Report Center director Reta Griffith] and we set things up.”
Shaver and a lab technician bring the clinic to the Day Report Center in Marlinton on Tuesdays and see clients from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“To be part of our program there are certain obligations and requirements that you have to be able to fulfill,” Shaver said. “We offer professional therapy. You can speak with one of our therapists through Telehealth. You have to have an hour of therapy a week.”
Shaver added that if the client prefers face-to-face therapy, they can see local therapists, including those at Seneca Mental Health and MindEase Solutions.
“Apart from the therapy, our services include weekly medical evaluations, medication management by a legitimate nurse practitioner, medicated assisted treatment – which is Suboxone and Vivitrol,” he said. “They get peer recovery services while they check in to the mobile on Tuesdays. We have a full service laboratory on board.”
The mobile clinic also has same day appointments and tries to take walk-ins as the schedule allows.
During the assessments, Shaver said he works with the clients to discuss their care and if they feel the out-patient services aren’t enough, they can ride in the mobile clinic with him to the Summersville facility, if there is a bed available.
Since the mobile clinic began offering its services in Marlinton, Shaver said they have served between 17 and 20 clients who have been more compliant than those at any other site.
As a recovering addict himself, Shaver said he understands how difficult it can be to get transportation to recovery centers, so he is pleased to be part of the mobile clinic that can come to the clients instead.
“Lots of people have transportation issues and that’s our goal with the mobile clinics,” he said. “We have patients that go through our residential program and need to follow-up somewhere. We have four [mobile clinics] and they all go places. We have two out of Parkersburg and two that run out of Summersville, so in total, we’re in 16 different places throughout the state.”
For more information on the SJRC mobile outpatient clinics, contact the Summersville office at 304-362-0295 or the Day Report Center at 304-799-6650.