Two Virginia Tech departments, the Center for Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) and the Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) are working with the YWCA of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia to help inform programming for a wellness center in Glade Spring, Virginia. The wellness center will provide recovery resources and workforce training to people with substance use disorders. The center will also focus on family resiliency programs and general health and wellness.
“Along with examining the value of a wellness center could bring to the area, the Virginia Tech study is intended as a stepping stone for collaboration and networking across the region, with the goal of creating a recovery community in Glade Spring,” said Ashley Posthumus, economic development specialist for CECE.
Glade Spring, a small town in Southwest Virginia, straddles the county line between Washington and Smyth counties and is just a few minutes’ drive from three other towns: Marion, Saltville, and Abingdon.
The YWCA is working with a wide variety of partners on the development of the wellness center, including Appalachian Substance Abuse Coalition, Appalachian Sustainable Development, Ballad Health, Emory & Henry College, Project Glade, Virginia Highlands Small Business Development Center, and Washington County Public Library.
“Support from local partners is very strong, and there’s a lot of interest in working together to make the center a success,” said Scott Tate, associate director for community innovations for CECE. “There’s a space for the center that the organizing team has identified, and they’re doing the work needed in order to get grant funding for buying and renovating the structure.”
On May 4, the YWCA held a symposium at Emory & Henry College where CECE and IPG presented their research and received feedback from partners. The symposium was also a chance for people to connect and learn about the many resources organizations in the region offer for those struggling with substance use disorder.
The project team conducted interviews and surveys with people in the community and gathered information about the kinds of programming residents want to see from the wellness center. Respondents were interested in programs for women covering the following topics: family and child planning, vaccinations and healthcare, and domestic violence protection and recovery.
They were also interested in programs for previously incarcerated individuals focused on opioid overdose prevention training, assistance with housing and transportation, and connecting prospective employees with local employers who hire people with a criminal history.
The team spoke with Appalachian Plastics, an employer in Glade Spring, VA that is leading the way in developing recovery-ready workplaces. The wellness center will seek to teach local employers about how they can become recovery-ready as well. Recovery-ready workplaces adopt policies that ensure people with substance use disorders have access to services, including treatment and recovery support, and educate all levels of the organization on substance use disorder and recovery, in order to reduce stigma and misunderstanding.
“Someone’s employer can be a big part of what motivates them to stay in recovery,” said Lara Nagle, community-based learning projects manager with the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance.
“A lot of individuals with substance use disorders have plenty of credentials,” said Marty Holliday, executive director for the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board and guest speaker at the symposium. “They just need help getting the job. They need help writing that resume to explain those gaps in employment.”
The New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board received funding to offer training opportunities for people in recovery, including certifications to become peer recovery specialists, individuals who are in successful and ongoing recovery from substance use disorder and use their experience to help others.
Leslie Peterson, the senior manager of public relations and engagement for the YWCA, said the proposed wellness center could be a pilot for similar centers in other communities.
“This community wellness and resource center would be a place of togetherness and a community hub where people come together to engage with others and better their lives, their families, and their communities,” she said.
“Glade Spring can be a community devoted to recovery. If we can make it happen in Glade Spring, we can make it happen anywhere,” said Dirk Moore, executive director of The McGlothlin Center for the Arts at Emory & Henry and founder and past president of Project Glade.