West Virginia
"Living Free of Substance Abuse"

PURPOSE
1.  To provide a forum for the exchange of information to end the stigma and
discrimination for those who are receiving, have received, or are seeking
substance abuse services.

2.  To create a state-wide substance abuse advocacy network.

3.  To help develop policy for substance abuse prevention and recovery
services at community, state, and federal levels.

4.  To expand grassroots involvement of individuals who receive substance
abuse services.

5.  To achieve the best possible community substance abuse treatment and
prevention system for all citizens of West Virginia based upon our unique
Consumer experience and perspective.

6.  To provide primary consumer input into the affairs of all substance abuse
providers in West Virginia.

7.  To provide emotion support to and from Consumers.

8.  To research Consumer empowerment awareness, appropriate healthcare,
employment, housing, and other supports.

9.  To teach empowerment awareness and leadership skills to Consumers K-12
(grades) and adults of all ages in our search for appropriate healthcare,
employment, housing, and other supports.

10. To demand that all Consumers be treated with respect,  dignity, and
humanity as is due to all individuals.

FUNCTIONS

ADVOCACY

WV-SAC can influence policy-makers in the Legislature, DHHR Office of
Behavioral Health Services, and Community Behavioral Health Centers to
provide fair, equitable and effective prevention, treatment, and follow-up
services, and to facilitate the enactment of laws designed to reduce problems
caused by substance abuse.

EDUCATION

WV-SAC will work to inform professionals and the community regarding the true
nature of substance abuse and its treatment and prevention.


COLLABORATION

WV-SAC will provide a means for all interested parties to pool their talents
and resources so as to improve current efforts to eliminate substance abuse
in WV.


Substance Abuse is everyone's problem. It is a basic tenet of recovery
programs that there is strength in numbers. WV-SAC believes in the
possibilities of true collaboration-working together and pooling resources
for the greater good.  One of our primary objectives is to raise the level of
empowerment awareness of individual Consumers in recovery and their families.
We plan to achieve this through advocacy, community  education, and the
teaching of self-advocacy and leadership skills. We are also building local
consumer-run affiliations.

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US IN THIS VITAL UNDERTAKING!

Please contact WV-SAC at the address below to have your name added to our
mailing list.

                           Thank you for your interest.!
Lolita Crews, President                       Marilyn Davis,Vice President
WV-SAC                                                  WV-SAC
1633 Artisan Avenue                           235 South Water Street
Huntington, WV 25703                        Martinsburg, WV 25401
Email: Lolitacccs@aol.com                WVSACCOALITION@AOL.COM