Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett awards grant check to The Village. By. KIA GRIFFITH FOR THE VIRGIN ISLANDS CONSORTIUM
ST. CROIX — The Village—VI Partners in Recovery Inc./ WestCare was awarded a $545,000 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday. Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, signed and presented The Village with the check.
Programming at The Village is funded primarily by HHS and SAMHSA, according to a release from Ms. Plaskett's office.
Out of thousands of applicants nationwide, the USVI was amongst a couple dozen awardees to a competitive SAMHSA grant. They will utilize the funds to expand youth outpatient treatment services, early intervention services, case management, and implement collaboration with other stakeholders who provide services to youths on all three islands, according to Angelica Rivera, WestCare representative of the Caribbean and Latin American Region’s deputy chief operations officer Christian Duarte.
“[The Village] had such a really strong application that it was kind of easy in this instance to push that they receive this award,” said Congresswoman Plaskett.
WestCare representative Ms. Rivera thanked the congresswoman for her necessary support and suggested that it’s not easy to get grant awards even with a strong application.
Ms. Plaskett and St. Croix District Administrator Samuel Sanes shared similar recognition of The Village for touching the lives of families in the community as the treatment center also offers support services for families. “I want to thank the workers here, boots on the ground. You guys are always there — I know the community really appreciates what you guys are doing,” said Mr. Sanes.
The Village—located on the beautiful old plantation grounds of #1 Sion Hill, St. Croix— is the territory’s only 40-bed (Males-30, Females-10) residential substance abuse treatment center for adults who seek a safe place to commence their recovery from addiction or substance abuse. Individuals referred to the Village are taught the skills they need to return to family, friends, and employment and to cope with life without a return to addiction, the release said.
Marsha Taylor, regional director at The Village shared with VIC that the treatment center increased its capacity from 25 residents to 40 within this year, evidently rising above the threat of possible closure in 2020.
The territory’s sole treatment center accepts clients with co-occurring disorders (the combination of a substance use disorder and a mental illness). Either disorder can develop first, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The Village partners with Frederiksted Health Care and Department of Health’s Division of Behavioral Health, Alcoholism and Drug Dependency Services to treat mental health concerns.
For treatment or employment at The Village, call (340) 719-9900. For more information on the prevention programs, call (340) 718-3310 or visit the Prevention Office at #181B Richmond. Please adhere to social distancing and mask wearing guidelines at both locations.
