West Virginia is bringing university researchers into the next phase of its opioid settlement work. In Fairmont, Governor Patrick Morrisey and the West Virginia First Foundation announced partnerships with six universities aimed at strengthening addiction prevention, treatment, recovery, and public accountability.
The state secured more than $1 billion in opioid settlements during Morrisey’s tenure as attorney general. Officials said the new partnerships will help the Foundation identify statewide needs, evaluate grant applications, measure outcomes, and direct addiction treatment resources toward programs that can show results.
The universities are not simply dividing the settlement money. Their role is to give the Foundation stronger research, data, and evaluation systems before and after funds are awarded.
Six Universities Take Distinct Roles Across West Virginia
West Virginia University will lead a statewide needs assessment through its Health Affairs Institute. The assessment is intended to identify gaps in prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
WVU’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute is also studying approaches such as focused ultrasound technology for addiction care.
Marshall University will contribute expertise through its Center of Excellence for Recovery. Its work will focus on evaluating community-based programs and strengthening prevention and recovery efforts.
West Virginia Wesleyan College will provide expertise in addiction and trauma care while supporting efforts to grow the addiction counseling workforce.
The University of Charleston will focus on overdose prevention through its School of Pharmacy’s naloxone distribution work and improved tracking of how the medication is used.
Johns Hopkins University will advise the Foundation on evidence-based grantmaking and outcomes measurement. The University of Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities will conduct independent, data-driven evaluations to improve accountability in funding decisions.
Why Accountability Matters for Addiction Treatment
Settlement funding can widen access to care, but the amount distributed is only one measure of success. Morrisey said the state should also measure lives saved, families restored, and people healthy enough to return to work.
That framing gives the partnerships a practical purpose. A statewide needs assessment can show where services are missing.
Independent evaluation can reveal whether funded programs are reaching people, retaining them in care, preventing overdoses, or helping them stay in recovery.
The approach also creates an opportunity to compare strategies across West Virginia’s six regions. Programs that produce measurable results can inform future grants, while weaker models can be adjusted before more money is committed.
What the Partnerships Could Mean for Addiction Recovery
The Foundation has already supported projects in all six regions of West Virginia. The university partnerships are designed to make the next round of decisions more consistent, evidence-based, and transparent.
Morrisey also connected the work to West Virginia’s workforce goals. Healthier residents can mean stronger families, more consistent employment, and fewer communities carrying the long-term costs of untreated addiction.
For residents, the most immediate changes may come through better-targeted local programs, stronger naloxone tracking, a larger counseling workforce, and more attention to whether services remain accessible after initial funding ends.
People seeking addiction treatment in West Virginia can compare current detox, inpatient, outpatient, and medication-assisted options through Addictions.com’s statewide treatment directory.
The new university work will not replace those services. It is meant to help future public investment support care that can demonstrate a measurable benefit.