CEG is Hiring! The Community Education Group is seeking applicants of all skill levels to work in a fast-paced environment. Internships, Contract, Part-Time, and Full-Time Positions Available. Submit your cover letter & resume at https://cutt.ly/Work-at-CEG

Help CEG & RHSNP Reach 100 Subscribers

The Community Education Group (CEG) and its Rural Health Service Providers Network (RHSPN) project reach 100 subscribers on YouTube.

#CEGInWV’s #PeopleWorthKnowing interview series features some of the amazing people working in and around public health and services. We have features some amazing people, including:

TruEvolution, Inc.’s Founder & CEO, Gabriel Maldonado

Photo of Tori Cooper, Founder and Executive Director of Advocates for Better Care Atlanta

Advocates for Better Care Atlanta’s Founder & Executive Director, Tori Cooper

Photo of Dr. Georges C Benjamin

American Public Health Association’s Executive Director, Dr. Georges C. Benjamin

LOST RIVER, W.Va. February 1, 2021 – The Community Education Group (CEG) will be convening a statewide roundtable on the topic of harm reduction in West Virginia on Monday, February 8th, 2021 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM.
 This open panel discussion will be moderated by CEG’s Founder & Executive Director, A. Toni Young, and will feature local and state elected officials, private business representatives, public health experts, and harm reduction providers from across the state. 
“There are a lot of misconceptions about what ‘harm reduction’ actual is, whom it serves, and the impacts it has on our communities,” said Ms. Young. “After two decades of dealing with the opioid crisis in West Virginia, emotions are fraught and tempers are high. This roundtable is meant to bring all of the stakeholders to the table to come up with some answers and recommendations.”
 This roundtable discussion will occur during the regular monthly meeting of the West Virginia Statewide Stakeholders Coalition (WVSSC), a coalition of over 100 individuals, Community-Based Organizations, government agencies and departments, healthcare providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical partners that meets on the second Monday of each month (excluding federal holidays). Each meeting averages between 40-60 attendees, making this one of the best-attended coalitions in West Virginia.
 Registration is open to the public, and the WVSSC invites community members, community organizations and businesses, and healthcare providers, alike, to participate in this important roundtable. Those interested in attending my register using the following link: 
https://cutt.ly/JoinWVSSC
 All questions for the panelist should be submitted in advance to:
 info@communityeducationgroup.org 
The Community Education Group (CEG) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with offices in Lost River, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., working to eliminate disparities in health outcomes and improve public health in disadvantaged populations and under-served communities

Harm Reduction: A Community Conversation

LOST RIVER, W.Va. February 1, 2021 – The Community Education Group (CEG) will be convening a statewide roundtable on the topic of harm reduction in West Virginia on Monday, February 8th, 2021 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM.
  This open panel discussion will be moderated by CEG’s Founder & Executive Director, A. Toni Young, and will feature local and state elected officials, private business representatives, public health experts, and harm reduction providers from across the state.  
“There are a lot of misconceptions about what ‘harm reduction’ actual is, whom it serves, and the impacts it has on our communities,” said Ms. Young. “After two decades of dealing with the opioid crisis in West Virginia, emotions are fraught and tempers are high. This roundtable is meant to bring all of the stakeholders to the table to come up with some answers and recommendations.”
  This roundtable discussion will occur during the regular monthly meeting of the West Virginia Statewide Stakeholders Coalition (WVSSC), a coalition of over 100 individuals, Community-Based Organizations, government agencies and departments, healthcare providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical partners that meets on the second Monday of each month (excluding federal holidays). Each meeting averages between 40-60 attendees, making this one of the best-attended coalitions in West Virginia.
  Registration is open to the public, and the WVSSC invites community members, community organizations and businesses, and healthcare providers, alike, to participate in this important roundtable. Those interested in attending my register using the following link:  
https://cutt.ly/JoinWVSSC
  All questions for the panelist should be submitted in advance to:
  info@communityeducationgroup.org  
The Community Education Group (CEG) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with offices in Lost River, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., working to eliminate disparities in health outcomes and improve public health in disadvantaged populations and under-served communities

LOST RIVER, W.Va. February 1, 2021 – The Community Education Group (CEG) will be convening a statewide roundtable on the topic of harm reduction in West Virginia on Monday, February 8th, 2021 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM.

This open panel discussion will be moderated by CEG’s Founder & Executive Director, A. Toni Young, and will feature local and state elected officials, private business representatives, public health experts, and harm reduction providers from across the state.


“There are a lot of misconceptions about what ‘harm reduction’ actual is, whom it serves, and the impacts it has on our communities,” said Ms. Young. “After two decades of dealing with the opioid crisis in West Virginia, emotions are fraught and tempers are high. This roundtable is meant to bring all of the stakeholders to the table to come up with some answers and recommendations.”


This roundtable discussion will occur during the regular monthly meeting of the West Virginia Statewide Stakeholders Coalition (WVSSC), a coalition of over 100 individuals, Community-Based Organizations, government agencies and departments, healthcare providers, insurers, and pharmaceutical partners that meets on the second Monday of each month (excluding federal holidays). Each meeting averages between 40-60 attendees, making this one of the best-attended coalitions in West Virginia.


Registration is open to the public, and the WVSSC invites community members, community organizations and businesses, and healthcare providers, alike, to participate in this important roundtable.

Those interested in attending my register using the following link:

https://cutt.ly/JoinWVSSC


All questions for the panelist should be submitted in advance to:


info@communityeducationgroup.org


The Community Education Group (CEG) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with offices in Lost River, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., working to eliminate disparities in health outcomes and improve public health in disadvantaged populations and under-served communities

West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition November 2020 Meeting Flyer

WVSSC Meeting – November 9th, 2020

An image of the New River Gorge Bridge with the words "WV Statewide Stakeholder Coalition" above it

The November 2020 meeting of the WVSSC will take place on Monday, November 9th, 2020 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM


This month’s meeting features the following guests:


Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Photo of Dr. Neeraj "Jim" Gandotra

Dr. Neeraj “Jim” Gandotra
Chief Medical Officer
(SAMHSA)

Photo of Dr. Jean Bennett

Dr. Jean Bennett
SAMHSA Regional Administrator
Region III


Substance Use Disorder

Photo of Stephanie Lancaster

Stephanie Lancaster
Director of Community Health Solutions
Indiana, Ohio, & West Virginia
Emergent BioSolutions


HIV

Photo of Shawn Balleydier

Shawn Balleydier
Assistant Director
Director of HIV Prevention and Care
Division of STD, HIV and TB
Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services
Bureau for Public Health/WVDHHR


Viral Hepatitis

Tiffany West
Gilead Sciences


Members of the WVSSC

Community Education Group Resource Guide Image of the New River Gorge Bridge at night with the words "Connecting You to West Virginia - The Resources West Virginians Need for SUD, Hepatitis, and HIV

Community Education Group Launches New Health Resource Guide

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV (October 19, 2020) – The Community Education Group has launched a new West Virginia Statewide Resource Guide that helps people in the state access resources for HIV, Substance Use Disorder (SUD), and Viral Hepatitis services.

This new digital Resource Guide lets users select their county of residence using an interactive map, which takes them to a dedicated page detailing the providers and organizations available in their area.

“One of the biggest challenges facing West Virginians is not knowing where to go when they’re seeking testing, treatment, or services for HIV, SUD, and Hepatitis,” said A. Toni Young, CEG’s Founder and Executive Director. “With this new guide, CEG is seeking to help West Virginians find the resources they need where they live, as well as to identify gaps in services which will allow us to develop better partnerships and strategies that will expand access to services to fill those gaps.”

The West Virginia Statewide Resource Guide continues to expand and seek input from CEG’s three primary stakeholder groups: Communities, Organizations, and Providers. Users may submit new or overlooked HIV, SUD, Hepatitis, and other resources for inclusion and listing under the appropriate county by filling out a simple form.

Community Education Group (CEG) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization working to eliminate disparities in health outcomes and improve public health in disadvantaged populations and under-served communities.

Community Education Group Distributes 2,000 COVID-19 Relief Kits Across West Virginia

18 Partners to Aid in Distribution

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV (October 20, 2020) – The Community Education Group has begun distribution of 2,000 COVID-19 Relief Kits in West Virginia through 18 distribution partners.

CEG’s staff, along with Milan Puskar Health Right and its clients, put together these backpacks on October 19, filling them with reusable masks, hand sanitizer, educational materials, a state resource guide, promotional CEG stickers, and gift cards to Kroger for the purchase of water or other needs.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit West Virginia, one of the first things we were told to do was to wash our hands,” said CEG Founder and Executive Director, A. Toni Young. “Some of the clients our distribution partners serve may be experiencing homelessness or not have running water, leaving them particularly vulnerable to transmission. We felt called to do something.”

CEG received partial funding for the contents of these Relief Kits thanks to generous donations from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (www.aidshealth.org), the Community Access National Network (www.tiicann.org), and ViiV Healthcare (www.viivhealthcare.com).

CEG’s distribution partners include the following organizations:

Community Education Group (CEG) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization working to eliminate disparities in health outcomes and improve public health in disadvantaged populations and underserved communities.

New River Bridge Bridge Day Celebration

Community Education Group Forms West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Public Health and Community Organizations Join Forces to Combat Triple Threat of Substance Use, HIV, Hepatitis Outbreaks in West Virginia

New Coalition Will Take on Rising Infection Rates and Drug Overdose Deaths in the State

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 – The West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition (WVSSC) convened for the first time on September 1, 2020, to address West Virginia’s growing “syndemic” of HIV/Hepatitis C (HCV) outbreaks and drug overdose deaths. The group’s primary mission is to break down technical, regulatory, and administrative barriers that limit testing, treatment, and support across HIV, viral hepatitis, and substance use disorder [SUD] programs. Such barriers create “treatment silos” that fail to reflect the medical and social realities behind the interrelated health crises—and thereby impede effective intervention.

The meeting was convened by the health advocacy organization Shepherdstown-based Community Education Group (CEG). CEG formed the new statewide coalition aimed at stemming the rising tide of fatalities and HIV and viral hepatitis infections driven by West Virginia’s ongoing opioid crisis. 

“We are facing an unprecedented Substance Use Disorder epidemic in West Virginia,” said A. Toni Young, Founder and Executive Director of CEG. “An epidemic that is directly linked to our state’s highest-in-the-nation rates of Viral Hepatitis, to three HIV outbreaks in the past four years, and to the highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the nation. It constitutes an immediate and ongoing threat to public health, requiring a proportional response. The West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition assembles the expertise and collaborative strategy to spearhead that response.”

The WVSSC will focus on expanding awareness, education, rapid testing for HIV and Viral Hepatitis, treatment for SUD, and linkage-to-care networks which refer those recently diagnosed with HIV or Viral Hepatitis to treatment resources. 

The first WVSSC meeting brought together 65 individuals and organizations including state government and public health officials, healthcare providers, national organizations, school board officials, community-based organizations, and others from across West Virginia. 

Representatives attendees for WVSSC include: West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources; the Bureau for Public Health; the Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services; the Office of Laboratory Services; the Office of Drug Control Policy; the Doddridge, Marion, Marshall, Mid-Ohio Valley, and Monongalia County Health Departments; Berkeley County Schools; the Hancock County Commission; the Jefferson Berkeley Alliance on Substance Abuse Prevention; the United Ways of Central WV, Marion, and Taylor Counties; Community Connections; David Medical Center; the Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council; Eastridge Health Systems; EnAct, Inc.; the Family Resource Networks in Fayette, Gilmer, and Jackson Counties; the Morgan County Homeless Coalition; the Regional Intergovernmental Council; the West Virginia Institute of Community and Rural Health; West Virginia University; and many other private and public community members from across the state.

WVSSC’s primary goals include: 

1.)   Working to deconstruct disease state silos between Substance Use Disorder, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis by increasing awareness, education, and building linkages to care and treatment networks;

2.)   Working to expand HIV screening, rapid testing, surveillance, treatment, and linkage to care throughout West Virginia, reaching into hard-to-reach and hard-to-treat parts of the states;

3.)   Helping to develop statewide elimination plans for HIV and Viral Hepatitis;

4.)   Developing statewide working groups focused on SUD, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis;

5.)   Offering educational opportunities to Providers, Organizations, and Consumers centered around HIV, Substance Use Disorders, and Viral Hepatitis

NEXT MEETING: The next open meeting of WVSSC will be held on October 13, 2020, at 2:00 PM ET.  All are invited. Sign up by filling out the form at this address