BUCKHANNON — More than $1 million will be coming to Upshur and Tucker counties from the West Virginia First Foundation’s new Momentum Initiative Grants.

The WVFF announced the first recipients of the MIG, which will give out nearly $18 million to support “high-impact initiatives” addressing substance use disorder, prevention, recovery and workforce and system capacity across the state. The grant was approved by the WVFF Board of Directors in December.

“The Momentum Initiative Grant reflects a new way of responding to the substance use crisis; one grounded in evidence, shaped by local expertise and guided by accountability,” WVFF Executive Director Jonathan Board said in a press release. “We traveled the state, listened to those holding the line in their communities and answered the call to honor the lives lost by putting these resources into the hands of those ready to create real, lasting impact for West Virginia.”

A total of 76 projects around the state were awarded the MIG.

West Virginia Wesleyan College in Upshur County will be receiving $947,916 for the “Capacity Building Initiative” created by WVWC and the West Virginia Court Appointed Special Advocates Association. The initiative project, according to WVFF, targets foster care and non-parental caregivers.

The college will also be receiving $246,125 to support its “Certificate in Addiction Counseling Workforce Development Scholarship.” The scholarship has a focus on behavioral health and workplace development, according to the WVFF.

In Tucker County, the Tucker Day Report, a Medicare-enrolled mental health clinic in Parsons, will receive $181,413.92 from the MIG. The Tucker Day Report falls under the WVFF category of targeting “Day Report Centers and Reentry Programs.”

The MIG will invest in a broad range of projects, including foster care and non-parental caregiver initiatives, youth prevention, recovery housing, behavioral health and workforce development and reentry and diversion programs, according to the WVFF. Collectively, the investments are designed to “strengthen systems of care, expand access to services and promote long-term, sustainable impact for West Virginians.”

“We were intentional in building a structure that reflects both feedback and best practices,” WVFF Board Chairman Greg Duckworth said in the release. “What emerged is a landmark opioid abatement model, distinct from any other foundation of its kind, made possible by volunteer Board Members and Expert Panelists dedicated to serving West Virginia.”

For more information about the Momentum Initiative Grant, visit wvfirst.org/MIG.