All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

New master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling made possible by collaboration between WVWC, Community Care and Aetna

Community Care of West Virginia CEO Rick Simon, at left, shakes hand with WVWC Interim President Dr. James Moore at Friday's press conference to cement the agreement. / Photos by Monica Zalaznik

BUCKHANNON – West Virginia Wesleyan College is partnering with Aetna Better Health of West Virginia and Community Care of West Virginia to introduce a new master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

The collaboration involves a $1.2 million project investment from Aetna Better Health of West Virginia and Community Care of West Virginia, and Community Care has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Wesleyan to support the program by offering positions to each student who completes the degree, after accreditation approval.

Representatives from WVWC, Community Care and Aetna discussed the lack of professionals in the mental health field in West Virginia at a press conference Friday to announce the new partnership.

“Nationwide, there’s one mental health professional for every 400 people, but in West Virginia, there’s one for every 770 and in our service range, where Community Care covers, there’s one for every 1,434,” Rick Simon, chief executive officer for Community Care, said. “What West Virginia Wesleyan is going to be able to do over the next few years is help people who are in crisis throughout Central West Virginia – all of West Virginia.”

Todd White, CEO of Aetna Better Health of West Virginia, said they currently serve over 200,000 Medicaid recipients and over 30,000 of them are in foster care.

“Our care management staff are scattered all throughout the state, and they really struggle to help coordinate the services and get these kids in the care they need, just because of the staffing shortages,” White said. “We were thrilled to get Dr. Moore and Rick [Simon] together in a room and hammer out this idea, and I think this truly brings out the heart of West Virginia, how quickly this has come to fruition and hearing that we could possibly have our first students in August or September.”

Todd White, CEO of Aetna Better Health of West Virginia

Interim president of West Virginia Wesleyan College Dr. James Moore said he was glad there was something Wesleyan could do to facilitate the training of future mental health professionals.

“It was so gracious of Aetna and Community Care to make this investment, and it’s our job to provide the solution to this challenge we all know we’re facing and sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the importance that higher education institutions play in solving problems and in providing solutions to problems,” Moore said. “We value teaching here at West Virginia Wesleyan College, but it’s been great to work with these awesome partners to provide a solution to the mental health crisis.”

Dr. James Moore, interim president of West Virginia Wesleyan College

Moore said there are six-month-long waiting lists to see a counselor in West Virginia.

“We all know there are shortages in so many of our most needed professions right now — teachers, nurses, critical care professionals, and yes, we feel this shortage probably more acutely than many others,” Moore said. “There are six-month waiting lists to see a counselor, and I’m personally very grateful that I have a long relationship with my counselor. I’m so thankful for her, and I can’t imagine what it would be like if I had to wait six months to get in to see her, so we can and we will attack this problem head-on.”

Psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Junkins, chief medical officer of behavioral health with Community Care, reviewed a series of statistics, which highlighted why West Virginia needs an enhanced mental health care presence in the state.

“In 2020 in West Virginia, the age-adjusted mortality rate for overdose deaths is at 1.4 persons per 100,000; the next closest state to that was Kentucky, and Kentucky’s number was 49.2, so we have 81.4 and the next closest state is 49.2,” Junkins said. “We’re in the top 10 for suicide rates at about 19.4 per 100,000 and 22 percent of West Virginians experienced poor mental health days for more than 14 days of the month, so a quarter of our population spends half their time having poor mental health days.”

Dr. Kevin Junkins, chief medical officer for behavioral health at Community Care of W.Va.

He said some statistics show the state is nearing 50 percent of children who are not living with their biological parents.

“This morning, when I looked at the foster care dashboard it was 6,000 West Virginians, but of course, we all know there’s a problem – there’s been a problem – and we’ve made progress as a collective mental health community within the State of West Virginia, but there was this global pandemic that came and it changed the momentum and trajectory for a lot of us,” Junkins said. “We do not have an adequate workforce to meet the needs, and the biggest barriers to growth have been access to a quality and competent mental health workforce and that has especially affected our rural communities.”

You can read more about the new partnership here.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for July 2, 2025

This week in Buckhannon, local organizations plan events and clinics — including a big July 4th celebration — and several community initiatives aim to engage residents of all ages.

Emergency agencies stress need for coordinated incident plans during large events with road closures

Emergency officials emphasized the need for incident action plans and coordination with public safety agencies for large events that close major streets, citing upcoming car shows and other street-closure events to ensure fast, safe emergency responses.
BUHS Sports

B-U now in Class AAAA in all sports; moved to new South Region after WVSSAC restructuring

Buckhannon-Upshur High School will compete in Class AAAA — the highest division — for all sports and has been moved to the new South Region under a two-year realignment by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

Stockert Youth and Community Center Board Meeting Agenda: July 3, 2025

The Stockert Youth and Community Center Board will meet July 3, 2025, with an agenda set to discuss organizational matters and upcoming events.

Buckhannon Waste Board Agenda: July 3, 2025

The City of Buckhannon Waste Collection Board has released the agenda for its upcoming meeting on July 3, 2025.

Woman arrested on six felony charges after allegedly shooting at a man in Upshur County

Jocelyn M. Krum, 28, of Charleston, was arrested on six felony charges after allegedly entering a Mt. Lebanon Road residence in Upshur County with a rifle and shooting at a man before fleeing the scene.

Buckhannon man sentenced to 11 to 21 years for Bailey Ridge Road shootout

Austin W. Arbogast, 26, was sentenced to 11 to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felony charges stemming from a March 2024 shootout on Bailey Ridge Road while attempting to retrieve his child.

Mountain East Conference extends invitation to Shawnee State University

The Mountain East Conference has approved Shawnee State University as its 12th full-time member, with the school set to join in 2026 pending NCAA Division II acceptance and expanding league competition in 19 sports.
Davis and Elkins College

Davis & Elkins College students recognized for high academic honors for Spring 2025 semester

Davis & Elkins College has announced the Spring 2025 president’s list, for students earning 4.0 GPAs, and dean’s list, for those earning 3.6 to 3.99, honoring academic excellence campus-wide.