Quality Insights Helps Coalition Kick Off Summer with Celebration and Open House

HUNTINGTON, W.Va., June 5, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Healthy Connections, a coalition of health care and social service providers helping families affected by substance use disorder, held an open house at the River Valley Center for Addiction Research, Education and Support (RV CARES) in Huntington.

The open house was coordinated by Quality Insights, a Charleston-based non-profit organization that brings people and information together to improve health nationwide. Quality Insights is lending expertise and donating more than one million dollars of services to Healthy Connections, including developing and hosting Healthy Connections' web and social media presences, coordinating partnerships and launching an outreach campaign to share Healthy Connections services, reduce substance use disorder stigma and measure the most effective strategies for reaching individuals in need of treatment.

The summer-themed event highlighted two key components of Healthy Connections' efforts to strengthen family bonds and address substance use disorder: Knowledge in Developmental Steps (KIDS) Clinic and RV CARES.

KIDS Clinic is a convenient, one-stop service held once a month in Huntington that brings together multiple medical and behavioral specialists to care for all children and their families, including those affected by substance use disorder. It is a service of Marshall University and Marshall Health.

"The clinic helps children build healthy brains and bodies through healthy relationships early in their lives," said Pam Holland, director of clinical education in the Department of Communication Disorders at Marshall University. "Our screening for babies and toddlers includes general pediatric care; neurodevelopmental; speech, language, feeding and literacy; physical therapy; and psychological and psychosocial services."

RV CARES provides specialized childcare for children exposed to substance use disorder who meet the criteria as well as support for their families and is open to everyone. It is a service of River Valley Child Development Services.

"Our mission is to provide quality, all-inclusive childcare services to promote healthy brain and body development through positive, nurturing relationships," said Suzi Brodof, executive director of River Valley Child Development Services. "We are so happy to be providing this opportunity for children and families in the Huntington area."

Holland and Brodof shared details of these two unique programs with open house attendees. They were joined by other local leaders who made remarks including Janie Fuller-Phelps, director of RV CARES, Lyn O'Connell, associate director of addiction sciences at Marshall Health, and Rebecca Crowder, executive director of Lily's Place. O'Connell and Crowder serve as co-chairs of the Healthy Connections Coalition.

Healthy Connections' KIDS Clinic is held one Friday per month in Huntington with no referral necessary. Appointments are available by calling 304-696-3641. RV CARES child development services are provided at 2021 West Fifth Avenue in Huntington in the former Enterprise Child Development Center. For more information, call 304-429-3882.

To view a video of the summer open house, visit https://youtu.be/gMxNJKh_7XE. Learn more about Healthy Connections at http://www.HealthyConnectionsWV.org.

SOURCE Healthy Connections