Currently, only 25.4% of adults and about 20% of children in West Virginia with mental, emotional or behavioral disorders receive treatment from a mental health professional. This leaves a large group of West Virginians struggling with mental health concerns due to healthcare barriers. Why? Reasons for these barriers include a lack of providers in a certain area, high costs from lack of insurance coverage and time restraints on families — all issues that need solutions.  

At KVC West Virginia, we’re here to help. As a leading provider of mental health therapy services, KVC West Virginia wants to make sure you are aware of your options and help you remove any barriers preventing you from accessing treatment. For residents of West Virginia, here are a few types of available mental health treatments, and how KVC can support you in your mental health journey. 

Types of Mental Health Treatments Available in West Virginia 

West Virginia offers a range of mental health treatment services to support those in need of care, but some may not know what options are available to them. Insurance providers, local mental health organizations and online directories are great resources to use while researching necessary treatment programs and service providers. 

As one service provider, KVC West Virginia provides a variety of therapy services to clients as a part of the Child, Family, and Adult Mental Health Therapy program. Some of these services include:

• Traditional Counseling and Talk Therapy: Involves discussing emotional and mental health issues with a trained therapist or counselor. 
• Play Therapy: Usually best practiced with younger children, play therapy offers a different approach to treatment. A traditional therapy setting can be too formal, which can prevent younger children from opening up. Play therapy allows the therapist to interact with the child on a level they feel comfortable with. This creates a comfortable setting for children to share their feelings. 
• Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP): These programs offer structured and comprehensive treatment for individuals needing more support than traditional talk therapy. But unlike inpatient services, this doesn’t require overnight hospitalization. Intensive outpatient services also allow participants to continue with daily work and caregiving responsibilities. KVC focuses on the Intensive Outpatient Substance Use Program, which provides individual and group therapy sessions to help clients 18 years or older recover from substance use disorder. 
• Telehealth (Virtual Mental Health Therapy Sessions): The advancement of technology now allows mental health professionals to offer sessions to clients virtually. In this format, clients in West Virginia can access help from the comfort of their homes. 

KVC has a lot to offer those in need of mental health care. However, there are a few treatments currently unavailable through KVC. Other providers in West Virginia can support those in need of:

• Psychiatry and Medication Management: Licensed professionals and primary care physicians can prescribe and monitor the use of psychiatric medications to manage certain mental health conditions.
• Support Groups: These groups provide a safe space for those with similar mental health challenges to share experiences, coping strategies and emotional support. They are often facilitated by mental health professionals or community organizations.
• Acute Inpatient Hospitalization: More severe mental health crises and substance abuse disorders may require hospitalization within a specialized facility for stabilization and intensive treatment.

Although KVC West Virginia does not provide all mental health treatments listed, our programs and services focus on safely overcoming some of the most common mental health conditions.

How KVC West Virginia Helps with the Most Common Mental Health Conditions  

Prevention, early intervention and family preservation are among the top priorities of our organization. When it comes to the care, safety and wellbeing of our clients, the Safe and Connected™ model is at the forefront of our services and treatments here in West Virginia. By focusing on the health and connection of children and families, this model offers a comprehensive approach that empowers families, promotes resilience and improves overall outcomes. 

Erin Osborne, LGSW, Vice President of Operations

“This model emphasizes prevention, trauma-informed care and continuous improvement, which all therapists at KVC use as a basis for helping clients succeed,” explains Erin Osborne, Vice President of Operations with KVC West Virginia. When working with children, young adults, families and adults, KVC providers help clients improve and overcome many different mental health conditions and disorders. However, some are more common than others. A few of the most commonly treated conditions and disorders include: 

• Anxiety
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Mental health providers at KVC are also well-equipped to handle other common emotions and concerns that might affect a client’s wellbeing. These concerns are: 

• Aggression
• Anger management
• Behavioral challenges
• Grief
• Trauma
• Stress management
• Suicidal ideation

The Safe and Connected™ model supports KVC’s service goals and the health and wellbeing of the clients we serve. Although that alone could serve as reason enough to choose KVC as your mental health provider, there are additional benefits to working with our therapists and clinicians. 

The Benefits of Choosing KVC for Mental Health Support

When choosing mental health support and treatment in West Virginia, it’s important to look beyond the individual service. Find something that truly has your best interests (or the best interests of your child) in mind. KVC West Virginia offers many advantages, including:

• Trusted Providers: One major benefit of working with KVC is knowing that all therapists and clinicians are licensed professionals and are encouraged to continue building their own skills and achieve the highest licensure levels. Therapists train with evidence-based therapies and provide services that encourage stability, recovery and healing. Each staff member is trauma-informed and receives ongoing training to ensure clients get the best care. 
• Flexibility of Scheduling: KVC works to remove obstacles and eliminate any barriers that may prevent clients from receiving treatment. Therefore, our staff are diligent about scheduling therapy sessions around family schedules. Even meeting with children and families in the evening with in-home sessions are available. Providers also manage scheduling in different locations and depending on the circumstances, may provide sessions at school, virtually or at KVC offices. 
• Achieving Goals: Outside of KVC, some therapists are not required to follow through and complete their service plan, but KVC West Virginia is committed to goal achievement and holds all of our providers to high standards. “Our therapists make sure that we’re meeting family’s expectations as well as their mental health goals,” Osborne says.

Criteria for Beginning Treatment with KVC 

KVC West Virginia locations

Before clients and referrals begin treatment with KVC’s Child, Family and Adult Mental Health Therapy, there are a few criteria to meet for eligibility. This criteria includes items like: 

• Complete an Assessment 
• Symptoms or Diagnosis of Condition/Disorder
• Client Safety Risk
• Medical Necessity – Meet APS Healthcare or Medicaid criteria
• Covered by Medicaid or Medicaid through a Managed Care Organization (i.e., Aetna or The Health Plan)

With so many in need of mental health support here in West Virginia, knowing your options for mental health therapy is a necessary starting point. Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength and everyone deserves support on their journey to better health. For more information or to check eligibility requirements contact your local KVC office.