The West Virginia Department of Health Services, along with its Office of Drug Control Policy and Bureau for Behavioral Health, has announced the recipients of its 2025 awards recognizing significant achievements in addiction treatment and recovery. The awards honor individuals and organizations for their dedication and impact in supporting those affected by substance use disorder in West Virginia.
“This recognition reflects our mission to expand opportunity, strengthen recovery pathways, and improve outcomes for individuals and families affected by addiction,” said Alex Mayer, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services. “By working together, we are building a system where recovery is not only possible but supported at every step.”
The 2025 awardees include Michael Joe Deegan, who received the Award for Excellence in Substance Use Disorder Treatment; Todd Davies, PhD, from Huntington, WV, honored for research on prevention and treatment; Youth Services System, Inc., Wheeling, named Certified Recovery Residence of the Year; Jobs & Hope WV recognized for statewide impact as a community organization; Maureen Talkington from Oak Hill awarded Mental Health Peer Recovery Support Specialist of the Year; Jessica Kerns-Galloway from Elkins received the Recovery Community Statewide Impact Award; and Ellisha Seabolt from Parkersburg was named Substance Use Disorder Peer Recovery Support Specialist of the Year.
The recipients were announced during two conferences: the West Virginia Peer Recovery Support Services and Recovery Housing Conference on September 9, 2025, and the Appalachian Addiction and Prescription Drug Abuse Conference on September 18, 2025. Both events took place at The Embassy Suites in Charleston.
“What makes this group extraordinary is not only the services they provide, but the hope they inspire,” said Christina Mullins, DoHS Deputy Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. “Their work shows us that recovery is not just an outcome, it’s a movement transforming the future of West Virginia.”
These annual awards aim to promote excellence in addiction services while highlighting efforts to broaden access to treatment and recovery across West Virginia.
