Beckley, W.Va. (May 8, 2023) –Seed Sower, Inc. has announced a noon May 10 ribbon cutting to launch the opening of an office for The Well, southern West Virginia’s Recovery Community Organization (RCO), on the third floor of the Fruits of Labor Café building, 313 Neville Street in Beckley.

Judy Moore, executive director of the WV Hive and deputy director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA), praised the positive role Seed Sower has played in securing the region’s RCO and in the ongoing Communities of Healing recovery to work project.
“Jay Phillips and his team are offering the essential elements for those in recovery to succeed in rebuilding their lives,” said Moore. The Beckley Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce has also provided support for the opening of The Well.

Jay Phillips, executive director of Seed Sower, Inc., said his organization was founded to provide safe, secure housing, transportation, and recovery support services to adults in recovery from a substance use disorder. “Our vision specifically seeks the creation and nurturing of sustainable recovery ecosystems in each community we serve,” said Phillips. “Our goal is to broaden and deepen the integration of safe, stable housing, transportation, workforce development, peer recovery support, and community engagement with an existing system of training, certification, and employment programs operated by Fruits of Labor, Inc, partnered with state workforce development agencies — including WorkForce West Virginia and Jobs and Hope.”

He added that the designation as a RCO by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) furthers the non-profit’s mission. “The Well, as we call it, is independent, non-profit, and led and governed by people in recovery, family members, friends, and allies. We mobilize resources within and outside the recovery community and give those in recovery a voice,” said Phillips. “Through funding provided by the WV DHHR Bureau for Behavioral Health, Seed Sower is opening the first and only RCO in southern West Virginia. The state funded a total of six RCO’s. The other five are all north of Huntington.”

At The Well, Seed Sower will provide a broad array of services for people battling Substance Use Disorder. Those services include:

Peer Recovery Support: Seed Sower has two Peer Recovery Support Specialists at The Well and a Community Health Education Resource Person (CHERP) certified Recovery Coach. They provide targeted, tailored recovery support services at no cost to all who need it.

Recovery Capital (REC CAP) – to conduct in-depth assessment into a person’s recovery needs, recovery goal planning and implementation, and monitoring progress over time. Seed Sower is the only RCO in the state to utilize REC CAP.

Support group meetings – at the core of an RCO is support for all recovery pathways. As needs are expressed in the community, Seed Sower works to coordinate resources that support all known pathways to recovery.

Recovery celebration events – serve as a gathering space for all things recovery, including celebrations, milestones, community functions, and other events.

Community Listening Sessions – designed to engage both the recovery community and the greater community to help tailor services to meet the needs of those being served. Seed Sower has previously conducted two public listening sessions.

Additional services provided by Seed Sower are:

Recovery Housing: Seed Sower operates two NARR Level III certified recovery homes with a combined capacity of 29 beds, plus a new NARR Level II recovery home located in Beckley for transitional housing for one-year graduates. Its first residence, Seed Sower Village in Dawson, W.Va., houses 12 recovery beds for women. Its second house, Seed Sower Manor in Montgomery, W.Va., houses an additional 17 beds with priority for pregnant and parenting women (PPW) in recovery with children up to age two. Its third and newest house, Seed Sower Villa in Beckley – provides transitional living for Dawson and Montgomery graduates – providing up to an additional four years of active recovery engagement through The Well.

Transportation: Seed Sower contracts with local drivers to provide 100 percent of the transportation needs of its residents in Dawson and Montgomery. The organization is working to expand that service to include RCO participants.

The Respite Center – In southern West Virginia, there are not many resources for short-stay rehabilitation programs longer than 7-10 days (detox). For people who have completed a detox program but have not completed any short-stay rehabilitation program (30-60 day stays), Seed Sower is able to admit those individuals into its program through a new concept through The Respite Center. This is a small, four-bed wing co-located with our Dawson recovery residence that is reserved for two primary purposes: 1) As a preparatory space for people completing detox but who may not be ready for full program integration, and 2) as a short-term landing space for people who have experienced a recurrence or return to use as an alternative to program discharge. This allows Seed Sower to maintain the safety and integrity of its residence, while not having to turn away people seeking recovery (or needing to restart their recovery) who need an intermediary place to stay while they take the steps necessary for full residence integration.

Seed Sower is a founding member of the Communities of Healing program, which was funded in 2020 by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The innovative program is designed on the success of Fruits of Labor, a culinary program that has worked for nearly a decade with those in recovery and 20 years in business. The successful Communities of Healing program includes a partnership group consisting of Seed Sower, Fruits of Labor, Region 4 Planning and Development Council, Wright Venture Services, Region 1 Workforce Development Board, and WV Hive.