Health strives to address the mental health and particularly , the addiction crisis .
“ My role is to help create partnerships within and outside our organization that will allow for improvements in access to services that will enhance the chances of recovery for individuals with substance use disorders and serious mental illness ,” he says .
Not only is Deegan dedicated to his career , but he is also dedicated to making health care in the Mountain State the best it can be . He takes great pride in mentoring clinical social workers to provide supervision as they work toward advancing their social work licensure .
“ We spend time discussing a wide variety of clinical issues and advance more creative ways to enhance the treatment experience for our patients . I also spend a great deal of time doing service work for our self-help recovery groups , which entails sustaining contact with individuals in early recovery ,” he says .
Deegan feels a strong connection to community in West Virginia and has been able to give his time and talent to organizations that mean the most to him , such as the West Virginia Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors , Inc ., Association for Addiction Professionals and National Association of Social Workers . He even received the Advocate of the Year Award from NAADAC , The Association for Addiction Professionals , and he considers it his most noteworthy recognition .
Being born and raised in West Virginia , Deegan is hopeful that the people can come together to make tomorrow better for all .
“ I love my roots and am proud of my heritage as a West Virginian ,” he says . “ The challenge of the addiction crisis with overdose deaths hitting all-time highs during the pandemic has only made it more clear to me how we must redouble our efforts , stay focused and work together at all levels to overcome this scourge in our communities for a bright future .” •
Advocacy in Action
Joseph Deegan , business development liaison of Thomas Health , recently became president-elect for the West Virginia Behavioral Healthcare Providers Association ( WVBHPA ), which Thomas Health joined this past year . The mission of the WVBHPA is to promote a quality system of behavioral health care for West Virginians .
As for his recent achievements , Deegan took advantage of a recent interim legislative session to bring some creative minds together to talk about addiction in West Virginia .
“ The WVBHPA worked with the West Virginia Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors in sponsoring a legislative roundtable in December 2021 , which focused on substance use disorder ( SUD ) issues ,” he says .
Deegan is passionate about this new role because one factor that has played
a large part in his career in health care involves advocacy .
“ I really don ’ t know how it started , but I ’ ve been involved at the state and national level as an advocate around issues related to SUD . Since my late father was a respected politician in our community , it has been easy for me to maintain a strong emphasis in approaching public officials regarding the needs of those suffering from substance use disorders and their families ,” he says .
The WVBHPA is committed to creating and sustaining healthy and secure communities and focuses on areas such as mental health , addiction , children services and developmental disabilities . The association ’ s members are behavioral health care provider organizations serving recipients in each of the Mountain State ’ s 55 counties .
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