By Stephen Smoot
One of the most important byproducts of the mission of the United States Navy while fulfilling its primary mission as they operated their base in Sugar Grove lay in supporting the local community. Youth and school sports used the track and other facilities. Many locals took pride in holding civilian jobs there.
When the Navy decommissioned the base, the action seemed to rip the beating heart out of a thriving community.
For Ladale Jackson of Liberty Behavioral and Community Services, the company poised to take possession of the facility, rebuilding that sense of integration and community ranks among his highest priorities.
“My C.O.O. had a vision of what that base could offer,” said Jackson, who then listed behavioral services, substance abuse services, and medical services as three opportunities to serve important needs in Pendleton County and the surrounding area. He added that “it had been on our radar for several years.”
Next, he stated, “We took a visit. I fell in love with the environment.” Later, Jackson remarked “that campus is the ideal setting” for serving “needs across the spectrum.”
But that was the last time that Jackson used the word “base” to describe the facility. He explained that he preferred the term “community” because “we want to create a community to serve the workers and the population in that area,” reflecting the change in mission.
One of the keys to establishing such a facility at Sugar Grove successfully, as multiple groups have attempted and failed to do, lies in preparation. Jackson explained that his group studied the different instances when others have run into barriers, saying, “We understand what some of those challenges have been” and have avoided “going down some of those rabbit holes.”
Then, the company took a step-by-step approach. As Jackson described, “We had an idea. We develop a deployment plan. We try to connect with government officials to make sure we could work with them . . . on such a large scale project.”
At the state level, Liberty has worked with officials to navigate the Certificate of Need waiver process and secure licensing for the professionals who will staff the center.
Plans also include offering services first to Pendleton County, then the region, and finally a goal to accept patients and clients from all across West Virginia.
Last week, company leadership met with Carl Hevener, Pendleton County Commission president, Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County Emergency Services coordinator, and other state and local officials to lay out their plans.
Jackson also stated that they are “looking to network as we do with all of our communities to have local providers” so that they can “cross refer” those who need services that Liberty does not provide and vice versa. He explained that process relies a lot on the right timing as they work on a number of fronts to start operations.
Services will encompass a variety of needs, most of which have emerged as serious social and health issues in West Virginia.
In general, the facility will help those with disabilities and issues with mental health and substance abuse. Specifically, this will include psychiatric residential care for children, group home settings for those with autism and other disabilities, help for women, especially those who are pregnant, deal with addiction, individual psychiatric services, and more.
Plans envision a systematic expansion of services in phases.
Jackson also revealed that applications have gone in to start with 56 beds for a residential group home, which will serve as the start of operations. Their hope is to start by June 1.
He also forecasts that the facility will create 350 jobs.
The community concept encompasses not just the inside of the facility, but also how it integrates with the area. Jackson stated that Liberty is open to a wide variety of possible community collaborations. Those include letting youth or school sports use the gymnasium or outdoor venues, hosting a farmer’s market, allowing the community to use facilities for meetings or events, and more.
