Local divisions of Aetna Better Health and Community Care invested a total of $1.2 million to develop a new mental health counseling graduate program at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon.
Community Care of West Virginia committed to offer a position to each student who completes the degree after their accreditation is approved, according to a Feb. 10 news release from the college.
West Virginia has the highest rate of illegal drug overdose deaths in the U.S. and faces a significant shortage of mental healthcare providers, with only one for every 770 people, the release said. The national average is one provider for every 400 people.