Charleston, W.Va. (February 6, 2026) – On the eve of Recovery Advocacy Day at the
West Virginia Legislature, a new statewide advocacy organization — Recovery
Empowerment through Policy, Advocacy, Transformation, and Hope (RE-PATH) — was
launched at the West Virginia Culture Center last evening. The announcement was
made by James “Jay” Phillips, President of Seed Sower, Inc. at a reception hosted by
the West Virginia Association of Addiction and Prevention Professionals.
Phillips said RE-PATH West Virginia represents an important new chapter for substance
use disorder recovery in the Mountain State. “RE-PATH is a movement led by people in
recovery, for people in recovery—designed to amplify voices, strengthen communities,
and help transform how our state supports long-term recovery,” he said. The group
began as a grassroots effort. Recovery leaders from every corner of West Virginia were
seeing the same reality: too many people are still falling through the cracks, and too
many recovery voices are missing from the tables where decisions are made.”
RE-PATH named its leadership and unveiled its logo. Its first priority is to collaborate
with providers, communities, recovery champions, allies, and state leaders to create a
seamless, person-centered continuum of care — one that recognizes recovery not as a
moment, but as a lifelong journey.
Officers of RE-PATH West Virginia are:
Rachel Thaxton, Co-Chair – West Virginia First Foundation of Saint Albans
Jay Phillips, Co-Chair – Seed Sower, Inc. of Beckley
Matt Boggs, Treasurer – Recovery Point of Huntington
Anna Holley, Secretary – Putnam County
The leader of Seed Sower, a non-profit serving southern West Virginia, explained that
RE-PATH will build upon the foundational work of Joe Deegan and others with the
Appalachian Recovery Alliance of West Virginia—ARA-WV.
“We realized that by working together, we could chart a clearer, stronger path forward
for recovery in our state,” explained Phillips. “We have also been fortunate to learn from
People Advocating Recovery (PAR) — an organization that has long advanced advocacy
and awareness efforts in Kentucky,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to PAR’s president,
Tara Mosley Hyde, for her mentorship and guidance as we worked to establish RE-
PATH here in West Virginia.”
Asked why RE-PATH was formed, Phillips said, “West Virginia is a state with a proud
and powerful history. It is also a state that has been deeply impacted by substance use
disorder and related diseases of despair. But just as real are the stories of resilience,
recovery, courage, and hope—stories unfolding every day in our families, our
communities, and our cities. Across this state, individuals and organizations are doing
extraordinary work, often with limited resources, creating meaningful and lasting
outcomes. Those stories matter. And they deserve to be elevated. While our individual
voices are powerful, we are stronger—and louder—together.”
Phillips continued, “RE-PATH exists to bring lived experience into the conversations that
shape policy, programs, and systems. We are here to help close gaps between
treatment, housing, employment, and long-term recovery support. And we are here to
help communities move from crisis response toward recovery-oriented solutions. This
work is about more than services. It’s about dignity. It’s about hope. And it’s about
opportunity.”
Earlier this week, representatives of RE-PATH West Virginia heard from Robert F.
Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
at a national conference in Washington, D.C.
Phillips said the HHS Secretary announced new federal initiatives in prevention and
recovery. “Some people listened with optimism,” said Phillips. “Some voiced concern.
Others expressed frustration, and others left in political protest. At RE-PATH, we don’t
care whether there’s a D or an R after your name. We care that our friends, our
neighbors, and our loved ones are hurting—and that too many are still dying. Addiction
does not discriminate. And meaningful solutions require all of us, across ideologies and
affiliations, working together.”
He said it is the ultimate goal of RE-PATH to “create a movement built on compassion,
courage, and connection. A movement that says every life in recovery matters. And a
movement that says West Virginia can lead the nation in recovery-oriented systems of
care.”
