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U.S. Sen. Capito secures CDS award to expand services at Lily’s Place

West Virginia Press Association

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – On Nov. 1, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), announced a funding award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for Lily’s Place in Huntington, W.Va.

This award, which was secured through a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) request made solely by Ranking Member Capito in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), will be used to expand the scope and raise the quality of services provided at Lily’s Place.

“Lily’s Place, which I have long-supported, does incredible work and touches countless lives supporting children and families in West Virginia,” Ranking Member Capito said. “I am proud to continue supporting their efforts by securing this CDS award for them that will ultimately help raise their standard of care and expand their services to effectively reach more people in need. I’ve worked closely with Lily’s Place for many years, including through major pieces of legislation and highlighting their efforts with top leaders in the Trump administration. As Ranking Member of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, I will continue to listen to local organizations and partner with organizations like Lily’s Place to prioritize West Virginians’ health and work to keep improving our health outcomes.”

“Over the last ten years, Senator Capito has supported Lily’s Place in providing high quality care for infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and their families. As the needs of these infants, families, and the community have evolved, so have our services. Senator Capito’s newest efforts to secure funding for Lily’s Place enables us to implement holistic programming that focuses on more than just short-term treatment. With her help, Lily’s Place will be utilizing resources more on prevention, family wellness, and creating resiliency in our community for a long-lasting impact on future generations.” Jodi Maiolo, Lily’s Place Director of Program Development, said.

Since her earliest days in the U.S. Senate, Senator Capito has been a staunch supporter of Lily’s Place. In 2017, she joined with then-Congressman Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.-03) to release a Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) study—that they requested—on neonatal abstinence syndrome. The study, “Federal Action Needed to Address Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome,” was the first federal study of its kind to examine best practices and approaches to treating newborns exposed to opioids during pregnancy. Senator Capito later penned an op-ed explaining how these findings could help serve as a tool in combatting the drug epidemic in West Virginia and across the United States.

Additionally, Senator Capito has helped raise awareness of Lily’s Place and the good work they do by welcoming Trump administration officials, including Former First Lady Melania Trump, in 2017. Senator Capito hosted then-U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan and the former first lady in Huntington, W.Va. in 2019 to show how West Virginia is developing innovative solutions to fight the opioid epidemic. The visit included a roundtable discussion with a number of leaders from the community, including leadership from Lily’s Place.

Individual award details listed below:

  • $1,085,000 HRSA CDS award to Lily’s Place, Inc. (Huntington, W.Va.) to open a community resource center providing comprehensive wraparound services that complement the existing NAS Treatment Center, behavioral health center, children’s center, and residential treatment center. This resource center would focus on prevention of long-term poor health outcomes, including substance use, by prioritizing the needs of the family unit rather than those of an individual.

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