Substance Abuse Treatment in Mercer County WV

Substance use treatment exists in Mercer County, and you do not need a referral to start. What most people need first is not information about medications or diagnoses. It is a phone number, a place to walk into, an answer about cost, and a plan for how to get there.

This guide is about access. It covers where services are, how to start, what things cost, and how to get to appointments. What treatment should look like for you is a conversation for you and a clinician, not something a website can decide.

To start: Call SUD Services directly at (304) 818-2222. Listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; call first to confirm walk-in intake availability before coming to the Princeton SUD Services Center.

Where Southern Highlands Provides Substance Use Services

SHCMHC SUD Services Center (Princeton)

Address: 1345 Mercer Street, Princeton, WV 24740
Phone: (304) 818-2222
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; call to confirm walk-in intake availability
Insurance: WV Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, and a sliding fee scale for people without coverage

This is the main location for substance use services in Mercer County. Call ahead to ask about an assessment and confirm whether walk-in intake is available.

SHCMHC Mullens Clinic (Wyoming County)

Location: Mullens, WV
Phone: 304-425-9541

For people in Wyoming County and the southern end of the service area, Mullens is often a shorter drive than Princeton.

Other SHCMHC locations

Southern Highlands also has clinics in Welch and Rockview. Not every service is offered at every location. If you live in McDowell County or the northern end of Wyoming County, ask when you call which location can provide what you need, so you are not driving to Princeton unnecessarily.

Residential Programs

Southern Highlands operates residential programs at Rockview and through Community Access. Residential placement is arranged after an assessment. Availability changes, so the only reliable way to find out where things stand is to call 304-425-9541 and ask.

What Southern Highlands Offers for Substance Use

Southern Highlands provides substance use services as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), which means mental health and substance use services are offered through the same organization rather than through separate agencies you have to coordinate yourself.

Services include:

Assessment to determine what services fit
Individual counseling with licensed and certified staff (CADC, LPC, LICSW)
Group counseling, including process groups, skills groups, and gender-specific groups
Family counseling
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Princeton
Residential programs at Rockview and Community Access
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder
Treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions alongside substance use services
Peer recovery support
Case management for housing, benefits, employment, and appointments
24/7 crisis services

Naming a service here does not mean it is the right service for you. Which of these you use, and in what order, comes out of the assessment.

About Medication-Assisted Treatment

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is one of the services Southern Highlands provides for opioid use disorder at the Princeton SUD Services Center, and MAT is also available through the Mullens Clinic.

We are not going to describe medications, doses, how they work, or how they compare on this page. Those are prescribing decisions, and they belong to you and a licensed prescriber who has evaluated you, not to a blog post.

What we can tell you is how to get in front of one:

Call (304) 818-2222 and say you are asking about MAT
Listed office hours at the Princeton SUD Services Center are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; call first to confirm walk-in intake availability
Bring a photo ID and your insurance card if you have one

For general, non-promotional information about medications used to treat opioid use disorder, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration publishes plain-language material at https://www.samhsa.gov/.

If you are looking for a prescriber outside Southern Highlands, SAMHSA maintains a national treatment locator at https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/, which lets you filter by location, service type, and payment accepted.

Methadone is not offered in Mercer County. The nearest opioid treatment programs that provide it are in Beckley. If that is what you are looking for, say so when you call and staff can point you toward the right program.

How to Start: The First Appointment

Step 1: Call or walk in

Phone: (304) 818-2222 Office hours: Princeton SUD Services Center, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; call first to confirm walk-in intake availability

You can contact Southern Highlands directly without first obtaining a physician referral, and you do not need to have decided on a treatment plan in advance. Medicaid coverage and authorization requirements vary by service, so ask staff to verify the specific service before relying on coverage.

Step 2: The assessment

The first visit is an assessment rather than a treatment session. Staff will ask about your history, your health, your living situation, and what you are hoping to change. It takes longer than a routine follow-up appointment, so plan accordingly.

The purpose of the assessment is to figure out, with you, which services make sense and where they are offered.

Step 3: What to bring

Photo ID
Insurance card, if you have one
A list of any medications you currently take
Proof of income if you do not have insurance and want to be placed on the sliding fee scale (pay stubs, a tax return, an unemployment statement, or a written statement if you have no income)
The name and number of any other providers you see, if you want your care coordinated

If you do not have all of this, come anyway. Missing paperwork is not a reason to stay home.

Step 4: Scheduling around your life

Tell scheduling staff up front about work hours, childcare, court dates, probation requirements, and transportation limits. It is much easier to build a schedule around those things at the start than to reschedule repeatedly afterward.

Insurance and Payment in Mercer County

WV Medicaid (Mountain Health Trust)

WV Medicaid covers many medically necessary behavioral health and substance use services. Coverage, network rules, cost-sharing, service limits, and authorization requirements vary by service and current policy, including within a CCBHC. You can contact Southern Highlands without a physician referral; staff can verify benefits and help with authorization paperwork when required.

If you are not sure whether your Medicaid is active, call Mountain Health Trust member services at 1-866-642-8589 before your appointment.

Medicare

Medicare covers outpatient behavioral health services, including counseling and medication management. Copays vary by plan and by whether you have supplemental coverage. Bring your Medicare card and any secondary insurance card to your first visit.

Private insurance

Most private plans cover substance use treatment, though plan rules vary widely and some services require prior authorization. Call the number on the back of your card, or bring the card in and let intake staff verify coverage for you.

If you do not have insurance

Southern Highlands uses a sliding fee scale based on household income and household size. You will need to show proof of income to be placed on the scale. Payment plans are available, and as a CCBHC, Southern Highlands does not condition access to services on ability to pay.

If you might qualify for Medicaid, it is worth applying at the same time you start services. West Virginia expanded Medicaid, and income limits are set by the state and change from year to year:

Online: wvinroads.org
By phone: 1-877-716-1212
In person at your local DHHR office

You do not have to wait for the application to be approved before you start care. Call and start the process.

Getting to Appointments

Transportation is one of the most common reasons people in southern West Virginia do not finish treatment. It is worth solving before it becomes a problem.

Medicaid transportation (NEMT)

If you have WV Medicaid, non-emergency medical transportation may cover rides to your appointments. Call 1-844-549-8353 to arrange rides. Trips generally need to be scheduled several business days in advance, so book the ride when you book the appointment.

Telehealth

Telehealth is available for many ongoing outpatient services. If your internet is unreliable, ask whether a phone appointment works instead of video. Ask specifically which of your appointments can be done remotely and which need to be in person, because it is not the same for every service.

Choosing the closest clinic

Southern Highlands has locations across Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties. If Princeton is a long drive from you, ask what is available in Welch or Mullens before you commit to a schedule.

Weather

Winter roads in this part of the state are a real scheduling factor. Ask about telehealth for winter months, and call the clinic rather than skipping silently if conditions are bad.

Rides from family or friends

A support person can drive you and wait in the waiting room. Some churches and community organizations in the area coordinate volunteer transportation. Ask a case manager whether they know of anything running in your county.

Peer Recovery Support

Peer recovery specialists are people with lived experience in recovery who work as part of the team.

What peer support looks like at Southern Highlands:

Help navigating the treatment system and its paperwork
Connection to community resources
Accompaniment to appointments
Support groups
Recovery coaching

How to access it:

Available at Southern Highlands locations
May be covered by Medicaid when service criteria and current coverage rules are met
You can ask about peer support when you call 304-425-9541

Community Support Groups in and Around Mercer County

Support groups are not treatment and are not run by Southern Highlands, but they are free, they do not require insurance, and for a lot of people they are the part of the week that holds everything else together.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings are held weekly in Princeton, Bluefield, and Athens. Meeting lists are at aa.org.

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Meetings are held in Princeton and Bluefield. Meeting lists are at na.org.

SMART Recovery An alternative to the 12-step format, with in-person and online meetings listed at smartrecovery.org.

Celebrate Recovery A faith-based program hosted by churches in Mercer County. Ask locally or check with individual congregations for current meeting times.

NAMI support groups The National Alliance on Mental Illness runs free peer and family support groups. Availability varies by county.

If you are not sure what is currently meeting near you, ask a peer recovery specialist or case manager at Southern Highlands. Meeting schedules in small towns change more often than the websites reflect.

Other Providers in and Near Mercer County

Southern Highlands is not the only option, and it is reasonable to look around.

Private counselors and prescribers: availability in Mercer County is limited, and not all accept Medicaid. The WV Certification Board and general provider directories can help you build a call list.
Bluestone Regional Center (Princeton): a state-operated facility. Referrals are made through WV DHHR.
Hospitals: Princeton Community Hospital is the local hospital. Beckley and Charleston have larger hospitals, both a significant drive from Mercer County.
SAMHSA treatment locator: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ lets you search by zip code and filter for programs that accept your coverage.

Questions Worth Asking Any Provider

These are access questions. You can ask them on the phone before you commit to anything.

“Do you accept my insurance?” Ask specifically about your plan, not just “Medicaid” or “Medicare” in general.
“Are you accepting new patients right now?” Some providers accept your insurance but are not taking new referrals.
“Do I need a referral or prior authorization?”
“What locations do you have, and which is closest to me?”
“Do you offer telehealth, and for which services?”
“What are your hours? Do you have anything outside of a workday?”
“What do I need to bring to the first appointment?”
“If I do not have insurance, do you have a sliding fee scale, and what do I need to show?”
“Do you have case management that can help with housing, benefits, or transportation?”
“What happens if I miss an appointment?”

Common Barriers, and What Actually Helps

Transportation

Ask about Medicaid NEMT (1-844-549-8353), ask which appointments can be done by phone or video, and ask whether a closer Southern Highlands location offers what you need.

Childcare

Bring it up when scheduling. Ask about appointment times that work around school hours, and ask a case manager about WV DHHR childcare assistance programs you may qualify for.

Work

Ask about the earliest and latest appointment slots available and about telehealth for follow-ups. If you have worked for your employer long enough to qualify, federal FMLA leave may provide job-protected time off for treatment. The U.S. Department of Labor explains eligibility at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla.

Privacy in a small town

This is a real concern in McDowell, Mercer, and Wyoming counties, and it is worth naming rather than pretending away. Your records are protected under HIPAA, and federal rules give substance use treatment records additional protection. If you are still uneasy about being seen, ask about telehealth, about appointment times that are less busy, and about clinics in a neighboring county.

Cost

Ask about the sliding fee scale before your first visit so there are no surprises. Front desk staff field this question constantly and will walk you through it.

What Access Looks Like Across the Three Counties

Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties do not look the same when it comes to getting to care, and it helps to plan for the county you actually live in.

Mercer County has the largest concentration of services, including the SUD Services Center in Princeton and the residential programs in the Princeton area. Princeton and Bluefield have the most meeting options and the shortest drives for most residents. If you live in the eastern or southern part of the county, ask about telehealth for follow-ups so the drive is only for appointments that require being there in person.

McDowell County is the hardest county in the region to serve, and everyone involved knows it. Roads are slow, cell coverage is uneven, and the drive from communities like War, Iaeger, or Northfork to Princeton is not a short trip. Ask about the Welch clinic, ask about phone appointments rather than video if your signal is unreliable, and set up Medicaid transportation early rather than trying to arrange it the week of an appointment.

Wyoming County residents are often closer to Mullens or Rockview than to Princeton. Ask what is offered at each before you build a schedule around the Princeton location.

In all three counties, the practical barriers are the same ones people have dealt with for decades: distance, gas money, one vehicle in a household, shift work, and the fact that everybody knows everybody. None of those are reasons care is impossible. They are reasons to ask specific questions about scheduling, location, and telehealth when you call.

If You Are Calling About Someone Else

Families call Southern Highlands regularly about a spouse, an adult child, or a parent. A few things worth knowing:

You can call 304-425-9541 to ask general questions about what services exist, what they cost, and how someone would start. That does not require the other person’s permission.
What staff can tell you about a specific person’s care is limited by HIPAA, state law, and, when applicable, 42 C.F.R. Part 2. A valid authorization may permit involvement, and the law also permits or requires some disclosures without one. Ask staff what rule applies.
If the situation is a crisis, call the 24/7 crisis line at 1-800-615-0122, or 911 if someone is in immediate physical danger.
Family counseling and family support are part of what a CCBHC provides. You can ask about support for yourself, whether or not your family member ever comes in.

If You Have Been in Treatment Before

A gap in care, a missed run of appointments, or a discharge from a previous program does not disqualify you from calling back. Call 304-425-9541 or walk in and say you have been a patient before. Staff will tell you what re-engaging looks like and whether anything from your prior record needs to be requested.

If you are involved with the court system, drug court, probation, or CPS, say so at intake. Requirements about documentation, attendance, and reporting are easier to handle if scheduling staff know about them from the beginning.

Crisis and After-Hours

If you or someone with you is in crisis:

SHCMHC 24/7 crisis line: 1-800-615-0122
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or visit https://988lifeline.org/
Walk into the Crisis Stabilization Unit
Call 911 if someone is in immediate physical danger, is unresponsive, or may have overdosed

You do not need to be an established patient to call the Southern Highlands crisis line. Call for current assessment and access instructions, and do not delay immediate safety help while trying to determine insurance coverage. Charges and authorization rules can depend on any service provided after the call.

If You Are Not Sure You Are Ready

Call anyway. You do not have to commit to anything to ask questions. Staff can tell you what services exist, what they cost, where they are, and what the first appointment involves. You can hang up and think about it.

Phone: (304) 818-2222 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, Princeton SUD Services Center; call first to confirm walk-in intake availability

You can also call on behalf of a family member to ask what options exist, though what can be shared about someone else’s care is limited by privacy law.

Where to Read General Information

This blog describes services and how to reach them. It is not clinical advice, and no part of it should be used to decide what treatment you need. For general, non-commercial information about substance use and mental health:

SAMHSA: https://www.samhsa.gov/
SAMHSA treatment locator: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/

For anything about your own situation, talk to a clinician.

For substance use services in Mercer County, call SUD Services at (304) 818-2222. Listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; call first to confirm walk-in intake availability. For 24/7 crisis support, call 1-800-615-0122.