Help in West Virginia
For people starting over after prison, foster care, treatment, homelessness, abuse, or trafficking
We've verified 20 places in West Virginia, most of them in Charleston, Huntington and Dunbar, plus 12 that serve the whole state. The most help we've found here is for people after prison or jail (10) and after treatment and in recovery (10).
HELP4WV Addiction and Behavioral Health Helpline
Round-the-clock state-funded line that places West Virginians into detox, residential or outpatient treatment, medication-assisted treatment, psychiatric care, and peer recovery coaching, and ships free naloxone. Call, text, or use the website chat at any hour.
KISRA (Kanawha Institute for Social Research & Action)
Faith-motivated nonprofit in Dunbar whose employment programs include work to help people with criminal records reenter the community and find jobs. Contact the office by phone or email to ask about current reentry and employment openings.
West Virginia 211
Free information and referral line covering food, shelter, utility help, health care, and disaster needs anywhere in West Virginia. Dial 2-1-1, call the toll-free number if your phone uses Wi-Fi calling, or text your ZIP code.
Branches Domestic Violence Shelter
Domestic violence program in the Huntington region with an emergency shelter in Putnam County, safety planning, support groups, rapid rehousing, and the Safe Dates youth program. Call the help line to talk with an advocate; dial 911 if you are in immediate danger.
West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Statewide coalition that connects survivors to the licensed domestic violence program in their area and publishes safety-planning and legal resources. Call the office or use the program directory on the site to find local help; for immediate crisis support the coalition points callers to the National DV Hotline at 800-799-7233.
WV Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Reentry Resources
The state corrections agency publishes a Reentry Planner and a Jails Reentry Handbook for people preparing for release, and oversees parole supervision. Download the planning documents from the Offender Services page or contact the central office in Charleston.
Legal Aid of West Virginia
Free civil legal help for low-income West Virginians, including housing, benefits, family safety, debt, expungement-related substance use disorder cases, and kinship care. Apply online or by calling the statewide helpline during intake hours.
YWCA Sojourner's Shelter for Homeless Women and Families
Emergency shelter in downtown Charleston for single women, families, and fathers with children, with a 24/7 cafeteria serving free meals, case management, counseling, and a job-readiness center open to any homeless adult. The shelter never closes; call the shelter line to ask about a bed.
YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program
Licensed domestic violence program for Kanawha, Boone, and Clay counties offering a confidential 24/7 shelter, court advocacy, counseling, support groups, monitored child exchange, and safety planning. Reach an advocate any time by phone or through the website's live chat.
Huntington City Mission
Full-service Christian shelter serving about 143 people a night in Huntington, with separate men's, single-women's, and family dorms, more than 2,000 hot meals a week, and a food pantry. Admission goes through a mandatory intake; the Mission has a zero-tolerance substance policy and all medications must be declared at admission.
Harmony House
Huntington's coordinated-entry point for homeless services, with housing assistance, the First Steps Wellness and Recovery Center, and permanent supportive apartments (Vanity Fair, Nelson, and Heistad House). Walk in or call during weekday hours to be assessed for housing.
Recovery Point West Virginia
No-cost long-term residential recovery program with non-medical detox, Off the Street beds, two recovery phases, peer mentors, an outpatient behavioral health clinic, and Routes to Recovery transportation to jobs and appointments. Start with the online intake form or call the Huntington office.
Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center (RDVIC)
Morgantown-based program serving Monongalia, Taylor, and Preston counties with a free, confidential 24-hour hotline, shelter, support groups, legal advocacy, and services for people escaping or recovering from human trafficking. The hotline and the Monongalia office share one number.
Refugee Resettlement & Immigration Services
West Virginia's refugee resettlement program, serving refugees, asylees, SIV holders, trafficking victims, Cuban/Haitian entrants, and humanitarian parolees with housing placement, benefits referrals, ID documents, ESOL enrollment, and job preparation, plus low-cost immigration legal filings for residents statewide. Call or email the program contact to get started.
West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles – Driver's Licenses and ID Cards
Issues standard and REAL ID state identification cards and driver's licenses. Bring proof of identity, proof of Social Security number, and two proofs of WV residency to a regional office, or begin online; the office gives a 60-day temporary card and mails the permanent one.
WV PATH – SNAP, Medicaid, and Assistance Applications
Online portal for applying for SNAP food benefits, Medicaid, WVCHIP, LIEAP energy assistance, and the school clothing allowance; a paper SNAP application is also available in English and Spanish. The Customer Service Center answers application questions by phone.
West Virginia Vital Registration Office
State office that issues certified copies of West Virginia birth, death, and marriage certificates for a fee, by mail, online request, or at a walk-up counter in the Capitol Street lobby. Order through the certificate request page or visit during weekday hours.
WV Bureau for Social Services – Foster Care Services
The state child welfare bureau responsible for foster care, including services to young people in and leaving state custody. Youth and former foster youth with questions about their case, benefits, or transition supports can call the central office or locate their county DoHS field office.
Jobs & Hope West Virginia
Legislatively created statewide program that pairs West Virginians in recovery with career training, job placement, high school equivalency, Peer Recovery Support Specialist training, a heavy equipment operator course, and Second Chance job fairs. Call the toll-free line or use the website chat to begin.
Rea of Hope
Women's recovery residence in Charleston with 14 sober-living beds across two houses and nine apartments, where residents work on life skills and self-sufficiency; housing is also available for residents' children. Call the office on weekdays to ask about openings.
National lines that work in West Virginia
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential treatment referral for substance use and mental health. Finds local programs that take your insurance or none.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for any mental health or substance use crisis. Available to anyone in any program.
Lifeline free phone program
Free or discounted phone and service for people on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or low income. Apply online or through a carrier.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
24/7 confidential hotline for survivors of trafficking and people who suspect it. Connects to vetted local services.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 confidential help for anyone affected by domestic violence. Advocates connect you to local shelters and legal help.
Start right where you are
Each program has a step-by-step checklist for the first 72 hours, 30 days, and 90 days, so you always know your next step.