Back to Life WV
Also: Breakthrough Addiction · WV State Opioid Response stigma reduction media campaign
“They got their life back. You can too.”
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (now Department of Human Services) Bureau for Behavioral Health stigma-reduction campaign (US-WV) launched September 2020 with State Opioid Response funds, using video stories of West Virginians in recovery with medication and of family members to cut stigma around opioid use disorder treatment and point people to 844-HELP4WV; 2022-2023 'Families Share the Other Side' stories, and 2024 'Breakthrough Addiction' spots.
- Years
- 2020–now
- Country
- United States
- Budget
- Site footer (2026): 'Federal funding in the amount of $869,775 supports 100% of the total project cost' (SAMHSA grant H79TI087828).
- Topic
- DrugsOpioids
- Asks people to
- Reduce stigmaSeek help
- Strategy
- Service linkStigma reductionTestimonial
- Channel
- OutdoorRadioSocial (paid)TVWebsite
- Audience
- AdultsGeneral public
Evidence
NoneUnknown
No outcome evaluation found.
Sponsor (who paid)
- West Virginia Department of Human Services (formerly DHHR), Bureau for Behavioral Health State local government, funder
- SAMHSA State Opioid Response grant Federal government, funder
Credits (who made it)
- The Manahan Group Creative, 2023-2026 source
- The Manahan Group Media, 2026 source
Executions (individual ads)
- Back to Life: John (Kanawha County) video story 2020 · website · vimeo
- Back to Life: Bailey (Kanawha County) video story 2020 · website · vimeo
- Back to Life from opioid addiction (John) 2020 · website · vimeo
- WV State Opioid Response - Bruce (Families Share the Other Side) 2023 · website · vimeo
- WV State Opioid Response - JoAnna (Families Share the Other Side) 2023 · website · vimeo
- Breakthrough Addiction – Art (:30) 2024 · tv · vimeo
- Breakthrough Addiction – Community (:30) 2024 · tv · vimeo
Sources
- WCHS: West Virginia embarks on campaign to lift the stigma of drug addiction news · 2020
- WV BBH: State Opioid Response (SOR) Project FAQ (16 Nov 2022), 'What is the SOR Stigma Reduction media campaign?' sponsor · 2022
- Back to Life WV home page (Wayback, May 2021) archive · 2021
- Back to Life WV stories page (Wayback, Feb 2023) archive · 2023
- Back to Life WV (current site) sponsor
Research notes
US-WV. The Nov 2022 SOR FAQ says platforms 'include local and cable tv, radio, and internet ads, out-of-home billboards and signage' and the backtolifewv.org site; it targets stigma toward OUD/stimulant treatment, medication, contingency management and harm reduction. A state SOR document surfaced by search (not opened) says the 'Breakthrough Addiction' campaign is replacing the Back to Life website; the live site now shows the two 2024 'Breakthrough Addiction' spots. The 2020 Vimeo stories are private on Vimeo; they are cited through the archived page that embeds them. Corrected 2026-10-22 (procurement pass): The Manahan Group (Charleston, WV) is the contracted agency. WV Purchasing Division delivery order CDO 0506 2888 BBH2600000001, 'SOR Opioid Stigma Reduction Campaign 2026' (change order 1, 2 Apr 2026; master agreement CMA 0506 HHR2200000001), buys account services, design and copy, and media buying from The Manahan Group for 1 Jan-29 Sep 2026; the original USD 386,100 was raised to USD 869,775, which is exactly the federal funding figure in the backtolifewv.org footer, and the order requires the SOR funding statement on all public-facing ads. Manahan is also the Vimeo account that uploaded the 2023 'WV State Opioid Response' and 2024 'Breakthrough Addiction' videos. Funding is federal SAMHSA SOR money, not opioid settlement funds. Related WV efforts logged in state-campaigns only: Health & Hope WV (2018 resource site, Prevention First Network), HELP4WV helpline. Discovered 2026-10-22 for #17. Ad library search: "Back to Life WV", "Breakthrough Addiction", "West Virginia Department of Human Services". Reuse terms checked 2026-10-23 by an AI research pass for #47; not yet reviewed by a person.
Record cases/wv-back-to-life.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign