Opioid Treatment in Princeton, WV

Published: 2026-10-26 Updated: 2026-10-26

Fentanyl was present in 73% of Mercer County's 44 overdose deaths in 2024, a count that halved from 92 the year before. Princeton sits at the center of that county — and unlike most small West Virginia cities, it has a certified opioid treatment program inside its limits. Medication, counseling, and detox are all within a mile of downtown. Here is what the data show and how to start.

What are my options for opioid treatment in Princeton?

It depends on where you are. If you still take a prescription opioid and want off it, a clinician can plan a gradual taper that softens withdrawal. If use has slipped out of your control, medication for opioid use disorder works better than willpower: NIDA identifies buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone as effective treatments, and Princeton is one of the few southern West Virginia cities with all three reachable locally — Southern Highlands' Princeton Clinic is a SAMHSA-certified opioid treatment program about 0.8 miles from downtown, and 9 of the 23 programs in the radius prescribe buprenorphine.

How opioids are affecting Mercer County

The West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy's Mercer County profile records 44 overdose fatalities in 2024, down from 92 in 2023 — a 52% drop in one year, among the sharpest in the state — for the county's 57,524 residents. Fentanyl was present in 73% of those deaths, methamphetamine in 50%, other drugs in 50%, cocaine in 25%, benzodiazepines in 18%, and other opioids in 18%.

One trend explains part of the shift: opioid prescription dispensing in Mercer County fell 66.1% between 2014 and 2024, among the steepest declines in West Virginia. Risk has moved from the pharmacy to illicit supply — which is why tablets sold outside a pharmacy are so dangerous, since counterfeits pressed to look like oxycodone routinely contain fentanyl.

Deaths are counted by county of occurrence rather than residence, and one death can involve several substances. The halving of the county's count is real progress, but 44 still means 44 families.

Medication and treatment options in Princeton

A FindTreatment.gov pull dated October 26, 2026 within 30 miles of Princeton lists 23 substance use programs, reaching from Princeton up the I-77 corridor to Beckley and over the Virginia line:

• 9 prescribe buprenorphine (5 offering buprenorphine maintenance) and 10 use or prescribe naltrexone
• 3 federally certified opioid treatment programs are inside the radius: Southern Highlands' Princeton Clinic (0.8 miles), the Mullens clinic (about 21 miles), and Beckley Comprehensive Treatment Center (about 30 miles)
• 2 offer detoxification (Southern Highlands Princeton; the Beckley VA Medical Center) and 2 offer residential care (Southern Highlands Princeton; FMRS Health Systems in Beckley)
• 1 runs an intensive outpatient program; 11 offer regular outpatient care
• 20 accept Medicaid, 21 accept private insurance and 20 accept Medicare
• 11 offer a sliding fee scale, 19 offer telemedicine, and 11 offer naloxone and overdose education

Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center is Mercer County's designated behavioral health provider and a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, which must serve people regardless of ability to pay, residence, or age. Its Princeton Clinic carries the region's deepest service list: hospital inpatient and outpatient detoxification, 24-hour residential care, OTP-certified methadone dispensing, buprenorphine and naltrexone prescribing, plus a 24/7 crisis line, transportation assistance, and housing services. Nearby, Groups Recover Together and SaVida Health in Bluefield (about 10 and 17 miles) offer buprenorphine-based outpatient care.

One caveat: the pull includes Virginia-side programs (Pearisburg, Pulaski, Wytheville) that take Virginia Medicaid. If you rely on West Virginia Medicaid, start with a West Virginia provider or confirm coverage first.

Naloxone and safer use

Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose and cannot harm someone who has not taken opioids. Eleven programs in the Princeton radius report offering naloxone and overdose education, and West Virginia distributes naloxone free through community programs. If someone is unresponsive or breathing slowly: call 911, give naloxone, stay with them, and repeat after 2 to 3 minutes if there is no response.

Paying for opioid treatment in Princeton

West Virginia's Medicaid State Plan covers medication-assisted treatment for members who meet medical necessity criteria — methadone through certified programs, and buprenorphine or naltrexone through enrolled prescribers. 20 of the 23 programs in the radius accept Medicaid and 11 offer a sliding scale. If you are uninsured, HELP4WV at 1-844-HELP4WV provides free 24/7 referrals to funded and sliding-scale care.

How to start today

1. In an emergency, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it. For a non-medical crisis, call or text 988.
2. Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through medication and program options with a treatment specialist, or use this form:

Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit.

3. Call Southern Highlands' Princeton Clinic and ask about same-week intake for medication — its crisis line runs 24/7, and the clinic is less than a mile from downtown.
4. Search findtreatment.gov from ZIP code 24740 to see every program and filter by payment and level of care.

Princeton is better supplied than most cities its size: an OTP, detox beds, and residential care inside the city limits, with Medicaid covering the medication. Mercer County's overdose count halved in a year — the next number that matters is the call you make.

Learn more: drug and alcohol rehab in Princeton, opioid treatment in Bluefield, and medication for opioid use disorder.

This page is general health information, not medical advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any facility named above.

Other Opioid treatment in West Virginia: Opioid treatment and MAT in Beckley, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Bluefield, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Buckhannon, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Charleston, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Clarksburg, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Elkins, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Fairmont, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Huntington, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Logan, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Morgantown, West Virginia, Opioid treatment and MAT in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

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