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Articles by Kelli Caseman
Parting words from a kids’ health advocate: Stay skeptical, West Virginia
I’m an Alaskan now. It feels strange to write, but it’s true. I relocated to Fairbanks over the summer. Whenever you read this, I’m four hours behind you in Alaskan Standard Time, where it’s probably colder with longer nights and occasional northern lights. So, this is my last commentary. West Virginians have always had good people looking out for their community’s kids, so I know others will step up as my organization closes.
Parting words from a kids’ health advocate: Stay skeptical, West Virginia Original
by Kelli Caseman, West Virginia Watch August 23, 2024 I’m an Alaskan now. It feels strange to write, but it’s true. I relocated to Fairbanks over the summer. Whenever you read this, I’m four hours behind you in Alaskan Standard Time, where it’s probably colder with longer nights and occasional northern lights. So, this is my last commentary. West Virginians have always had good people looking out for their community’s kids, so I know others will step up as my organization closes.
Young West Virginia: Will you stay, or will you go? Original
I’m writing this for the young generations of West Virginians — the ones in that summer lull between grades, before college, or maybe your first job. You’re fresh from graduation season, listening to inspiring commencement speeches reflecting on where you’ve been and where you’re going. And I wonder, in those moments, if you’re planning to stay in West Virginia or relocate as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Honestly, it’s hard to tell what you think.
Beyond the big story: There’s not enough mental health care for WV’s teen girls
Kelli Caseman June 20, 2024 at 2:55 AM·5 min read According to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly three in five teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021. That’s twice as many as that of teen boys. (Getty Images) You know this story. A girl was found dead on a bathroom floor in an “emaciated to a skeletal state.” Family members were charged with child neglect causing death. A government system continues to stonewall the media from getting answers.
Beyond the big story: There’s not enough mental health care for WV’s teen girls
by Kelli Caseman, West Virginia Watch June 20, 2024 You know this story. A girl was found dead on a bathroom floor in an “emaciated to a skeletal state.” Family members were charged with child neglect causing death. A government system continues to stonewall the media from getting answers. The governor says he is open to a special session to reexamine homeschooling policies to shore up holes in the safety net, so no other kids fall through. But for a moment, forget this story and remember the girl.
In West Virginia, the media cannot be played
D oes journalism have a fourth wall? The fourth wall is a concept usually reserved for film, theater and fiction—a convention that imagines a wall between actors and their audience. Performers act as if we, the audience, are not there. They leave the viewer to become a kind of voyeur, observing the story. For several years, we’ve watched Gov. Jim Justice’s administration craft specific strategies to communicate with the media and control the public narrative.
Media cannot be played
The fourth wall is a concept usually reserved for film, theater, and fiction — a convention that imagines a wall between actors and their audience. Performers act as if we, the audience, are not there. They leave the viewer to become a kind of voyeur, observing the story. For several years, we’ve watched Gov. Jim Justice’s administration craft specific strategies to communicate with the media and control the public narrative.
In West Virginia, the media cannot be played
by Kelli Caseman, West Virginia Watch May 16, 2024 Does journalism have a fourth wall? The fourth wall is a concept usually reserved for film, theater, and fiction — a convention that imagines a wall between actors and their audience. Performers act as if we, the audience, are not there. They leave the viewer to become a kind of voyeur, observing the story. For several years, we’ve watched Gov.
In West Virginia, the media cannot be played
Gov. Jim Justice expressed his disappointment with the budget the Legislature passed during his administrative briefing on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (Screenshot from Gov. Jim Justice’s briefing) Does journalism have a fourth wall? The fourth wall is a concept usually reserved for film, theater, and fiction — a convention that imagines a wall between actors and their audience. Performers act as if we, the audience, are not there. They leave the viewer to become a kind of voyeur, observing the story.
Cheap politics
It has been a lot of speaking in circles and gaslighting. Every few years, legislators and government administrators propose cuts to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Waiver program, which most families know as the IDD Waiver program. And every few years, West Virginians with disabilities fight against those cuts. In 2015, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced a 4% cut for most state government agencies after a drop in coal and natural gas tax collections.
Cheap politics
It has been a lot of speaking in circles and gaslighting. Every few years, legislators and government administrators propose cuts to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Waiver program, which most families know as the IDD Waiver program. And every few years, West Virginians with disabilities fight against those cuts. In 2015, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced a 4% cut for most state government agencies after a drop in coal and natural gas tax collections.
Stop using West Virginians with disabilities for cheap politics
It has been a lot of speaking in circles and gaslighting. Every few years, legislators and government administrators propose cuts to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Waiver program, which most families know as the IDD Waiver program. And every few years, West Virginians with disabilities fight against those cuts. In 2015, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced a 4% cut for most state government agencies after a drop in coal and natural gas tax collections.
What will the governor do? A pitch to make politics (and public health) local again
When former U.S. Speaker of the House Tip O’Neal coined the phrase “All politics is local,” the political landscape seemed much more orderly. Predictable. Back then, Americans were more likely to vote based on issues that directly affected them — their family, neighborhood, community. Now, of course, the world is very different.
What will the governor do? A pitch to make politics (and public health) local again
by Kelli Caseman, West Virginia Watch March 21, 2024 When former U.S. Speaker of the House Tip O’Neal coined the phrase “All politics is local,” the political landscape seemed much more orderly. Predictable. Back then, Americans were more likely to vote based on issues that directly affected them — their family, neighborhood, community. Now, of course, the world is very different.
Discipline bill will hurt kids who need the help
Senate Bill 614 amends and reenacts code relating to behavior intervention and safety of elementary school students — kids ages 5-12. Here’s the bulk of what the bill does: If a teacher decides that a student is “violent, threatening, or intimidating toward staff or peers, or creates an unsafe learning environment or impedes on other students’ ability to learn in a safe environment,” the student is removed from class.
Without funding, student discipline legislation would hurt kids who need the most help
West Virginia’s students have a discipline problem. Legislators are moving a bill that, on its surface, reads like a balanced solution for both educators and students. It’s not. It may make it easier to remove disruptive students from the classroom, but puts nothing in place to help them. Senate Bill 614 amends and reenacts code relating to behavior intervention and safety of elementary school students—kids ages 5 to 12.
Without funding, student discipline bill will hurt the kids who need the most help
West Virginia’s students have a discipline problem. Legislators are moving a bill that, on its surface, reads like a balanced solution for both educators and students. It’s not. It may make it easier to remove disruptive students from the classroom, but puts nothing in place to help them. Senate Bill 614 amends and reenacts code relating to behavior intervention and safety of elementary school students — kids ages 5-12.
Without funding, student discipline bill will hurt the kids who need the most help
West Virginia’s students have a discipline problem. Legislators are moving a bill that, on its surface, reads like a balanced solution for both educators and students. It’s not. It may make it easier to remove disruptive students from the classroom, but puts nothing in place to help them. Senate Bill 614 amends and reenacts code relating to behavior intervention and safety of elementary school students — kids ages 5-12.
Our child welfare system needs immediate reform
Do you remember the old Dutch tale about a boy who stuck his finger in a leaking dike to save his country from a great flood? It’s a story about courage and conviction in taking action to prevent the devastation of immediate danger. We are at a similar juncture with the plight of West Virginia’s child welfare system—and ours is no tale.
What are we waiting for? Legislators, our child welfare system needs immediate action.
Do you remember the old Dutch tale about a boy who stuck his finger in a leaking dike to save his country from a great flood? It’s a story about courage and conviction in taking action to prevent the devastation of immediate danger. We are at a similar juncture with the plight of West Virginia’s child welfare system — and ours is no tale.
What are we waiting for? Legislators, our child welfare system needs immediate action.
Do you remember the old Dutch tale about a boy who stuck his finger in a leaking dike to save his country from a great flood? It’s a story about courage and conviction in taking action to prevent the devastation of immediate danger. We are at a similar juncture with the plight of West Virginia’s child welfare system — and ours is no tale.
What are we waiting for? Legislators, our child welfare system needs immediate action.
by Kelli Caseman, West Virginia Watch January 18, 2024 Do you remember the old Dutch tale about a boy who stuck his finger in a leaking dike to save his country from a great flood? It’s a story about courage and conviction in taking action to prevent the devastation of immediate danger. We are at a similar juncture with the plight of West Virginia’s child welfare system — and ours is no tale.
For the sake of West Virginia’s kids, will the buck stop with our next governor?
There’s a crowd of candidates vying to become West Virginia’s next governor: the state’s attorney general, the secretary of state, the mayor of Huntington, a member of the House of Delegates, an automobile dealer, an owner of a preschool and a farmer. That’s a lot of candidates, with more sure to follow.
For the sake of West Virginia’s kids, will the buck stop with our next governor?
By: KELLI CASEMAN – DECEMBER 21, 2023 5:57 AM There’s a crowd of candidates vying to become West Virginia’s next governor: the state’s attorney general, the secretary of state, the mayor of Huntington, a member of the House of Delegates, an automobile dealer, an owner of a preschool and a farmer. That’s a lot of candidates, with more sure to follow.
For the sake of West Virginia’s kids, will the buck stop with our next governor?
There’s a crowd of candidates vying to become West Virginia’s next governor: the state’s attorney general, the secretary of state, the mayor of Huntington, a member of the House of Delegates, an automobile dealer, an owner of a preschool and a farmer. That’s a lot of candidates, with more sure to follow.
We can do better to protect special ed. students
Slapped. Pushed. Jerked by their hair. Pinched with clothespins. The cases of abuse in West Virginia’s special education classrooms are jaw-dropping — stunningly violent and cruel. It’s no wonder why a growing number of parents are afraid to send their children with disabilities to school. It makes you wonder what has to happen to make the abuse stop. It’s not as if lawmakers haven’t tried.
We can do better to protect special ed. students
Kelli Caseman is the executive director of Think Kids. Samuel Workman is director of the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs. React to this story: Love Funny Wow Sad Angry
We can do better to protect students in special ed. Start with using the data.
Slapped. Pushed. Jerked by their hair. Pinched with clothespins. The cases of abuse in West Virginia’s special education classrooms are jaw-dropping — stunningly violent and cruel. It’s no wonder why a growing number of parents are afraid to send their children with disabilities to school. It makes you wonder what has to happen to make the abuse stop. It’s not as if lawmakers haven’t tried.
Another West Virginia child mistreated
EDITOR’S NOTE: This commentary was first published Oct. 9 by West Virginia Watch (westvirginiawatch.com). Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Kanawha County deputies forced their way into a barn in Sissonville and found two teenagers locked inside a 20-by-14-foot room. The teens had no way to exit the barn on their own, no running water, no bathroom and were deprived of basic necessities.
Another child abuse case? Do better, West Virginia.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Kanawha County deputies forced their way into a barn in Sissonville and found two teenagers locked inside a 20-by-14-foot room. They had no way to exit the barn on their own, no running water, no bathroom and were deprived of basic necessities. Inside the house, deputies found a 5- or 6-year-old child locked inside alone on an unprotected loft about 15 feet high off the ground. Neighbors say they called Child Protective Services (CPS) repeatedly. Nothing came of it.
Another child abuse case? Do better, West Virginia. Original
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Kanawha County deputies forced their way into a barn in Sissonville and found two teenagers locked inside a 20-by-14-foot room. They had no way to exit the barn on their own, no running water, no bathroom and were deprived of basic necessities. Inside the house, deputies found a 5- or 6-year-old child locked inside alone on an unprotected loft about 15 feet high off the ground. Neighbors say they called Child Protective Services (CPS) repeatedly. Nothing came of it.
Another child maltreatment case in WV has made national news. And nothing will come of it.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Kanawha County deputies forced their way into a barn in Sissonville and found two teenagers locked inside a 20-by-14 foot room. They had no way to exit the barn on their own, no running water, no bathroom and were deprived of basic necessities. Inside the house, deputies found a 5- or 6-year-old child locked inside alone on an unprotected loft about 15 feet high off the ground. Neighbors say they called Child Protective Services (CPS) repeatedly. Nothing came of it.
WV squandered tobacco settlement funding
The tobacco industry has a playbook, script, and strategy that continues to effectively work in West Virginia. Twenty-five years ago, it experienced a stinging blow that was our first and only opportunity to strick back. Today, we continue to squander that opportunity. In 1998, the tobacco industry and 46 states, including West Virginia, reached what is known as the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
Up in smoke: WV squandered tobacco settlement funding. Now’s the time to bring it back.
BY: KELLI CASEMAN & DIANA DAVIDSON – SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 5:57 AM The tobacco industry has a playbook, script and strategy that continues to effectively work in West Virginia. Twenty-five years ago, it experienced a stinging blow that was our first and only opportunity to strike back. Today, we continue to squander that opportunity. In 1998, the tobacco industry and 46 states, including West Virginia, reached what is known as the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
Up in smoke: W.Va. squandered tobacco settlement funding. Now’s the time to bring it back.
The tobacco industry has a playbook, script and strategy that continues to effectively work in West Virginia. Twenty-five years ago, it experienced a stinging blow that was our first and only opportunity to strike back. Today, we continue to squander that opportunity. In 1998, the tobacco industry and 46 states, including West Virginia, reached what is known as the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
Up in smoke: WV squandered tobacco settlement funding. Now’s the time to bring it back. - West Virginia Watch
by Kelli Caseman, West Virginia Watch September 21, 2023 The tobacco industry has a playbook, script and strategy that continues to effectively work in West Virginia. Twenty-five years ago, it experienced a stinging blow that was our first and only opportunity to strike back. Today, we continue to squander that opportunity. In 1998, the tobacco industry and 46 states, including West Virginia, reached what is known as the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
Thousands of West Virginians are losing their health coverage. We can do more to help.
Since May, over 50,000 West Virginians have lost their health insurance. Over 17,000 of them were kids. And their families may not even know it. Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. In it was the requirement for state Medicaid programs to keep people continuously enrolled through the end of the public health emergency if the state were to receive additional federal funding. Because of this, Medicaid enrollment grew substantially.
Thousands of West Virginians are losing their health coverage. We can do more to help.
Since May, over 50,000 West Virginians have lost their health insurance. Over 17,000 of them were kids. And their families may not even know it. Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. In it was the requirement for state Medicaid programs to keep people continuously enrolled through the end of the public health emergency if the state were to receive additional federal funding. Because of this, Medicaid enrollment grew substantially.
Caseman, Brummage: Who gets opioid settlement money? (Opinion)
Could a billion dollars be the solution to the drug epidemic? West Virginia is one of 46 states in the process of disbursing lawsuit-related opioid settlement funds. Our state has received payments from drug distributors, pharmacy retailers, prescription drug manufacturers, drug distributors and a management consulting firm. So far, those settlements total around $847 million, but the final settlement amount could increase to over $1 billion.
Kelli Caseman: We need to keep WV kids healthy (Opinion)
It’s the time of year when people ask me what priorities the Legislature should have for the upcoming session. This year, I’m telling them that one of the most important things we can do to keep West Virginia’s kids healthy won’t require legislation. It’s something we all can do, right now. Keeping kids healthy requires them to have health insurance. They need annual checkups, immunizations, health screenings and to establish a medical history.
Caseman and Lefeber: With opioid settlement, it's deja vu all over again in WV (Opinion)
It’s feeling a lot like déjà vu in West Virginia. In 1998, the tobacco industry and attorneys general from 46 states settled on a historic deal to pay for the health care costs of smoking. This was the plan: A portion of cigarette sales would provide money to states — about $206 billion in just the first 25 years, and payments would be made in perpetuity. We remember the public feeling around the largest civil litigation in U.S. history.
Kelli Caseman: We have to listen to kids who are suffering (Opinion)
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Kelli Caseman: WV needs to focus on how children are treated (Opinion)
Country United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth...
Caseman, Duncan: Drug wholesalers wrong on impact on kids (Opinion)
In the ongoing trial between the city of Huntington and Cabell County and opioid distributors Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen and McKesson, defense attorneys are arguing against local funding for children affected by the opioid epidemic. These drug distributors believe there is adequate federal and state financial support for them. This isn’t true.
Kelli Caseman: Fixing mental health system for children (Opinion)
In this moment of post-pandemic transition, it would be easy to minimize the potential effects of the past 14 months on our children’s mental health. It also would be a costly mistake. Even before the pandemic began, alarming mental health trends were emerging for children in the United States. In 2018, suicide became the second-leading cause of death for youth and young adults.
Caseman, McLaury: Pre-existing conditions, how soon we forget
Around this time 10 years ago, an investigation by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee found a 49% increase in the number of people with pre-existing conditions who were denied health insurance by four big insurers in the individual market between 2007 and 2009. The denials of insurance by these four companies climbed from 172,400 in 2007 to 257,100 in 2009.
Caseman, Peters: Looking out for kids during crisis
Schools are closed. We’re working remotely and social distancing. We’re seeing the doctor remotely, via video or conference call. This is a frightening time for all of us, but we have the comforts of home. For some children, these isolated spaces can be traumatizing and sometimes dangerous. For their sake, we can’t afford to be shortsighted. The threat that some children face during this pandemic goes well beyond contracting the coronavirus. This isn’t specific to West Virginia; it’s a global concern.
Why it's critical we keep our eyes on Pa's kids during the COVID-19 pandemic
By Simon F. Haeder and Kelli Caseman The coronavirus has changed the world as we know it. In the span of just a few weeks, we’re seeing and doing things much differently. Rightfully so, because for the most vulnerable among us, their lives depend upon it. Yet in the middle of this chaos, there has only been a limited focus on perhaps the most vulnerable group among us: children. From a medical perspective, the effect of the pandemic appears mixed.
Megan Simpson, Kelli Caseman: Helping to fix local communities
Fred Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” West Virginia’s communities continue to see their share of scary things. While the roots of addiction issues have historically run deep in Appalachia, no one was prepared for the millions of prescription pills that flooded our state between 2008 to 2017.
Caseman, Marino: Hard truths about W.Va. youth in crisis (Opinion)
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