(Coalition for Addiction Recovery and Education Services)

Sevier County C.A.R.E S is dedicated to preventing and reducing substance misuse among youth and adults in Sevier County.

Our Coalition engages all sectors of our community ,such as,youth, parents, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, Sevier County Government, civic and volunteer groups, Sevier County School Board, religious organizations, business community, and many more.As a Coalition, we partner with these community sectors to implement, The Seven Strategies of Change,focusing on both individual and population level prevention.To promote substance abuse awareness, increase evidence-based substance abuse treatment services and housing for people with substance abuse disorders, and engage community leaders to reduce the access of harmful substances such as, prescription drugs, alcohol, and tobacco within our community and more importantly to our youth in Sevier County.

It is our goal to be used as a resource of substance prevention education and recovery resources.

Primary prevention is key to reducing the incidence of substance use disorders. For every dollar invested in primary prevention, seventeen dollars is saved on other cost (treatment, criminal justice healthcare…)

Our federally funded coalition is currently assisting the Sevier County School Board to create a County-wide opioid curriculum. This along with providing our local law enforcement,Sheriff’s Department,First Responders and Community Organizations with the opioid reversal Drug, Narcan. We received this life saving drug through the 21stCentury Cures Act funding. This drug has since been used numerous times in Sevier County and throughout Tennessee and has saved many lives.

What we do:

1. Providing Information– student education, presentations, health fairs, printed media and media campaigns.
2. Building /enhancing Skills– evidence-based substance prevention workshops and training classes (e.g.:  drug-free workplace trainings, Narcan trainings for local law enforcement, first responders and community organizations, CME workshops for physicians).
3.  Provide Community Support – providing positive alternative activities, mentoring, referrals, support groups, web-based activities, tips for parents and teens, drug free work place materials for businesses)
4. Enhancing Access/Reducing Barriers– increasing opportunities to utilize systems and services (e.g.: providing treatment referrals, assisting with medication take-back events)

Collaborating with local law enforcement and judicial services with:

1. Changing local Consequences– increasing the likelihood of good behavior and decreasing the likelihood of bad behavior (e.g.: fine structure for businesses that sell alcohol to minors, reward responsible businesses)
2. Physical Design– modifying the physical design of the environment (e.g.: park signage, permanent medication disposal bins at police departments or pharmacies.
3. Modifying/Changing Policy – assist or promote change in laws or rules, encouraging enforcement of existing regulations (e.g.: mandatory training for sales clerks who sell alcohol, mandatory I.D. checks for those purchasing alcoholic beverages.