The state-funded coalitions work under the “Seven Strategies to Affective Community Change.” The seven strategies include providing information, building skills, providing support, enhancing access/reducing barriers, changing consequences (incentives/disincentives), physical design, and modifying/changing policy (Focus Group 2021). Each strategy builds to enhance environmental strategies and implement data-driven and evidence-based practices. Providing information can be in various forms such as brochures, community meetings, public announcements, etc. Building skills focuses on increasing the capacity youth services staff and community members to achieve population-level results. Providing support works to create opportunities that allow for a reduced risk and enhanced protection. Enhancing access/reducing barriers allows more families and organizations the opportunity to utilize prevention services. Changing consequences can either be increasing or decreasing the likelihood of a behavior by changing the consequences of completing said behavior. Physical design focuses on changing the environment to reduce risk and includes thigs such as parks, lighting, signage, etc. The final strategy modifying/changing policy focuses on a written change 16 in laws, rules, procedures and practices within systems, government, communities and organizations (Prevention Alliance of Tennessee, 2018). The coalitions bring together 12 sectors (youth, parent, business, media, school, youth-serving organization, law enforcement, religious/fraternal organization, healthcare professionals, state/local/tribal government, and substance abuse organizations) of the community to combine resources to achieve positive environmental change. While not all coalitions have identical action plans, many tailor their programming to meet community needs; they all have program elements that focus on the same key areas: school programming, compliance checks, naloxone distribution, medication disposal and other prevention activities.

STATE FUNDED COALITIONS

Carroll County: https://www.facebook.com/ccpc38344/

Drug Free Tipton: https://www.drugfreetipton.org/

Henry County Prevention Coalition: https://www.facebook.com/Henry-County-Prevention-Coalition-Empowering-the-Community-142020409281100/

Obion County Prevention Coalition: https://www.obioncountyprevention.com/

Milan Prevention Coalition: https://www.milanprevention.com/

Prevention Alliance of Dyersburg and Dyer County: https://www.dyercountypadd.com/

Prevention Alliance of Lauderdale County: https://www.preventionallianceoflauderdale.com/

Weakley County Prevention Coalition: https://www.weakleycountyprevention.com/

Another big initiative that we participate in is local Drug Take Back events. Every coalition will host their own and WTAN will do some also but this link shows every tack back location in TN

https://tdeconline.tn.gov/rxtakeback/

Here is a great pdf that explains it all : https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/mentalhealth/documents/TDMHSAS_TakeBackBoxes_Oct21.pdf