SMART Initiative

So proud to be a partner to the #OverdoseResponseStrategy ( #ORS ), a shining example of #PublicHealth and #PublicSafety working together! The conference is in St. Louis, Missouri, this year - a city that has worked hard to fight back against #fentanyl. Great work, great people!

#Athens, in #McMinnCounty, is known for a thriving #RecoveryEcosystem of local organizations and programs. Excited to see what comes next in local #OpioidAbatement efforts!

Strong relationships are how small communities make huge impacts. #FentressCounty is seeing what happens when #RecoverySupport meets #CriminalJustice - good things happen.

"This May, the National Association of Counties (NACo) invites the nation's 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs to participate in #MentalHealth Awareness Month." Check out the county toolkit here: naco.org/MHAM?utm_sourc…

Working with #CountyGovernments certainly has its perks. What a way to finish a day! #CannonCounty #Appalachia

Great to be back at the ETHIA Center for Precision Health alongside UT Knoxville researchers, UT Health Science Center faculty and UT Medical Center clinicians. Excited to see more collaborations bridging science to practice!

UT SMART is proud to be a #Tennessee partner to the #OverdoseResponseStrategy! Incredible work being done bringing together #PublicHealth and #PublicSafety - excellent to see their work getting strong recognition. whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…

We were pleased to join Kathleen Collins of the Overdose Response Strategy in #ShelbyCounty. Some incredible people doing amazing work in the greater #Memphis area. Staying prepared for #overdose spikes and having a plan ready can make all the difference with saving lives!

Excellent look into the Knox Regional Forensic Center, @MetroDrug, and Knoxville Police Dept. and how #PublicHealth and #PublicSafety can work together to stay on top of new dangerous drugs - like #cychlorphine. nytimes.com/2026/05/04/hea…

"Days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to speed up research into #ibogaine and other #psychedelic drugs to treat #veterans with #MentalHealth conditions, #Tennessee lawmakers signed a bill to allow #ClinicalTrials." ow.ly/W8Jw50YRFWL

Last week, Data Analyst Ellen Oakes and Trevor Henderson led a meeting at the Center for Precision Health with community partners to find ways to improve #data for #OverdosePrevention. Thanks to DJ Gering for sharing #polysubstance analysis from Kansas - very informative!

The HEALing Communities Study found that partnering with a local #coalition significantly increased the uptake of #overdose training and #naloxone distribution in county jails. Learn more about this strategy here: …5-4e3f-918a-f200d334cf83.usrfiles.com/ugd/9f7bf4_64f…

The SMART Advisory Council met last month to discuss the latest in #overdose prevention. Representing the full #RecoveryEcosystem, these experts help us spot gaps and focus where it matters most. Grateful for their time, passion, and expertise helping Tennessee.

Special thanks to Lt. Mike Hotz for presenting at the #MauryCounty #Prevention Conference. Amazing work from the Maury County Prevention Coalition for this resource guide! Love the aesthetic.

There is nothing like the #RxSummit for collaboration, networking, sharing ideas, and launching new projects - not to mention the opportunity to have fun with colleagues who work hard every day to overcome the #OverdoseCrisis.

A little early to acknowledge #OverdoseAwarenessDay per the calendar, but never too early in terms of the importance. Spotted this heartwarming surprise driving around the #Knoxville and #KnoxCounty area.

Buzzsprout: smartpolicypodcast.buzzsprout.com We sit down with a forensic center director, a Vanderbilt pain physician, and a TBI crime lab administrator to break down why the drug supply keeps outpacing our ability to test for it, and what it will take to catch up.

Such a wonderful time with the SMART and IPS Advisory Councils. So thankful for the compassion, thoughtfulness, and dedication that these public servants bring to making sure that SMART is on the right track in helping Tennesseans overcome the overdose crisis!

These policies relate to #xylazine, #kratom, #FentanylTestStrips, #MAT and #MOUD, and much more. Some of these would make for fairly consequential changes to the legal landscape. Please review here: addictionpolicy.org/post/house-ene…

This week members from all the agencies at @UT_IPS gathered to tour the location for our next annual conference, where we will gather to share ideas, challenges and successes from across our fields and learn to better serve Tennesseans.