MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Rutherford County-based nonprofit Prevention Coalition for Success is using a three-year, $550,000-plus grant from the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council to launch the Peers 4 Success program in partnership with Middle Tennessee State University’s Public Health and Social Work programs. 

Peers 4 Success uses a peer support model to improve mental health and prevent substance misuse in teenagers and young adults. Two young adult peer support specialists will conduct outreach and provide peer support to the teens in Prevention Coalition for Success’ Family Preservation Initiative and to students at MTSU. 

The peer support specialists will use their lived experience to assist their peers who are struggling with mental health challenges or are at risk for substance misuse, noted Sarah Murfree, executive director of Prevention Coalition for Success, whose mission is to create healthier communities by reducing substance misuse. 

Peers 4 Success includes a collegiate recovery initiative at MTSU overseen by Kristi Stringer, assistant professor of public health in the Department of Health and Human Performance. 

“We’re excited to launch the Peers 4 Success initiative at MTSU,” said Stringer. “This program offers an incredible opportunity for our students to engage directly with their peers, using proven, peer-driven approaches to improve mental health and reduce substance misuse.”

Expanding and enhancing the second annual youth-led Teen Wellness Fest is part of the Peers 4 Success program as well. The event is scheduled for March 15, 2025, at Patterson Park Community Center. 

The Teen Wellness Fest increases access to community resources, reduces stigma surrounding the topics of mental health and substance misuse, and provides teens with strategies to make healthy choices. This welcoming, fun and educational teen event is open to all. 

“We are thankful to the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council for the funding for the Peers 4 Success program to focus on the health and wellness of teenagers and young adults,” Murfree said. “This age group has experienced increasing levels of mental health distress over the last several years. Peer models have demonstrated success because they meet individuals where they are, serve as mentors, and are role models of overcoming adversity.”

The Tennessee General Assembly established the Opioid Abatement Council to decide how to distribute the over $1 billion that will be coming into the state over the next 18 years as a result of a series of landmark settlements involving drug distributors, pharmacies and manufacturers that have been identified as contributing to the opioid crisis.

Added Stringer: “This (Peers 4 Success) program not only empowers students to make a real difference but also plays a key role in reducing stigma around these issues. We believe this initiative will have a lasting, positive impact on both our campus and the wider community.” Prevention Coalition for Success is in the hiring process and candidates must be eligible for the Young Adult Peer Support Specialist certification, Murfree noted.

More information can be found at https://cadre.tn.gov/home or by contacting Murfree at 629-278-9078 or via email at smurfree@pc4s.org.

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)