Appalachian Substance Abuse Coalition for Prevention, Treatment & Recovery
The Appalachian Substance Abuse Coalition’s mission is to inform and engage our communities to understand, own, and address the epidemic of substance abuse and misuse.
The Appalachian Substance Abuse Coalition's mission is to inform and engage our communities to understand, own, and address the epidemic of substance abuse and misuse. The vision of the coalition is to have safe, healthy, and prosperous communities with effective prevention, treatment, recovery, and support resources.
ASAC is an umbrella coalition that serves as a consortium of ten substance abuse coalitions throughout the Southwest region, representing the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe, and the cities of Bristol, Galax, and Norton.
To inform and engage our communities to understand, own, and address the epidemic of substance abuse and misuse.
Coalition membership
The ASAC Coalition has worked collaboratively since 2005, building a membership of more than 600 individuals across Southwest Virginia. Coalition stakeholders include youth, parents, businesses, media representatives, schools, youth-serving organizations, law enforcement agencies, faith-based organizations, civic groups, healthcare professionals, and state and local government partners. Together, these diverse sectors work to reduce substance misuse throughout the region. Community engagement, strong partnerships, and resource development are the foundation of the Coalition's success and its ongoing efforts to create healthier, safer communities.
Strategic planning
ASAC evolves and operates through strategic planning to assess and implement strategies that address the substance use problem in Southwest Virginia. ASAC follows SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) planning process for preventing substance use and misuse.
The effectiveness of the SPF begins with a clear understanding of community needs and involves community members in all stages of the planning process. The SPF planning process is data-driven, requires a team approach, and focuses on population-level change, ensuring efforts towards opioid use disorder reach all ages.