Over the past 14 years, the CARE Coalition of Transylvania County has built a strong foundation for addressing substance use in Transylvania County. CARE’s expertise in this field is increasingly recognized by local stakeholders, and they continue to leverage partnerships and collaborations to serve Transylvania County.

In collaboration with partners, CARE works to change community norms, reduce access and availability of drugs and alcohol, promote recovery, and reduce harm. Supported by paid staff, coalition membership includes representatives from various community sectors including healthcare, law enforcement, social services, education, faith, and business, as well as parents, people in recovery, and other concerned citizens. The coalition convenes interested community members, facilitates collaboration, and coordinates efforts between coalition members and existing local resources.

Its project teams focus on implementing evidence-based strategies to raise awareness of substance misuse, build protective factors for youth, and change policies and environments in Transylvania County. Efforts include a jail-based treatment and re-entry program recently expanded to include peer support, coordination of opioid settlement funds, addressing “hotspots” for overdose risk, support for families, evidence-based prevention education in schools, sponsoring youth-led solutions, and parent education.

The CARE Coalition is supported by 30 members who attend monthly meetings, 9 Executive Board members representing a variety of diverse sectors, 56 community partner organizations, and a mailing list of 115 community members who receive updates and information. New partners in 2025 include CONNECT and The Cove.
 
In 2025, CARE and its partners created 318,256 media impressions and generated 4,653 total hours of service to 1,670 individuals. Its operating budget of $562,000 included funding from 3 federal grants, county government, and local contributions. This is supplemented with $300,000 of in-kind support from community partners including the Mary C. Jenkins Community Center, Transylvania Public Health, Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, and Pisgah Health Foundation.
 
Highlights of work completed by the CARE Coalition and its partners in 2025 include the following:

• Published a comprehensive report on local smoke shop outlets and the products they sell, including tobacco/nicotine, cannabis/hemp, hallucinogens, stimulants, opioid-like products, and paraphernalia, along with recommendations for practices and policies that would better protect youth. The City of Brevard passed an ordinance in November 2025 that prohibited the sale of hemp products to people under age 21 within 2,000 feet of any public or private school, public park, or after school facility. They also passed a resolution supporting the passage of HB 328 regulating the sale of hemp-derived consumable products in the North Carolina General Assembly.
• Partnered with Blue Ridge Health to install a Narcan distribution box in Transylvania County’s Community Services Building in downtown Brevard, with additional Narcan supplies provided by VAYA Health. Distributed 148 Narcan kits via this free and easily-accessible location. Worked with local gas stations, community organizations, and restaurants to offer training on Narcan administration for their staff and distribute another 65 Narcan kits.
• Expanded the Jail-Based Treatment and Reentry Program at the Transylvania County Detention Center, which works to support detainees in addressing substance use and mental health challenges while preparing for successful reentry into the community. Since fall 2024, 9 participants have completed rehabilitation programs, with many now pursuing Peer Support Specialist training. In 2025, the program expanded to include a full-time Peer Support Specialist and launched a holiday program that helped participants create and send Christmas cards to their loved ones.
• Partnered with Love and Respect Community for Recovery and Wellness to deliver 3 community presentations of “Recovering as a Family: Facing Addiction Together.”
• Collaborated with TC STRONG and SparkPoint to support the “Voice of the Students” youth coalition, focused on building resilience and increasing protective factors for young people in our community. Partnered with TC STRONG to host “Engaging Youth Better Together” training delivered by Youth to Youth International to equip youth-serving adults with tools to better connect with and engage the youth they serve, with over 50 community and regional partners in attendance.
• Hosted an Annual Opioid Settlement Community Meeting to provide updates on progress, next steps, and insights from regional programs working on similar strategies, attended by 30 community members.  
• Partnered with RHA Prevention Services to distribute 1,470 bottle locks and 763 cabinet locks to community members through Transylvania County’s ABC stores.
• Received funding from Blue Cross Foundation to sponsor a billboard promoting safe disposal of unused and expired medications in partnership with local law enforcement agencies. Distributed 231 medication lockboxes and 193 disposal bags to community members and partner organizations provided by RHA Prevention Services.
• Sponsored 3 Behavioral Health Corner articles in the Transylvania Times, which aim to address cutting-edge topics in behavioral health, with a particular focus on substance misuse.
   

This note will be updated at the end of the 2026 calendar year.