Faith-Based Initiatives

Addiction has taken a deep toll on Tennessee families. In 2018, 1,818 Tennesseans died from an overdose, or about five people each day. The growth of this addiction crisis has left no community untouched, but we have a great resource in our communities of faith. Of the 6.6 million Tennesseans, 85% affiliate with one of the state’s 11,500 houses of faith. As TDMHSAS developed its response to this crisis, department leaders recognized the opportunity to leverage this critical, untapped network of caring individuals and faith communities as a means to help address addiction in our state.

Our Goals

  • Connect individuals struggling with addiction to treatment
  • Increase knowledge of what addiction
  • Facilitate understanding of substance use disorder treatment and recovery
  • Understand the continuum of care and collaborate with it
  • Spread awareness of the Faith-Based Initiative certification and its requirements
  • Help groups understand and implement the best practice model
  • Promote and improve effectiveness of the faith-based initiative and how it connects the community with recovery and support services

Get Started

Use the links below to learn more information about TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Faith-Based Initiatives Project, schedule a training or become a Certified Congregation. When you successfully complete the certification process, you will be added to the statewide recovery support network. There you can obtain training, education and help connect the people you serve to resources they need.