KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Metro Drug Coalition (MDC) is a place to lean on and reach out for help. For more than 35 years they are helping the community in Knoxville, Tennessee, deal with mental health and substance abuse issues.
AT MDC, they do a lot of prevention work by educating the community on substance use and disorders. They also have harm reduction work, where they help people navigate into treatment and provide them with resources, while also including recovery support services.
Activities such as mindfulness meditation and teaching people how not to be anxious and overthinking the future are also part of their program. They have support groups and help connect people with others in recovery to continue the journey.
"Unfortunately, though, the drugs on the street are getting stronger and more powerful," Karen Pershing, MDC executive director, said. "So we're seeing more and more individuals overdosing and dying. We're seeing more families struggle with a family member who has a substance use disorder. And we also see an impact on our children."
The most recent data showed that nearly half of the population is addicted to vaping, according to the Knox County Health Department. Two out of five have depressive thoughts and about 18% attempted suicide.
To help, even more, MDC provides first aid classes for mental health and substance use. These classes are international and were brought from Australia to the United States in 2008.
Their goal is to not only educate the community but also to help people become a source of help for anyone who needs it. Everyone can participate and some are even educators themselves.
English teacher Wendy Potter is one of MDC's students.
"As a teacher, I feel like it is valuable to be able to recognize some of the signs of some of my students who might need a little extra help," Potter said. "Maybe they need some professional help in dealing with some of their challenges."
While the challenge is real for the community, the teacher for the first aid class is showing resilience in helping people. Courtney Niemann, the senior prevention coordinator, is welcoming people and wants them to know that she is there for them.
"We do have hope out there, people do recover," Niemann said. "You know, it's, part of the journey. Everybody's journey is different. And all that person can tell is their journey and their stories. But we do have hope out there."