First Responder Resource Engagement Specialty Team

TDMHSAS is excited to expand a proven program for reversing drug overdoses and connecting patients to addiction treatment to more parts of the state.  First Responder Resource Engagement Specialty Team (FR-REST) takes Tennessee’s extensive and successful history of naloxone training and distribution and targets first responders and law enforcement as the audience.  FR-REST adds additional resources through care coordination and peer support provided by a person in recovery from substance use disorder.

The model was trialed in Tennessee starting in early 2020 with a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration covering 14 counties in southern middle Tennessee.  In its first year, the program trained more than 2,300 first responders and received nearly 600 referrals.  About half of those referrals resulted in an admission to inpatient treatment, and all referrals received recovery support and peer support services.

Click this link or the image at right for our onepager.

Watch a video playlist detailing how the program works:

FR-REST Care Coordination Onepager

Members of the FR-REST Care Coordination team pose for a group photo with department support staff at a conference in October 2025.

Above: Members of the FR-REST Care Coordination team pose for a group photo with department support staff at a conference in October 2025.

For More Information

If you need a free and confidential referral to treatment services for yourself or someone you know, call or text the Tennessee REDLINE at 800-889-9789.

If you have concerns about accessing services for yourself or someone else, contact our Helpline:
Phone: 800-560-5767
Email: OCA.TDMHSAS@tn.gov
Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except for state holidays)

To learn more about this program, please contact:

Cate Faulkner
Manager, State Opioid Response Prevention
615-840-0382
Cate.Faulkner@tn.gov