Since moving to IPS, the Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource for Tennessee (SMART) Initiative has broadened in scope to engage with Tennessee in a manner consistent with the IPS agencies. The Mayors’ Criminal Justice and Opioid Summit that the SMART Initiative hosted illustrates this engagement.
Participants included the mayors of the 16-county region of East Tennessee; sheriffs and law-enforcement officials; and representatives from regional recovery and treatment programs. Dozens of community leaders also attended.
The summit contained several guest speakers, including treatment advocate Dr. Stephen Loyd, chief medical officer of Cedar Recovery, who spoke about a medication program within the criminal justice system in Jefferson County. Karen Pershing spoke on behalf of the Prevention Alliance of Tennessee about the cost-effectiveness of primary prevention, and Kristen Zak, deputy director of the Opioid Response Coordination, discussed the importance of providing continuity of treatment to incarcerated individuals.
IPS Celebrates 100 Percent Employee Participation in Family Campaign
IPS employees displayed their service nature earlier in the year by giving to institute funds during the UT Family Campaign. For the first time, 100 percent of the employees donated.
Vice President Herb Byrd III, Director of Organizational Improvement Macel Ely and Development Director Kristen Davis hosted employee appreciation events at IPS offices in Jackson and Nashville, as well as the home office in Knoxville. At each location, employees were treated to icy treats from the Kona Ice truck, and Byrd held a question-and-answer session.
CIS Helps Manufacturers, Communities Focus on Economic Resiliency
With support from the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (CIS) is providing a comprehensive approach to building resiliency within Tennessee’s manufacturing sector. CIS’ Tennessee Manufacturing Resiliency Initiative focuses collaborative regional, state and federal resources to help manufacturers address impacts due to economic disruptions and build long-term resiliency capacity in Tennessee.
Through this initiative, CIS connects manufacturers and communities to resources including the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the University of Tennessee Economic Development Administration University Center, Tennessee Development Districts, state and regional economic development organizations and others to strengthen business, retain jobs and build long-term economic resiliency.
