The Naloxone Project
Tennessee Chapter

In late 2025, the Tennessee Department of Health awarded The Naloxone Project the Universal Postpartum Naloxone Project Grant through funding provided by the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Fund. This grant enabled The Naloxone Project to launch its Tennessee chapter and implement an innovative statewide initiative focused on providing naloxone and first aid kits to postpartum mothers upon hospital discharge.

The project's primary goals are to reduce stigma surrounding naloxone, increase access to life-saving overdose reversal medication, and contribute to efforts aimed at reducing maternal mortality in Tennessee. By normalizing naloxone as a standard component of postpartum care, the initiative promotes education, awareness, and safety for mothers, infants, and families across the state. This project launched at 13 sites in June of 2026.

2,500+

Naloxone Kits Distributed

22%

Pregnancy-Related Death Linked to Substance Use Disorders

Programs & Initiatives

Maternal Overdose Matters

The Tennessee Chapter has initiated a statewide program that provides first-aid kits and naloxone to postpartum mothers upon hospital discharge. The goal of this initiative is to establish naloxone distribution as a staple of postpartum care.

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What Tennessee
has Accomplished

The long-term vision for Tennessee is to sustain and expand the Universal Postpartum Naloxone Project while increasing naloxone availability throughout healthcare settings. Through partnerships with hospitals, healthcare providers, and community organizations, the Naloxone Project is committed to improving access to naloxone, delivering overdose prevention education, and supporting healthier, safer communities across Tennessee.

    • The Naloxone Project was awarded a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health for the Universal Postpartum Naloxone Project

    • The MOMs program offically launched in June, with 13 distributing facilities

Partners of the Tennessee Chapter

  • Tennessee Department of Health

  • Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (TIPQC)

  • Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council

Tennessee Leadership

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Dr. Jessica Young - Co-Chair

Dr. Jessica Young is an Obstetrician-Gynecologist and Addiction Medicine specialist and an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She got her medical degree, MPH and completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at VUMC. She pioneered and is the medical director of the VUMC program called Firefly, which is an outpatient addiction treatment program for pregnant people that integrates substance use disorder treatment with prenatal, postpartum care, and primary care. Board-Certified in both Obstetrics-Gynecology and Addiction Medicine, she has spoken nationally on the issue of substance use disorder in pregnancy and is an advocate for pregnant people and their families.

Dr. Derrick LaRue - Co-Chair

Dr. LaRue is a Tennessee-licensed pharmacist and public health advocate with nearly 25 years of experience in pharmacy practice and healthcare improvement. As Director of Academic Detailing Services at ONE Tennessee, he leads statewide provider education initiatives focused on evidence-based care and public health. His expertise includes opioid stewardship, substance use disorder, harm reduction, naloxone education, rural health, immunizations, and medication therapy management.

Mary Duncan - Tennessee Project Manager

Mary Duncan, RN, CCM, CLC, is a Tennessee healthcare leader dedicated to improving maternal health, overdose prevention, and patient outcomes. With more than 15 years of nursing experience spanning labor and delivery, postpartum care, lactation support, nursing education, and population health.

As Tennessee Project Manager for The Naloxone Project, Mary leads statewide efforts to expand naloxone education and access, including innovative initiatives focused on maternal and postpartum populations. Her work is driven by a commitment to reducing stigma, increasing healthcare equity, and ensuring that communities have the resources needed to prevent overdose and support recovery.