The SAFE Coalition Hosts Annual Kick-Off Meeting

The Supporting Addiction Free Environments for Lake County (SAFE) Coalition of Lake County, coordinated by Geminus, a Regional Care Group member, hosted its annual Coalition Kick-off meeting at the Dean and Barbara White Center in Merrillville on September 23, 2026.

The event laid the foundation for opportunity by bringing together a collective of cause-driven Hoosiers committed to improving the health and well-being of Indiana communities. The goal each year is to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs while promoting mental health awareness, prevention and advocacy across the state. 

With that shared goal in mind, the SAFE Coalition welcomed local leaders in mental health services, substance use prevention and treatment, suicide prevention, and opioid awareness and training under one roof to share resources and identify opportunities to make an even greater impact.

Both the SAFE Coalition and Geminus echo a similar sentiment: It’s OK not to be OK. Together, the organizations are working to ensure community members across Lake County have access to prevention services, education, training, and other resources that can help address the mental health and substance use crisis that continues to affect our communities.

The SAFE Coalition has supported addiction-free environments since the 1980s and serves as a local coordinating council (LCC), with a mission that continues to guide their work to this day: combating alcohol and substance use disorders with the goal of creating safer communities. Central to that mission is the idea that public safety starts with education, and creating healthy, stable, and substance-free communities starts with a conversation.

The LCC unites numerous organizations across all 92 counties in Indiana, all working toward the same goal. The SAFE Coalition is Lake County’s local link to the state. Rather than providing quick, short-term solutions for communities, it focuses on creating lasting change through prevention education, advocacy and addiction support. Its approach is rooted in educational access, helping pave the way for treatment and recovery.

“The Coalition Kick-off is more than just a way to project a Bat-Signal,” said keynote speaker Sargent Monte White, who has spent the last 22 years with the Hobart Police Department and the last nine working directly in schools alongside at-risk youth. In his presentation, White addressed current trends and pressing concerns across the county, with middle school tobacco and marijuana use at top-of-mind. 

Over the years, White notes that his perspective on safety and prevention has completely evolved through increased awareness and education. “Candidly,” he said, “I’ve learned that you cannot arrest your way out of a youth crisis.”

White’s address dealt largely with how his role in the community has evolved beyond law enforcement to include informal counseling, mentorship and safety education, which he credits to his involvement with the SAFE Coalition. Despite common misconceptions that surround Student Resource Officers, White said his role is to support child welfare, connect families with community resources, reduce risk, build trust, and keep kids in the classroom. His ultimate goal is to help students stay on a positive path, avoiding the juvenile justice system.

White urged the community to listen, and he leaned into his favorite crime-fighting superhero, Batman, to do so.

 “We cannot wait for a crisis,” White said. “If we are only reacting when the Bat-Signal hits the clouds, then we are already too late. Real safety is not an emergency alert system. It’s a proactive network of everyday human connections.”

Wednesday’s event was just that—networking with care providers, empaths, and change-makers who want better for our communities and our youth. The SAFE Coalition and Geminus are addressing this at-risk population head-on through partnerships. 

One small initiative making a big impact is SAFE’s annual ribbon-cutting poster contest, a county-wide effort to raise awareness and motivate change. This year’s theme is “Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free.” The contest gives students an opportunity to show their support for drug-free communities through creative and artistic expression while earning public recognition. The grand prize winner receives a $250 cash prize, and their poster is displayed on a billboard in Lake County. 

As the number of billboards promoting dispensaries increases along highways near both Indiana and Michigan borders, the SAFE Coalition encourages students to rise above those messages and create change through art and advocacy.

The SAFE coalition has done incredible work in building a legacy of philanthropic impact. To date, the organization has granted $2.6 million, including $212,000 distributed to local initiatives supporting harm reduction, Narcan distribution and Deterra pouches.

In fact, the SAFE Coalition was one of the first organizations in the county that distributed Narcan and offered training programs on Narcan administration. The programs aim to reduce instances of harm that could lead to overdose or possible fatality. In the last year, 689 doses of Narcan were administered through SAFE Coalition efforts. 

In addition, as part of its broader harm reduction and prevention efforts, the SAFE Coalition distributes Deterra drug deactivation pouches, providing community members with a safe and effective way to dispose of unused, expired or unwanted medications. In the last year, they distributed 7,100 pouches and they continue to educate the community about safe medication storage and disposal practices.

Wednesday’s event expanded the SAFE Coalition’s member network, casting the net further and wider across Lake County. Membership provides individuals and groups an incredible number of resources, including networking, community building and grant opportunities, free training and resources, and referrals.

SAFE continues to strengthen connections across Lake County through outreach and strategic partnerships with local organizations like the Rotary Club and Crown Point Community Library. These partnerships help bridge the gaps in community outreach and ensure accurate information, prevention education, and resources reach a broader audience, including those who may need it most.

“The SAFE Coalition provides grant opportunities for us to enact missions across Northwest Indiana,” said Orlando A. Drummond, Senior Director of Program Quality for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana and SAFE Board Chair. Since 2013, SAFE has supplied funding exceeding $2.6 million to local organizations that provide prevention, treatment, and law enforcement services.

Responsibility and accountability are paramount in harm reduction, and the SAFE Coalition takes responsibility for organizing, developing, and creating community care plans for our community’s future.

“Our job as a coalition is to provide adults with the structural tools they need to engage with their children without adding to the burden,” White said. “When a child views public safety professionals as accessible mentors early on, they are far more likely to turn to those trusted adults when they encounter a serious or threatening crisis in middle school.”

To learn more about the SAFE Coalition, get involved in future events, or to join in the fight to combat substance use and prevention, visit: safeforlakecounty.org

For information on substance use prevention, mental health promotion, and a wide range of social service programs, visit geminus.care. For additional information about Regional Care Group, visit regionalgroup.care.