REACH works with legislators, researchers, and public-health leaders to build evidence-based policy that saves lives. Data and compassion together shape a smarter, stronger approach to recovery — in Tennessee and nationwide.
In 2025, REACH leaders George Massengill and Dr. Sam MacMaster traveled with Tennessee Representative Jeremy Faison to Portugal to study the nation’s drug policy reform. The delegation observed how health-centered policy — with real-time treatment data, diversion panels, and mobile MAT units — reduced overdose deaths by 80%. Those lessons now guide REACH’s recommendations for Tennessee and beyond.
REACH partners with universities and public-health institutes to evaluate outcomes of vending machine deployments, housing programs, and community summits. Findings help local leaders prioritize resources and secure funding.
Our team drafts actionable recommendations for state and federal leaders — expanding naloxone access, supporting faith-based recovery, and creating funding mechanisms for housing and respite care.
“Good policy is data with compassion.”
— Sam MacMaster, PhD
