Our Mission

Today, the Partnership convenes community members and stakeholders to build a comprehensive, cohesive strategy to reduce substance use and misuse.

The St. Joseph County Local Coordinating Council (LCC) began as a community committee in 1990. In 1992, the LCC joined forces with the St. Joseph County Coalition Against Drugs (SJCCAD). This collaboration magnified the overall community effort to address substance use disorders in our community. In early 1993, the volunteer organization Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) was created. Its vision of holistic community health led to the creation of councils to address issues of agency collaboration, healthy families, citizen governance, public health, and vibrant neighborhoods.  

Recognizing the importance of collaboration, plans to pursue a merger between SJCCAD and HCI were initiated. This merger took place in the summer of 1996 and resulted in the creation of the Drug Free Community Council (DFCC), with the SJCCAD keeping its committee structure and membership into HCI. The Drug Free Community Council of HCI was designated as the LCC for St. Joseph County and continues to serve in this role today. On May 1, 2012, the DFCC name was changed by a membership vote to the Partnership for Education and Prevention of Substance Abuse (PEPSA).

In the Spring of 2014, the Healthy Communities Initiative ceased operations. The Partnership became an independent coalition and continued its designation as the LCC for St. Joseph County. At the beginning of 2020, the Partnership for a Drug-Free St. Joseph County (formerly known as the Partnership for the Education and Prevention of Substance Abuse) began rebranding and re-envisioning its potential in St. Joseph County. The Partnership is a certified not-for-profit organization and is led by a chair, co-chair, treasurer, and secretary.