Our Story
The Jackson-Madison Prevention Coalition was founded 20 years ago with the purpose of reducing drug abuse in our local community. Three main drugs are targeted: tobacco, alcohol, and prescription drugs.
Through variety of strategies and resources, our coalition is able to see direct impact on the abuse of these drugs, and we are always willing to adapt to the changes needed to remain relevant in our community.
Meet the Team
Kristen Wilson
Director
Kristen Wilson serves as the coordinator for the Jackson Madison Prevention Coalition, working to educate youth, guardians, and youth-serving individuals about the dangers of substance abuse and addiction. She is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and a certified QPR Trainer through the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network. She is passionate about reducing the stigma of mental health and substance abuse. Kristen has a M.S. Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Freed-Hardeman University and a B.S. Degree in Psychology and Christian Ministry from Union University.
Audrey Gilliam
Community Response Coordinator
Audrey Gilliam is the Community Response Coordinator for the Jackson Madison Prevention Coalition. Prior to her position as Community Response Coordinator, she worked as a Health Educator for the State of Tennessee. She holds a B.S. in Community Health and is currently working on a Master’s in Public Health. Audrey holds over five years’ experience education communities on various topics such as health education and drug prevention. Audrey is married to Taylor Nicodemus, and they have three boys together Clayton, Holt, and Lawson. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, watching her boys play sports, and spending time at the lake. She enjoys being part of the Jackson Prevention Coalition team because we are bringing awareness and making this community healthier one life at a time!
Sarah Mays
Hybrid Lifeline Peer Project Coordinator
Sarah Mays serves as the Hybrid Lifeline Peer Project Coordinator in southern West Tennessee. Sarah resides in Henderson, Tennessee where she has lived with her husband Phillip and step-son Brentley for five years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, Martin as well as a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution from Bethel University. Sarah is also a Certified Peer Recovery Specialists in the State of Tennessee, with 7 years of personal recovery from mental health and substance use disorder.
She has an excellent breadth of experience in the human services field having worked in domestic violence, peer advocacy, aging, adoption/foster placement, and mental health before joining the Faith Based Initiatives team. In her role as hybrid lifeline peer project coordinator, Sarah helps to connect people to recovery resources using a two generational approach to support the whole family. She also works with local recovery courts, treatment facilities, and a vast number of other community and faith-based agencies. Sarah works to empower these communities to be recovery friendly, and to make sure that recovery is possible for everyone.
Dianne Sherrod
Lifeline Peer Project Coordinator
Dianne has worked for West TN Healthcare Foundation as part of the Lifeline Peer Project team for Tennessee since September 2017. She serves 11 counties as the Region 6 South Lifeline Peer Project Coordinator. She also serves the State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant as a Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist conducting Naloxone Administration and Overdose Reversal training for law enforcement, first responders, and community agencies. She also provides street outreach and Naloxone to individuals and families who are considered to be at high risk for overdose. She is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) trainer and facilitates CPRS training across the state. CPRSs are individuals who provide direct peer-to-peer support services for those who have a mental illness, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. In 2019, she hired a team of Recovery Navigators stationed in 8 West Tennessee Healthcare Emergency Departments across West Tennessee to offer resources and treatment options to those who present with alcoholism, substance use disorder, or overdose.
Dianne lives in Jackson and loves spending time with her family, including her grandchildren.
Amy Bechtol, M.A, M.S.,
CPRS
Amy Bechtol is the West Tennessee Faith-Based Community Coordinator with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services. She works with the faith community across 21 counties building partnerships, raising awareness, and improving access to wellness and recovery resources. Her mission is to engage, empower, and equip the faith community to meet the human needs within their congregations and communities. Amy accomplishes her mission by hosting faith and recovery forums, providing free trainings, engaging with community health councils and prevention coalitions, building strong relationships with community agency and nonprofit partners, and spending time listening to the faith communities she serves.
Amy holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from East Tennessee State University and a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Florida. She has published peer-reviewed research articles in the area of health-related attitude and behavior change and remains passionately interested in change motivation and mental health-related stigma, especially in the faith community.
Amy’s heart is to facilitate grace wherever she goes. She is a person in long-term recovery from alcohol addiction and co-occurring mental health diagnoses and is a TN Certified Peer Recover Specialist. She invites the communities of faith with whom she works to understand problem behaviors as a response to pain and through her own story of hope, she seeks to spread the word that recovery is possible for everyone.
Madelynn Ross
Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist CPRS
Madelynn Ross originally from Jackson TN moved to Huntingdon Tn. Where she serves Rural Counties in West Tennessee 6S as a Regional Overdose Specialist. Madelynn is very passionate in her work with helping others and their families with Addiction and Mental Health. Madelynn is in Recovery herself for three years. She loves to share experiences to help others know I do understand and we can get you the help and resources they need. Madelynn does Opioid and Stimulant Training. Known as Naloxone (NARCAN) “If I can help one person to get help I know there is one person that is alive today. And know there is Hope! We do Recover
MARK MASON, LADAC
Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist, Region 6 South
I am a Humboldt TN native. I have been with the Jackson Madison Prevention Coalition since April 2019 as the Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist (ROPS) of Region 6 South, covering all of Southwest Tennessee.My goal as a ROPS is to educate the public, medical community, law enforcement, first responders, those with Substance Use Disorders and their family on how to use the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone (Narcan).I train and equip individuals with the life saving drug Naloxone (Narcan). Naloxone is a prescription medication used for the treatment of an opioid emergency such as an overdose or a possible opioid overdose along with always calling 911.
Chandler Haynes, CPRS
Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist CPRS
Chandler has lived his entire life in West Tennessee. A graduate of the University School of Jackson and Union University, he is passionate about investing in others, seeing lives changed, and meeting people where they are. He hopes to make a positive impact through the ROPS position and raise awareness within the communities where he grew up in. Chandler is married to his loving wife, Atalie. They enjoy the outdoors, Netflix, and spending time with friends.