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Overdose prevention and response is grounded in a complex landscape throughout Arkansas with a constellation of different groups providing essential services. The Prevention Awareness Youth Support Coalition – better known as the PAYS Coalition – is a Baxter and Marion County based organization that focuses on drug prevention throughout rural landscapes. With a variety of initiatives like drug-take-backs and a peer-to-peer program that focuses on students informing other students about the risks of substance use disorder, they've been able to make a tangible impact in their communities.
To learn more about the PAYS Coalition, we spoke with Director of the DFC and project coordinator for the PAYS Coalition Josh Bird about his background in recovery services, the heightened risks of SUD throughout the state of Arkansas, and much more.
Can you take us through your background? What inspired you to work within the field of health and safety around drug use?
Absolutely! I entered the field of treatment for substance use disorder and mental health in 2021 as a SUD Counselor in a residential center. In 2024, while continuing to work in residential treatment, I started a non-profit organization called Two-Lane Recovery in Missouri that offered recovery support services in the form of transitional housing. In late 2024 I moved to Mountain Home, AR, while I shifted to outpatient services as a treatment court counselor for Ozark and Douglas County Missouri. After experiencing addiction first hand, and seeing all the downstream aftermath inflicted by substance use disorders, I decided to shift from treatment to prevention in an effort to get out in front of the issue.
Can you tell us about your role as Director of the DFC and project coordinator for the PAYS Coalition? What’s the overarching mission of the PAYS Coalition?
Our mission is to strive to improve the quality of life for the youth of Marion and Baxter Counties Arkansas by providing awareness that supports health, safety, and prevention education. My role consists of managing the direction of the DFC Grant which includes all reporting and tracking of the action plan goals and financial disbursements. Furthermore, I serve as the intermediary between the AOR and the PAYS board of directors. I am also responsible for coordinating any and projects sponsored by PAYS to fuel the movement of substance use prevention.
Why is it important to direct resources around safety and prevention to young people in Arkansas?
The direction of these resources is vital to our youth as Arkansas faces elevated substance use risks in both opioids and nicotine while unique barriers to rural communities also limit access to mental or SUD treatment. Additionally, our prevention efforts strengthen the communities across the state and offer adolescents an ability to build resilience and succeed in life all the while improving the overall health and wellness of the state.
Can you explain the Drug Take Back initiative? What impact have you seen on the community through this program?
During our Drug Take Back initiative the PAYS Coalition partnered with the Baxter County Sheriff’s Department, the Elks, Midsouth, KTLO, and End Overdose to conduct a “Lock Your Meds” campaign to remove unused medications for the community. After collaborating with our partners, and advertising to the region, PAYS joined the Baxter County Sheriff’s Department to collect unused medications from the public for safe disposal. After dropping off unused medications, attendees were provided with lockboxes provided by the Elks, RidRX provided by Midsouth, naloxone from End Overdose, and documentation on the importance of safely storing medications. These efforts have resulted in multiple hundreds of pounds of medications being removed from the community which will be safely destroyed.
How would you evaluate the landscape of drug safety and prevention in Arkansas? What gaps can continue to be filled by organizations like the PAYS Coalition?
We evaluate based on data from the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment. This assessment is vital to understand drug trends taking place with the youth of Arkansas. Additionally, the Arkansas DHS can provide information of overdose factors on a county by county basis and help the reader to identify high risk areas. The gaps that the PAYS Coalition is striving to fill are those imposed by peer leadership. More specifically, we are filling the gap with healthy role models. This is the purpose of our SEAD Groups (Student Education Against Drugs). These clubs are located in the private and public schools of Marion and Baxter County and offer peer to peer prevention education. Our program is designed around the peer ethos where a fellow student is delivering the prevention message to their younger classmates. With the blessing of school administrators, our high school students travel to the middle and elementary schools to engage with students while also offering education on the importance of remaining free from drugs and alcohol.
What do you envision for the future of drug safety and overdose prevention in Baxter and Marion County alongside Arkansas as a whole?
I envision a future where Baxter and Marion Counties—and Arkansas as a whole—shift from reacting to crises toward building a strong, youth-centered culture of prevention and safety. With continued coalition work, expanded youth leadership, better parent engagement, and consistent overdose education, these counties can become models for rural prevention. Over time, Arkansas will see fewer overdoses, stronger community partnerships, and a generation of young people who feel supported, connected, and empowered to make healthy choices.