Our mission is to Empower the Johnson County Community to reduce and prevent youth substance abuse through advocacy, education, and enforcement.

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Did you know:
Parents are the number one influence on their child’s decision not to use alcohol?

Empower Johnson County is a group of dedicated volunteers who seek to support community-level change related to youth substance use. Our priority focus is on alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use as it pertains to youth age 18 and under. 

We are so excited to share a glimpse into Red Ribbon Week with you! All six public school districts in Johnson County participated in our Red Ribbon Week sponsored efforts this year. We had 31 schools participate and we were able to reach over 23,000 students with positive prevention messaging. Thank you to all who participated and a huge thank you to our Empowered Youth Coalition for guiding our efforts and content!

Coalition Overview


EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  • Donald D. Peek Jr, Commander Indiana Department of Veteran's Affairs - Chair, Empower Johnson County
  • Bob Smith, Environmental Health Specialist, Johnson County Health Department - Vice-Chair, Empower Johnson County
  • Doug Cox, Johnson County Sheriff's Dept./Franklin Community High School Resource Officer - Member at Large, Empower Johnson County
  • Michelle McMahon, Community Coordinator, Upstream Prevention, Inc - email
  • Miranda Broomfield, Assistant Community Coordinator, Upstream Prevention, Inc. - email

Meetings & Events


Empower Johnson County is a coalition comprised of members who live/work in Johnson County, Indiana that want to make it a safer and healthier community by providing substance free youth activities and outreach/education/training events to parents and community members.

Meeting Access

All meetings are open to the public and accessible online via Zoom meeting software.

Join Zoom Meeting:

Interested in learning more? Email Us

Featured Events

Nothing from December 3, 2024 to January 2, 2025.

Did you know:
Most Johnson County Youth Don't Drink Alcohol

Join Empowered Youth!


Do you know a high school age youth in Johnson County who is:

  • Passionate about making a difference
  • Ready to learn
  • Dedicated to being alcohol, tobacco, and substance free
  • Looking to make an impact

If so, let them know about Empowered Youth!

For more information or to get involved, fill out the form linked below OR email Miranda Bloomfield at miranda@upstreamprevention.org

Students from across Johnson County and focus on bringing awareness to issues around mental health, youth vaping, and underage alcohol use. Students receive training in leadership and advocacy, plan and execute strategies and activities, and receive volunteer hours and references.


By participating in this group, students will learn about:

  • Prevention efforts
  • Helping peers navigate healthy choices
  • Advocating for substance free youth

 Watch this 
Empowered Youth's Town Hall!

Empowered Youth Coalition hosted:
"A Virtual Townhall on Alcohol"

Conversation Starters & Talking Tips


How to Talk to Youth About Alcohol & Other Drugs

 Watch this 
Communities Talk to Prevent Underage Drinking

Underage drinking is a concern for many parents and adults in our community. However, it can be difficult to keep up to date with current trends in underage drinking, and it's harder still to know the best ways to talk to kids and teens about alcohol use.


This virtual town hall is part of SAMHSA's national "Communities Talk" program and is hosted in collaboration with the Johnson County Indiana Sheriff's Office. Special thanks to Officer James Engmark for joining us for this important conversation.

Watch the above recording from our Virtual Town Hall to learn about the risks facing youth today and how you can talk about these risks in a supportive, productive way that youth will understand.

You'll also learn about "social hosting" (enabling underage drinking in your home or on your property), which can lead to legal consequences and is especially relevant with prom and graduation season fast approaching.

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