The Sioux Falls School District is launching a new three-year pilot program to strengthen substance-use prevention and provide earlier access to support for students and families.
The CARE Prevention Program (Counseling, Awareness, Recovery and Education) is funded through a $1 million award the District received as part of South Dakota’s opioid settlement funding. In April 2026, the state awarded $7.8 million to 10 organizations across South Dakota to support substance-use prevention, education, treatment, and recovery efforts.
The funding will allow the District to provide specialized prevention education and addiction counseling directly in schools.
CARE is being piloted at six schools, including Lincoln High School, Patrick Henry Middle School, and Hawthorne, Terry Redlin, Robert Frost, and Susan B. Anthony Elementary Schools. Most of the elementary schools feed into Patrick Henry Middle School, which feeds into Lincoln High School, creating a connected K-12 pathway. The schools also were not already participating in other pilot programs, allowing the District to collect data about CARE without other initiatives influencing the results.
At the elementary level, CARE will focus on prevention and education through a partnership with Emily’s Hope. Lessons will build over time, beginning with topics such as healthy bodies and brains, managing emotions, and making healthy choices. As students get older, they will learn about medication safety, peer pressure, substances, and how substances affect the brain.
At the middle and high school levels, CARE will place a greater emphasis on intervention and direct support. Through a partnership with Avera Family Wellness, two licensed addiction counselors will serve the pilot schools. Students may receive screening and evaluations, individual or group counseling, case management, and family support, with referrals to additional treatment when needed.
The program will also provide resources for parents and caregivers and support school-wide awareness efforts focused on substance use prevention.
The 2026-27 school year is the first year of the three-year pilot. This year will focus on staffing, implementation, and collecting baseline data. Year two will focus on full implementation and continued evaluation, while Year Three will examine outcomes, sustainability, and the potential for growth.
Ultimately, CARE is designed to give students the knowledge and skills to make healthy decisions while making specialized support more accessible when they need it.