Prevention and Resiliency Services

What Prevention and Resiliency Services does

Prevention and Resiliency Services (PARS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, delivering substance use prevention, intervention, and community resilience services across Shawnee County. Originally operating as Prevention and Recovery Services and rebranded in 2025 to emphasize resiliency, the organization was documented as active by 2012 and has roughly 10 staff including an Executive Director, Community Prevention Consultants, a Licensed Addiction Counselor, Community Navigator, Fund Development lead, and Administrative Coordinator.

The core service portfolio spans evidence-based prevention education delivered in partner school district classrooms, substance use evaluations for youth and adults referred by courts, therapists, and families, the state-approved Alcohol and Drug Information School (ADIS) for first-time DUI offenders ($180 for the eight-hour program), and specialized programs including the Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Alliance, Block Talks neighborhood engagement initiative, Know Overdose / RescueNow naloxone distribution, the Take Back drug disposal program, the Human storytelling campaign, and a Substance Misuse Task Force convened under Live Well Shawnee County. Its evidence base rests on the Kansas Communities That Care (KCTC) survey administered annually to 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th-grade cohorts, drawing on more than 40 years of risk-and-protective-factor research.

PARS is funded through a mix of grants, City of Topeka alcohol and drug tax dollars (which underwrite free school-based services), individual and organizational donations, and modest fee-for-service revenue from evaluations and ADIS. Its go-to-market is community-led and referral-driven: prevention education is delivered directly into classrooms, evaluation clients are channeled in from schools, courts, therapists, and community agencies, and grass tops engagement is built through Block Talks, National Night Out participation, and an annual cornhole tournament fundraiser. The organization is governed by a community board drawn from Mirror Inc., Washburn University, and Wallace Law Firm, and operates exclusively within a single US state and county.

Name

Prevention and Resiliency Services

Legal name

Prevention and Resiliency Services

Website

https://parstopeka.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Prevention and Resiliency Services is a Topeka, Kansas-based 501(c)(3) non-profit delivering evidence-based substance use prevention education, evaluations, and community resilience programming across Shawnee County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Substance Use Prevention Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAO

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGACAE

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDALAFAE

Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Services

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Health, Counseling & Wellness Services

SECONDARYEUAIAFAF

Pharmaceutical & Controlled Substance Waste Management (DEA-compliant, Take-back)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Hazardous Waste Management (Industrial, Chemical, Medical)

Keywords

• Substance use prevention
• Community prevention education
• Addiction counseling services
• Neighborhood safety programs
• Overdose prevention training

Headquarters

HQ city

Topeka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: PARS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit funded by generous grants and community donations from individuals, organizations, foundations, and government entities. They receive City alcohol and drug tax dollars to provide free school services.
2. Evaluation Services Fees: Drug and alcohol evaluations for youth and adults with fees assessed on an individual basis. Grant funding may be available to offset costs for minors.
3. Donations: One-time and monthly gifts from donors, including memorial and honor donations. Donations support evaluation services at low to no cost for youth in Shawnee County.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PARS provides substance use prevention education in schools and community settings, conducts drug and alcohol evaluations for individuals and court referrals, delivers the state-approved ADIS program for first-time DUI offenders, distributes naloxone and trains community members in overdose response, and coordinates resident-led Block Talks neighborhood engagement and Take Back drug disposal across Shawnee County, Kansas.

Product overview

Prevention and Resiliency Services (PARS) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of community-based prevention and intervention services focused on substance use. The core offerings include Prevention Education programs delivered in schools and community settings, Substance Use Evaluations with licensed addiction counselors, and the Alcohol and Drug Information School (ADIS) for DUI education. Specialized initiatives include the Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Alliance, Safe Streets programming with Block Talks grassroots neighborhood gatherings, Know Overdose/RescueNow naloxone distribution, the Substance Misuse Task Force, Take Back drug disposal program, and the Human storytelling campaign. These services work together to provide prevention education, assessment, community engagement, and recovery support across Shawnee County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prevention Education School and community-based educational programs that teach youth and adults about substance use risks, protective factors, and prevention strategies using evidence-based approaches.
• Substance Use Evaluations Drug and alcohol evaluations for youth and adults referred by schools, courts, therapists, or self-referred, assessing substance use disorders and providing treatment recommendations.
• Alcohol and Drug Information School (ADIS) An eight-hour state-approved educational program for individuals completing first-time DUI offenses, covering substance use awareness, Kansas laws, BAC, and legal and personal impacts of violations.
• Safe Streets / Block Talks Grassroots neighborhood engagement initiative featuring Block Talks—resident-led gatherings designed to build community connections, promote safety, and address local concerns through inclusive, flexible community meetings.
• Know Overdose / RescueNow Overdose prevention program providing naloxone distribution and training, educational resources on opioid overdoses, and connections to treatment and recovery support.
• Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Alliance A network of community partners raising awareness about Drug Endangered Children issues through training, resources, and technical assistance, with focus on substance use impacts during pregnancy.
• Take Back Program Year-round drug take-back initiative with multiple drop-off locations throughout Topeka for safe disposal of unused medications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 active Block Talks with 69 community organization members participating in neighborhood meetings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shawnee County DEC AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of community partners working to raise awareness about Drug Endangered Children issues and support efforts through training, resources, and technical assistance. PARS is an active member working on alcohol and pregnancy awareness campaigns.
• Kansas Communities That Care (KCTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARS utilizes KCTC survey data annually collected from 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th-grade students to guide prevention efforts. Survey is based on over 40 years of research identifying risk and protective factors in youth.
• CIVIC (Community Violence Intervention Collaborative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to assess community needs, challenges, and opportunities for creating safer neighborhoods. Through surveys, focus groups, and collaborative discussions, gathered data that guided the formation of Block Talks program.
• Local Shawnee County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool districts partner with PARS to deliver prevention education programs within classrooms. Schools can request PARS presenters for students at no cost due to City alcohol and drug tax funding.
• Mirror, Inc.coreOthersOne of Kansas' largest nonprofit substance use treatment providers. Mirror, Inc. staff serve on PARS board (Nicholas Casarona as President, Gordon Smith as Secretary) and PARS staff collaborate on community initiatives.
• Washburn UniversityminorOthersDr. Kara Langin from Washburn University serves as Treasurer on PARS board. Sarah Hagler also represents Washburn University as a board member.
• Substance Misuse Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity coalition developing initiatives to educate and inform the community on substance use impacts. The task force is an arm of Live Well Shawnee County and meets every other month. Open to anyone passionate about substance misuse education and helping others.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heartland RADAC: Regional Alcohol and Drug Assessment Center serving Kansas with substance use evaluations and treatment referrals — directly overlapping PARS's Substance Use Evaluation and ADIS service lines. Several PARS staff previously worked at Heartland RADAC.
• Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center: Lawrence, Kansas-based community mental health center providing substance use and co-occurring disorder services. Operates as a comparable community-anchored Kansas nonprofit with similar mission overlap and referral ecosystem.
• CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America): National membership organization supporting community drug-prevention coalitions — closely aligned with PARS's Substance Misuse Task Force and Block Talks coalition-building model. PARS operates as a local affiliate-style participant in this coalition ecosystem.
• DCCCA: Kansas-based nonprofit providing substance use prevention, intervention, and treatment services across the state. Highly comparable to PARS in mission, geographic focus, and service mix, with both organizations targeting youth prevention and community-level SUD intervention.
• Communities That Care: National prevention framework organization built around the same risk and protective factor methodology PARS uses (KCTC is the Kansas implementation). Comparable in prevention strategy and youth-survey-driven program design.
• NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence): National nonprofit advocacy and prevention organization addressing alcoholism and drug dependence. Comparable to PARS in mission, with shared focus on community education, stigma reduction, and prevention messaging.
• Mirror, Inc. Kansas' largest nonprofit substance use treatment provider with residential and outpatient programs. Mirror board members sit on PARS's board, indicating deep operational overlap; both serve Shawnee County residents with complementary prevention and treatment offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Valley Hope: Larger Kansas-headquartered nonprofit substance use treatment provider with inpatient and outpatient services across multiple states. Operates upstream of PARS in the SUD continuum with significantly greater scale and resources.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: National nonprofit addiction treatment and prevention organization with broad programming across the SUD continuum. Operates as a much larger incumbent in the same space, with prevention education analogous to PARS's school programs.
• Partnership to End Addiction: National nonprofit focused on addiction prevention, treatment support, and family resources. Comparable mission to PARS but at national scale with broader policy advocacy and direct-to-family service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PARS_Topeka
• Facebookfacebook.com/pars.topeka

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prevention and Resiliency Services