Founded in 1985, Nashville CARES is the premier HIV/AIDS service organization in Tennessee. Annually, we serve more than 50,000 people statewide and provide comprehensive services to clients throughout 17 counties in Middle Tennessee. We provide targeted education, free and confidential HIV testing, and comprehensive services to individuals at risk for or living with HIV.
Our mission is to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Middle Tennessee. We work to achieve this through education, advocacy, and support for those at risk for or living with HIV. Our vision is to see a community where HIV infections are rare, and when they do occur, everyone with HIV/AIDS has access to care, treatment, and support to achieve optimal health and self-sufficiency without stigma or discrimination. In support of our mission and vision, our actions are guided, supported, and measured by our values: do what is right. At Nashville CARES, we act with integrity in every situation; we show respect and compassion; we show empathy and kindness to every person; and we demonstrate passion for the services we provide. We do more than just our job; we believe in our mission. Nashville CARES is always looking for creative and innovative ideas to improve the overall sexual and physical health of our community. In the last three years, Nashville CARES developed several new programs that addressed specifically HIV testing and access to care at a time when our country was faced with navigating the COVID pandemic. The programs: Teststicks and Chill, which provided 24-hour access to free in-home HIV testing kits and telehealth support for individual testing at home; Johnny-on-the-Spot Prime, which also provided 24-hour access to condoms and lube; Rapid ART (rapid antiretroviral therapy) which provided immediate access to a provider and medication after an HIV diagnosis; PrEP NoW which provided immediate access to PrEP/2-1-1, a PrEP Provider and medication after testing negative for HIV; Curbside Community Healthcare was developed after Nashville CARES purchased a state-of-the-art Mobile Medical Unit allowing services to be taken directly to the communities we serve; and The Dispensary Nashville’s first Harm Reduction focused podcast. Also, during the COVID lockdowns, Nashville’s overdose rates increased alarmingly. Nashville CARES had been pivotal in assisting in writing the bill that would change the laws in Tennessee around a needle and hypodermic syringe exchange. In 2017, that bill was passed into law, and it was only fitting that Nashville CARES would develop a program to address the increase in opioid use, abuse, and deaths. The State of Tennessee accepted the DART Program as a recognized and licensed Syringe Service Program, and services began August 1, 2023. The DART Program will create a community with no judgment or coercive provisions on the services and resources we provide. It was essential for Nashville CARES’s DART Program to be developed using the principles of Harm Reduction and providing individuals a place to receive sexual and medical healthcare with dignity and respect. At Nashville CARES, we recognize and accept that for better or worse, licit and illicit drug use is part of our world and are committed to working to minimize harmful and deadly effects rather than ignoring or condemning those suffering from substance abuse disorders (SUD). The DART Program ensures that program members have a real voice in creating programs and policies designed to serve them. The DART Program will never minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger of licit and illicit drug use. Our focus is to provide individuals with SUD a safety net where they can access and receive the necessary resources to keep them and the community safe. With life, there is hope. The DART Program is committed to keeping our members healthy and alive with the hope of recovery for their future.