Gov. Mike Braun launched NeuHope’s Hope for Hoosiers program in July 2026 using dollars received in the state’s portion of the opioid settlement. Led by Sagamore Senior Fellow Dan Johnson, the pilot is intended to catalyze similar innovations across the state.
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Flourishing in Indiana
Our Team
Dan Johnson
Dan Johnson began his career as a Senior Pastor in Illinois and Indiana, where a burden for hurting people drew him toward those struggling with addiction, and he has since walked personally with hundreds of individuals and families as they found freedom. His expertise spans clinical treatment and faith-based recovery, from founding The NewDay Center in 2019 as a state-certified, Joint Commission-accredited treatment organization, to authoring six books and the Center’s curriculum, to leading the Faith and Recovery Network under Hope for Hoosiers at the invitation of the Sagamore Institute.
Jeremy Funk
Jeremy Funk, PhDc, MPH, is an epidemiologist and clinical informaticist working at the intersection of public health data, AI, and program operations. His expertise spans disease surveillance and health informatics, from building Indiana’s mortality surveillance infrastructure at the state health department to advancing syndromic surveillance methods under the CDC’s Advanced Data Analytics initiative, to leading the application of large language models and machine learning to public health data at InductiveHealth.
The Model
Hope for Hoosiers is a NeuHope initiative that mobilizes Indiana’s most trusted community network, its faith communities, as frontline partners in responding to opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health needs. Trained Hope Coaches, based in local churches, walk alongside members, identify what they need, and connect them to treatment, recovery, housing, employment, and family supports already present in their region.
Through a Human Flourishing approach, Hope for Hoosiers helps participants move from crisis to stability and independence by addressing basic needs, recovery and mental wellness, social connection, and economic opportunity. The program is delivered through regional hubs and supported by churches, community organizations, and trained volunteer Hope Coaches.
The Pilot
Hope for Hoosiers is teaming up with Shepherd Community Center on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis to deploy Hope Coaches in local schools. Designed with scalability in mind, this approach allows the program to directly reach
The Indiana Mental Health Roundtable
Improved behavioral health requires an ecosystem approach to reform and better practice. In 2021, Sagamore partnered with then-Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch to establish the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable (IMHR). Roundtable members, who include leaders from the healthcare, business, government, and nonprofit fields, convene cross-sectoral organizations to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing, advocate for policies and investments in mental health resources, and promote promising practices and technologies to improve outcomes.