Profile: Operation PAR Inc.

Mission: To strengthen our communities by caring for families and individuals impacted by substance abuse and mental illness.

Vision: Operation PAR, a beacon of hope in our communities - helping people be aware, be responsible, be healthy and be happy.

Located in West Central Florida - Serving more than 13,000 individuals a year in intervention and treatment services. Another 40,000 participants are impacted annually by the agency's messages of substance abuse awareness, education, prevention, research and information and referral. Additionally, the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center (PJAC) admits more than 7,500 juveniles a year. Operation PAR receives accreditation from the Joint Commission and Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and ASSET Accreditation from the Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) of Pinellas County regarding its JWB funded programs.

Operation PAR, Inc. began after a mother discovered her teenage daughter experimenting with drugs. This mother, Shirley Coletti, sat up all night and worried with her friend and neighbor, James T. Russell, who was then Pinellas County's State Attorney. Shirley Coletti discovered that there was no place for parents like her to get help. So, with the assistance of several parent advocates, Pinellas County Sheriff Don Genung, State Attorney Russell and former Pinellas County Commissioner Charles Rainey, Operation Parental Awareness and Responsibility was founded, an organization that would provide parents the necessary resources to battle drug addiction. Operation PAR has been putting Florida's families first for more than 36 years since incorporating as a nonprofit organization in 1970. Prior to receiving federal funding, Operation PAR provided treatment services with a volunteer staff of paraprofessionals and professionals. Today, staffed with more than 500 employees, Operation PAR provides integrated addiction and mental health services at its various sites in Pinellas, Pasco, Lee and Manatee counties. Operation PAR's current Board of Directors includes volunteers representing a broad spectrum of the community. These include health care professionals, business people, educators, lawyers, bankers, realtors and others. Many are community activists who serve on other boards in the Tampa Bay region, working with foundations, civic groups and service agencies.