Addiction Professionals of
North Carolina

The Opportunity

Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC) is the statewide trade organization for substance use prevention and recovery. While these issues affect all communities, people of color remain underrepresented in the workforce. To help close this gap, APNC partnered with Capitol B to inspire more HBCU students to pursue careers in mental health, substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery.

The Work

Through focus groups, interviews, and third-party research, we found that while HBCU students recognize the value of careers in substance use prevention and recovery, they often underestimate the deep impact these roles have within their own communities.

To shift this perception, we launched the “Real Influencers” campaign. This initiative seeks to reframe mental health and substance use professionals as true influencers: those who drive lasting change, transform lives, and empower others, rather than chase likes or filters.

To support the effort, we developed a Real Influencers toolkit for HBCU APNC ambassadors, featuring posters, flyers, audience insights, distribution strategies, core messaging, and ready-to-use social content. These toolkits are customizable and can be modified for different users.

We also built a campaign landing page where students could explore inspiring statistics, meet real influencers in their communities, and connect with APNC to begin their own journey as tomorrow’s real influencers.