In 2006, The United Way of Hood County conducted a community needs assessment. This assessment revealed the top two areas of focus as youth and adult substance use/misuse.

From this the Hood County Substance Abuse Council was created as a program of United Way of Hood County

United Way of Hood County then granted HCSAC a Drug-Free-Communities (DFC) grant to address tobacco, prescription medicine, and alcohol in 2009, which was renewed in 2014.

In 2018, The Hood County Substance Abuse Council (HCSAC) became its own 501(c)3 nonprofit. The DFC grant stopped in 2019.

In 2020, HCSAC started collaborating with The United Way of Hood County on the S.T.O.P grant, which targets alcohol consumption and purchasing of minors.

In 2021, HCSAC was then granted their first independent grant through the federal government, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).