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December 28, 2023

In October 2023, ESD 105 and Cascade Prevention Coalition, serving the Cle Elum/Roslyn community, organized a Take Back Day event at their local police department. National Drug Prescription Take Back Day, hosted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, is held twice a year and encourages the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes to prevent medication misuse. Communities across the nation participate in this effort, providing safe and convenient sites for people to dispose of...

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December 27, 2023

Seattle Public Schools will receive approximately $1.75 million in proceeds from a federal lawsuit against Juul Labs, Altria, and other companies and individuals involved in the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of vaping products. 

...

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December 26, 2023

Reaching out InVolves Everyone (THRIVE) is Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board's (NPAIHB) suicide prevention project. 

THRIVE works to reduce suicide rates among indigenous people living in the Northwest by providing culturally relevant mental health resources to increase knowledge and awareness about suicide and expand access to prevention and treatment services.

Visit NPAIHB's THRIVE page to learn more about the...

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December 21, 2023

National Impaired Driving Prevention Month is observed every December to educate the public about the risks of driving impaired and encourage drivers to make responsible choices on the road. Impaired driving is often discussed in relation to alcohol but includes operating a vehicle under the influence of any harmful substance, including cannabis, opioids, and other drugs.

Every day in America, there are about 800 injuries and 29 fatalities from alcohol impaired driving crashes...

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December 21, 2023

As in past years, in early 2024, the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) will request Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) and community-based organization (CBO) contractors to review their expenditures to help ensure obligated funding is expended by upcoming state and federal fund source end dates. 

This review will provide the opportunity for unneeded funding to be identified and reallocated. Prevention managers will share more information in the...

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December 21, 2023

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) launched a new health resource for teens and young adults on its website.

Teen Health Hub WA, or "the Hub," was created in partnership with Washington teens and young adults, including members of DOH’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC). The Hub features a curated online directory of youth-...

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December 18, 2023

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking ideas from youth, 14-18 years old, on a community strategy to increase youth awareness, education, and prevention around the dangers of fentanyl. 

Youth: What is the best way you make your friends aware of these risks and keep them safe?

Your idea could include any innovative ways to reach your peers on this topic like social media posts, vlogs, podcasts, and/or video. 

The top...

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December 18, 2023

As an all-volunteer board, the Prevention Specialist Certification Board of Washington (PSCBW) strives to do its work as efficiently and timely as possible. However, during the month of December, response time will be delayed. Several directors of the board will not be available for certification and board work, including responding to email inquiries, review and approval of any PSCBW prevention certification applications, and other board related business. Thank you for your understanding....

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December 13, 2023

The 2024 National Prevention Network Conference (NPN) will be held August 13-15, 2024 at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, AZ! More information will be posted on the conference webpage soon! 

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December 8, 2023

We are nearing the next cycle of the Communities Talk!

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be sponsoring stipends for the next round of Communities Talk to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse, an initiative that focuses on alcohol and other drug misuse that negatively affect communities and our youth. Since 2006, the initiative has provided prevention resources and stipends to thousands of community-based organizations, colleges, and...

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December 7, 2023

Prevention Plus Wellness (PPW) is collaborating with WellScreen to bring PPW’s unique evidence-based “whole-health” brief substance use prevention interventions that promote healthy lifestyle behaviors and mental health onto WellScreen’s online technology for screening for alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, including opioid consumption.

WellScreen is based on the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) protocol and uses evidence-based screeners like...

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December 1, 2023

What is involved? The Review Team reviews the previous year’s Overview and Nomination Packet documents during January and February, making suggestions on improvements, suggestions on how to market the awards to encourage more participation, and to make suggestions on how to simplify the nomination process. Any meetings are via Microsoft Teams. Award nominations are accepted during the April – August time frame; there are no Review Team meetings or duties during the...

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November 30, 2023

This report has been submitted to SAMHSA.  Public review period has concluded.

.Each year the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery compiles and submits an Annual Synar Report (ASR) to the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The report is currently available for public review.  If you wish to submit a comment after reading the report, send your comments to: ...

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November 28, 2023

The Native Center for Behavioral Health hosts a prevention fellowship program, a one-year career development and practicum for early-career professionals or students in the substance use prevention field. 

On Thursday, November 30, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., this year's three fellows will present the projects they have worked on during their fellowship year: 

  • Alcohol Prevention Among Indigenous Youth (Shelene Head): There will be...
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November 22, 2023

Last month, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation hosted the annual Centennial Accord meetings, a formal collaboration between the 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington and the state government. Hundreds of Tribal leaders from Washington, Idaho, and Oregon attended and participated in the meetings.

At this year's meetings, Tribal leaders shared how fentanyl and opioids have impacted their nations and people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and...

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