Announcements

Watch this page for announcements from other Athena Forum users.

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids is recruiting Youth Ambassadors for the 2026-2027 program. Applications are due by August 31 at 8:59 p.m. Pacific. 

National Youth Ambassadors are high school and college students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership fighting tobacco in their communities. They're chosen annually as representatives of their state through a competitive application process. Ambassadors receive comprehensive training, participate in advocacy… read more

The Call for Presentations is now open for the National Indian Child Welfare Association's (NICWA) 45th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference, taking place April 4–7, 2027, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Learn more about this event. 

Presenters are the heart of NICWA's Protecting Our Children Conference. By sharing your knowledge, experience, and promising practices, you help strengthen Native child welfare programs and improve outcomes for Native children and families… read more

NW HIDTA is launching a request for prevention proposals in October 2026. You're invited to a launch webinar October 13 that will provide guidance regarding the prevention request for proposals. Registrants will also receive proposal documents and information about deadlines and expectations. 

Organizations are eligible to apply if they:

Work to prevent illicit drug use (including enhancing protective factors and reducing risk factors). Operate in a Northwest HIDTA… read more

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center are enrolling teens aged 15 to 18 who currently use e-cigarettes (vaped on one or more days in the past 30 days), along with one of their parents/guardians, for a new study on youth vaping cessation. The goal is to test whether a new program can help teens quit vaping with support from their parent/guardian. Both the teen and parent/guardian will participate in the study, but their involvement will be separated.

You may be able… read more

Are you advancing mental health or substance use care in your community? Your ideas could inspire the next breakthrough in behavioral health!

NatCon is now accepting presentation proposals for NatCon 2027 and the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Summit in New Orleans next April. They're seeking thought leaders and changemakers with practical solutions, groundbreaking research and compelling success stories to share.

Submit your proposal by Aug. 19 for the chance to present… read more

NHTSA has released its 2024 Alcohol Impaired Driving Traffic Safety Facts. Here are a few national findings:

In 2024, there were 11,904 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes in which at least one driver was alcohol-impaired. This represented 30 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States for the year. On average, one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality occurred every 44 minutes in 2024. The 21- to 24-year-old age group had the highest percentage (28%) of alcohol-… read more

Safe Medication Return is currently running two surveys related to Awareness and Use of Safe Medication Return.

If you have five minutes, you're encouraged to participate in one of these surveys below. Please also consider disseminating the survey information to your friends, family, and the groups you work with.

The professional survey is for people working in law enforcement of healthcare (including pharmacy and veterinary medicine). The public survey is for anyone… read more

The Public Health Law Center has published a new map and resources providing select examples of U.S. states, cities, and counties that restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products. For local jurisdictions, it focuses on those with a population over 75,000. The map and dataset summarize whether state and local tobacco flavor restrictions policies (1) cover the entire jurisdiction, (2) prohibit menthol, (3) restrict flavors in all tobacco products, and (4) include exemptions for certain… read more

Mental Health America’s Youth Policy Accelerator is a youth leadership program that ensures that the priorities and voices of young people are at the forefront of national mental health policy discussions. The 2026 YPA will equip five outstanding young adults with the skills, relationships, and experience to advance youth peer support policy.

We’re excited to launch this year’s YPA, focused on state youth peer support policy.

The all-virtual YPA will take place from July… read more

July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and Mental Health America's 2026 BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit is now available.

This year's toolkit is designed to help communities of color have more good days by finding moments of good despite ongoing stress, strengthening connections in trusted spaces, and supporting everyday mental health conversations. The toolkit is available in both English and Spanish.

Whether you're looking for materials… read more