Announcements

Mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) disorders, including mental illness and substance use disorders, are at the heart of several ongoing national crises and affect every U.S. population group, community, and neighborhood. Existing infrastructure responds to these crises predominantly with treatment and recovery, or addressing MEB disorders once they already exist, rather than working to prevent them. Available prevention services are insufficiently funded, fragmented, and better… read more

As the only training designed specifically for prevention coalitions, the National Coalition Academy (NCA) is the go-to program for equipping new and seasoned coalitions with the tools needed to drive change. The NCA teaches you how to strengthen your coalition and implement effective, comprehensive prevention strategies in your community. This immersive, hands-on training is designed for coalition leaders or staff, volunteer community leaders, and prevention professionals seeking to… read more

National Alcohol Awareness Month is observed annually in April to increase public awareness about alcohol use disorder and the adverse impacts of alcohol misuse on individuals, families, and communities.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 178,000 people die each year from excessive alcohol use. This includes alcohol-related deaths from chronic conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, and liver disease, as well as alcohol-related deaths from… read more

The Friends for Life campaign team wants to hear from you! As Health Care Authority continues our work to prevent overdose deaths in Washington, we are looking for feedback from partners who may be using the fentanyl and naloxone awareness campaign in their communities.  

Complete this brief online survey to share your feedback. It should take about 10 minutes to complete.  

The goal of this survey is to learn more about how partners… read more

National Drug Take Back (NDTB) Day is coming up on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. NDTB day is a free, safe, anonymous, and convenient way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs as one of the many measures to prevent opioids and prescription medication misuse within communities. It is hosted in partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), local law enforcement, and community partners. In October 2024, the state of Washington hosted 66… read more

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released two 2025 notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs) for the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. The two NOFOs include one for initial applications from coalitions.  These are coalitions that are applying for their first five years of DFC funding.  The other NOFO is a competing continuation for coalitions that have received five years of… read more

The Friends for Life campaign team wants to hear from you! As Health Care Authority (HCA) continues our work to prevent overdose deaths in Washington, we are looking for feedback from partners who may be using the fentanyl and naloxone awareness campaign in their communities.  

Complete this brief online survey to share your feedback. It should take about 10 minutes to complete.  

The goal of this survey is to learn more about how partners are using the… read more

The Friends for Life and Starts with One overdose and opioid misuse prevention campaigns are hosting a joint webinar on Monday, April 14, 2025, 11 a.m. – noon.

Attend this online event to learn about:

The amazing work of two Grant County CPWI coalitions - Soap Lake Prevention Coalition and Quincy Partnership for Youth - was highlighted in local media last month.

Ryan Boldman, coalition coordinator in Soap Lake, provided a thoughtful perspective after youth in the community were arrested for a cannabis shop burglary. In the Columbia Basin Herald article, Ryan is quoted as saying, “So, when situations like this arise, rather than simply condemning the… read more

Nearly half of adults in Washington gamble, and most can do so in a fun, responsible way. But for others, gambling is a behavior they struggle to control. A 2021 study by Washington State University showed tens of thousands Washington adults are at risk of developing unhealthy behaviors around gambling.

Problem gambling is a common co-occurring disorder among people who use alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and tobacco. It is also a significant risk factor for suicide, with suicidal… read more