Announcements

Watch this page for announcements from other Athena Forum users. Select Send me Announcements in the account settings menu to get notified when there are new postings to this page.

The Health Care Authority (HCA) is assembling a list of Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery-contracted prevention providers that are interested in receiving Medication Lock Boxes/Bags to distribute to community members. If you are interested in requesting Medication Lock Boxes/Bags, please email Kersten Tano. Please keep in mind that recipients will need to take part in a pre-survey at the time they receive the lock box and a post-survey 3-6 months after receiving the lock box/bag to… read more

Remember that the vast majority of people who experience suicide ideation, access resources and move back into a place of wellness. Resources are available to help. If you or a loved one are struggling, call 988 to talk with a trained crisis counselor 24/7/365. 

For resources for you and your community, please see the attached HCA suicide Prevention Month Communications Toolkit. You can find key messages, specific audience resources for supporting non-English speakers, LGBTQ+,… read more

The National National American Indian and Alaska Native Prevention Technology Transfer Centers (AI/AN PTTC) proposes to create a one-year Prevention Fellowship Program (PFP) and to develop and sustain a well-trained and knowledgeable team of AI/AN prevention professionals who understand and exemplify the principles and best practices of substance use prevention across the lifespan.

The National AI/AN PTTC PFP program will be designed to prepare Native prevention fellows to achieve… read more

Session Objectives:

Explore a sampling of different models, strategies, research and health problems employing multi-level prevention. Review the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) and Social-Ecological Model for creating multi-level youth substance use and violence prevention strategies. Examine the Prevention Plus Wellness Model of multi-level prevention interventions addressing youth substance use and healthy behaviors.

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/… read more

Tribal and Urban Native representatives are invited to share their perspectives on wilderness therapy programs as part of a legislative research assignment.

For some background, the legislature has directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to study wilderness therapy programs. The intent of this assignment is exploratory and aims to gather information about what wilderness therapy programs are, their impact, and interest among partners in Washington including… read more

Red Ribbon Week, which is observed annually on October 23-31, highlights the importance of preventing drug abuse in our nation’s schools and communities and committing to living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. It began after people started wearing red ribbons honoring Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena following his murder in 1985.

One of the ways in which you can help commemorate Red Ribbon Week this year is to Go Red for Red Ribbon, which brings awareness to living a drug-free… read more

The Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan conducts an annual survey completed by students in grades 8, 10 and 12. A subset of that group is tracked through adulthood. Their headline finding of the Monitoring the Future survey this year was that marijuana and hallucinogen use among young adults 19 to 30 years old reached all-time high in 2021. Other key findings for young adults from the press release include:

Nicotine vaping and alcohol use were up after a… read more

A new brief, Responding to the Current Youth Mental Health Crisis and Preventing the Next One, summarizes a three-day workshop of the same name by the Forum for Children's Wellbeing. The workshop addressed community-level prevention and promotion strategies, practices and policies with potential to promote positive mental health.

The Art and Science of Community Organizing Training (ASCOT) will be offered two more times in 2022. Each session lasts for six consecutive weeks from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and costs $850, with scholarships available.

The ASCOT curriculum includes:

Four cross-cutting themes Six tool boxes Daily showcases Learning Coalitions Collection of online resources Small group activities in breakout rooms Individual participant-selected course project

For more information on… read more

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) was assigned by the state legislature to study wilderness therapy programs. These programs exist in many forms, but typically combine therapeutic practices with outdoor activities like camping and backpacking in order to support individuals with behavioral health, mental health, and substance use issues. Though few programs exist in Washington and there is no state funding, the intent of the assignment is exploratory and aims to… read more