News from HCA's Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery

Legislative session begins

The 2026 WA State legislative session is under way! This year is a “short session” meaning that it is half-way through the biennial budget approved in the 2025 session. This session is only 60-days long running from January 1, 2026 to March 12th, 2026.

A New Year's message from Sarah Mariani

I am grateful for the mentors who walk alongside our youth and help guide them towards whole health. I am grateful for the caregivers that are worried but ready to provide support. I am grateful for the coalition coordinators who navigate sticky situations in their communities and find resolutions. I am grateful for the community leaders who face budget and staffing challenges but find creative solutions.

Office of Tribal Affairs publishes Washington State Tribal Prevention System Fact Sheet

The Office of Tribal Affairs within the Washington State Health Care Authority is excited to publish the Washington State Tribal Prevention System Fact Sheet. This fact sheet provides an overview of the North Star program implemented by Tribal leaders across Washington, supported by the Office of Tribal Affairs, an approach to address the opioid crisis in Tribal communities. 

Outreach tips & Athena discussion forum

Highlighting coalition work is an important step in gaining recognition for the difference you are making. We’d like to pass along an advocacy tip from Johnny’s Ambassadors, encouraging coalitions to share educational prevention science and messaging with talk radio shows or podcasts. 


Welcome DCA, MHPP & SOR Community-Based Organization Grantees!

The Washington State Health Care Authority Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery is excited to welcome Dedicated Cannabis Account (DCA), Mental Health Promotion Project (MHPP) and State Opioid Response (SOR) Community-Based Organization (CBO) grantees from the request for applications shared earlier this year.

Communities Talk Event News

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 universities. Stipends are available every year!


Seeking volunteers for the 2026 Prevention Awards of Excellence Review Team

Each year, the Prevention Awards of Excellence recognizes outstanding prevention professionals, community members, youth, and coalitions for their exemplary contributions to substance use disorder prevention and mental health promotion across Washington state.

The awards are made possible by a volunteer review team, which provides feedback on the past year’s nomination materials and process as well as reviews the current year’s nominations.  This year, Martha is hoping to firm up the Review Team members by Friday, January 16, 2026.

Submit your feedback for a new Friends for Life youth activity

The Friends for Life fentanyl awareness and naloxone education campaign is collecting feedback for a new youth activity that can be used by schools, coalitions, non-profits or any other youth-serving organization. 

We want to know what type of activity/content would be most helpful and beneficial to your work. Please fill out this brief survey to let us know what type of content you'd like to see.

Don't miss the November 25 listening session for behavioral health service providers

November 25 listening session for behavioral health service providers. These calls are a great way to discuss issues with the experts. We hope that you find these calls useful and remember to take care of yourself as well as those you serve.

Congratulations to the 2025 Prevention Awards of Excellence recipients

On October 29, 2025, the Washington prevention community met for the monthly Provider Meeting where 2025 recipients and honorable mention nominees were honored during a virtual celebration of excellence.