News from HCA's Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery

The Athena Forum is under construction!

The Athena Forum upgrade is in progress, with the new site expected to be completed and launched by the end of September. As we near the project deadline, our vendor is hard at work making updates to the existing website in preparation for its content to be migrated to the new site. While we are actively trying to minimize disruptions to the The Athena Forum, you may encounter broken links or pages. If his happens and you need assistance accessing resources and/or information, please email… read more

2024 data books are in Minerva 2.0

For Community Wellness and Prevention Initiative (CPWI) providers, a 2024 data book has been added to your document library in Minerva 2.0!

Your document library is located under “Resources,” on the page “Document Library.” Select the hyperlink, “Community Name Data Book 2024” to open the document, and from that page select the hyperlink, “Community Name Data Book 2024” to download your PDF.

A reminder, a data book is provided solely for coalition planning purposes and includes… read more

In case you missed it: Spring Youth Forum recap

The 2024 Spring Youth Forum was held on Wednesday, May 8, at the Great Wolf Lodge, bringing together 40 youth prevention leaders from across Washington state. These young leaders have been instrumental in championing various prevention projects throughout the state ranging from reducing substance misuse, promoting mental health, and increasing awareness of fentanyl. This year's conference saw a remarkable turnout with over 350 participants, including youth, adult chaperones, and volunteers. The event was met with overwhelming positive feedback from attendees, highlighting its success and impact.

The Health Care Authority is hiring a Prevention System Manager (MAPS3/DBHR)!

We are seeking a Prevention System Manager (PSM) to join our team, where you will use your expertise to shape statewide substance use disorder prevention programs. In this role, you'll exercise significant independent judgment, oversee programmatic policies, and develop strategic prevention initiatives. You'll monitor compliance with state and federal contracts, provide culturally sensitive training, and lead identification and quality assurance of evidence-based prevention strategies. Enjoy telework flexibility while making a meaningful impact on public health and prevention efforts across the state!

Don't miss this year's Region 10 Opioid Summit, register today!

The 2024 Region 10 Opioid Summit will be held in a hybrid format, with an in-person option in Boise, Idaho on July 25-26. This year's theme is "Breaking barriers, saving lives: Empowering individuals, strengthening families, healing communities, and embracing recovery."

Registration is now open! Please register before the deadline on Monday, July 8! Room blocks are available at six hotels in the area; links to these hotels will be sent via email upon registration confirmation.

Prevention spotlight: ESD 105

Educational School District (ESD) 105 recently completed a successful winter implementation of Strengthening Families Program (SFP) 10-14 in Selah, WA! ESD 105 is a DBHR community-based organization (CBO) grantee.

Coordinator Lizbet Maceda has done an excellent job of knitting together funding sources to support capacity building in the surrounding community: food, facilities, and graduation baskets were provided by the migrant program.

The Health Care Authority is hiring a Prevention Research and Evaluation Manager (WMS2/DBHR)!

We are looking for talented individual with data expertise to oversee prevention and health promotion research and evaluation efforts related to HCA DBHR efforts. This person will also manage large contracts and act as a subject matter expert to HCA partners and government officials. If you have a background in statistical analysis, contract management, and behavioral health, this may be the position for you!

Action required: The Athena Forum user review

In the coming weeks, we will be reviewing and deactivating any accounts that have been inactive for more than three years and are not associated with any active contacts on the local, regional, and state prevention contacts list.

The Athena newsletter is moving to monthly distribution!

Starting this month, the Athena prevention newsletters will move from bimonthly to monthly distribution on the first Tuesday of each month. You can expect to receive your next monthly Athena newsletter on Tuesday, March 5!

Healthy Youth Survey: Question revision and new question proposal

The Healthy Youth Survey Planning Committee (HYSPC) is now collecting proposals for new and revised questions to include in the 2025 Healthy Youth Survey (HYS).