Announcements

Watch this page for announcements from other Athena Forum users.

On July 17, the Federal government closed the 988 Lifeline’s subnetwork for LGBTQIA2S+ youth ages 13-24. The terminated line provided specialized assistance with mental health crises, substance use concerns, and access to resources for these at-risk youth. 

This line received an average of 400 contacts per day. Washington state is working to continue quality care by training the crisis counselors for the main crisis line in the specialized support needed for LGBTQIA2S+ youth and… read more

The University of Rochester, New York, is looking for Hispanic/Latino people to help test an app with the dual goal of quitting smoking and becoming more physically active. Participants will receive a Fitbit watch, up to 10 weeks of nicotine patches or gum, and other support. 

For more information about the study or to enroll, you can email Dr. Francisco Cartujano or phone him at (585) 353-0035.

USAPA is offering an eight-month training program created to strengthen coalitions working to advance evidence-based alcohol policy. The first class starts August 20, with registration ($4,000 per coalition) closing on August 7.

The inaugural cohort of The Advocacy Collective will receive step-by-step guidance through the 10-step policy change process, along with tools and tailored support to drive real impact at the local and state level.

Register now Learn more Contact… read more

The 20-25 minutes you spend today could improve services and supports for Washington's young people for many years to come! This survey focuses on embedding the Washington Thriving Vision and principles into the structure of the behavioral health system for prenatal-through-age-25 Washingtonians, their caregivers and families. Please support the Washington Thriving effort in reaching: •    Youth and young adults (ages 25 and under) •    People… read more

The Washington Climate Partnership is a statewide effort to plan near and long-term strategies to meet Washington’s ambitious climate goals for 2030 and beyond.

We are currenting seeking input from young people across Washington on the state’s new Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). Young leaders are invited to participate in a workgroup to develop and facilitate a state-wide Youth Engagement Event in August.

The workgroup will include 8-15… read more

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the past National Take Back Day on April 26, 2025. The Drug Enforcement Administration has shared the results of the event, which can be viewed under the “April 2025" dropdown.

This year was the 28th National Take Back Day, with the state of Washington hosting a total of 61 collection sites. In total, Washington collected 5,094 pounds of prescription drugs.

On June 24–25, the Washington State Health Care Authority’s Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery hosted the 2025 Coalition Leadership Institute (CLI), held virtually on Zoom. This year’s CLI focused on Minerva 2.0 and how it supports prevention and mental health promotion efforts across Washington State.

Throughout the two-day event, we provided key updates for the upcoming biennium, shared insights from data dashboards, explored the “whys” behind reporting requirements, and… read more

We are excited to share some updates for the 2025 Prevention Summit!

The Summit is tentatively scheduled to be October 27-29, 205 in Tacoma, Washington. The first day, October 27, will be the Annual Provider Meeting and the summit will take place October 28-29. Be on the lookout in the next 1-2 months for registration and a call for presentation proposals if you or someone you know is interested in presenting!

Over the next couple weeks, we plan to share more details about… read more

The Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) is sponsoring an in-person SPF Application for Prevention Success Training (SAPST) on September 9-12, in the Olympia/Tacoma area (site TBD). 

We highly recommend SAPST as essential training for all CPWI coordinators and other prevention providers who want to build a more thorough understanding of how prevention works and why. This training is facilitated by Scott Waller and Jennifer Dorsett, two long-time prevention providers… read more

Mental Health America is sharing a toolkit they created to help you reach out to black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) during Mental Health Month and beyond. Resources for helping improve mental health in BIPOC communities include:

Culturally grounded worksheets on healing, strength, and community care  Communication resources to make outreach easy  Social media images and messages that are ready to post  Printable posters and handouts to use in the… read more