Prevention Awards of Excellence

About the Awards

Each year, professionals, community members, youth, and Coalitions are recognized for their exemplary contributions to substance use disorder prevention, problem gambling prevention, mental health promotion and the health of their communities. 

The goals of the Washington State Prevention Awards of Excellence are to:

• Identify superior substance use disorder prevention, problem gambling prevention, suicide prevention, violence prevention and mental health promotion programs with exceptional outcomes that can be adopted or adapted by others,
• Recognize outstanding community partners, including youth engaged in prevention efforts as well as honoring Tribal and Urban Indian work in prevention and,
• Focus statewide attention on exceptional prevention work.

Nomination Process

Nominations can be submitted by completing the online Awards Nomination Survey. Nominators are to submit one nomination per Awards Nomination Survey. In your nomination submission, please include all relevant details as the review committee will only be reviewing the information that you provide to assess the nominee's sustainability for an award. Nominations with missing or otherwise incomplete information may not be able to be scored properly.

Nomination Timeline

Nominations are available annually in Spring. After the close of the nomination survey, nominations are reviewed by a committee of Health Care Authority (HCA) staff, in addition to community volunteers using a formal evaluation process. Award recipients are selected and announced in the Fall and are often recognized at the Washington State Prevention Summit. 

Award Categories and Criteria

1. Tribal and urban Indian prevention efforts

Purpose: To recognize Tribal and urban Indian program leaders, groups, organizations, businesses, or agencies that deliver prevention services within their communities. 

• Nominees can be a Tribal or urban Indian leader, group, youth council, or Tribal prevention organization (task force, coalition, workgroup).
• Nominees must be a strong prevention leader, group, organization, business, or agency from a Tribal or urban Indian community.
• Nominators should demonstrate the nominee’s leadership, successful program implementation or support, involvement in prevention efforts, and commitment to substance use disorder prevention, problem gambling prevention, suicide prevention, violence prevention, or mental health promotion.

2. Youth leader

Purpose: To recognize school age youth in grades 6 – 12.

• Nominees can be an individual, group, or club.
• To be considered for this award, nominators should demonstrate that nominees have regularly participated in community and/or school prevention activities for a minimum of one year and have demonstrated peer leadership, teamwork, and volunteerism.

3. Young adult leader

Purpose: To recognize young adults working in substance use disorder prevention, problem gambling prevention, suicide prevention, or mental health promotion.

• Nominees can be an individual, group, or club.
• To be considered for this award, nominators should demonstrate that nominees have regularly participated in community and/or school prevention activities for a minimum of one year and have demonstrated peer leadership, teamwork, and volunteerism.

4. Prevention professional, lifetime achievement, and/or community prevention supporter

Purpose: To recognize individuals associated with an organization, business, or agency, or individuals demonstrating active support of prevention activities or programs.

• This category is specifically for an individual and includes the lifetime achievement award.
• To be considered for this award, nominees must be strong prevention leaders or supporters in their community.  Nominators should demonstrate the nominee’s leadership, effective service delivery, community involvement in prevention efforts, and their commitment to substance use disorder prevention, problem gambling prevention, suicide prevention, violence prevention, or mental health promotion.
• The lifetime achievement nominee must have contributed to Prevention for at least 10 years and are planning to leave Prevention to engage in retirement or other career pursuits.

5. Community coalition and/or community prevention group

Purpose: To recognize groups providing excellent prevention programs to a community.

• Nominees can be a community-based organization (CBO), community prevention and wellness initiative site (CPWI), drug-free community (DFC), or another group not affiliated with the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR).
• To be considered for this award, nominators should demonstrate the nominee’s leadership in the community or Tribe and extent of partnerships, effective service delivery, impact on the community or Tribe, and their ongoing commitment to prevention.

6. Contributions to prevention by an organization, business, or agency

Purpose: To recognize entities in the community that assist or support coalition or group prevention activities.

• To be considered for this award, nominators should demonstrate the nominee’s leadership, partnership, community involvement and any major and sustainable contribution to prevention.
• Examples: library regularly donating space, business regularly providing media support.

7. Early-career prevention professional

Purpose: To recognize an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, research associate, or post-doctoral prevention professional in substance use disorder prevention, problem gambling prevention, suicide prevention, violence prevention, or mental health promotion who have made intellectual contributions to the generation or dissemination of scientific evidence regarding effective prevention programs and practices.

• This category is specifically for an individual.
• To be considered for this award, nominators should demonstrate that nominees have regularly participated in scholarly prevention activities and professional development (such as program evaluation, evidence dissemination, or scholarly outreach) for a minimum of one year and have demonstrated leadership in translating their scholarly contributions into real-world practice.

Past Award Recipients

2025

Youth Leadership - Individual: Angela Kruger
Youth Leadership - Individual: Lauren Day
Youth Leadership - Club or Group: Sunnyside School District Prevention Clubs
Youth Leadership - Club or Group: Clarkston EPIC Youth Coalition
Prevention Professional/Community Prevention Leader: Hollie Axel
Prevention Professional/Community Prevention Leader: Hope Baker
Prevention Professional/Community Prevention Leader: Dr. Crystal Collier
Prevention Professional/Community Prevention Leader: Ashley Hall
Prevention Professional/Community Prevention Leader: Maria Valle
Tribal/UIO Prevention Professional/Community Prevention Leader: Kayani Ell
Tribal/UIO Prevention Professional/Community Prevention Leader: Brittany Whitebird
Early Career Prevention Professional: Dr. Heather Terral
Lifetime Achievement: Linda Thompson
Lifetime Achievement: Debi Newsom
Honorable Mention: Karen Douglass
Honorable Mention: Tabitha Walter
Honorable Mention: Tamika LaMere

2024

Youth Leadership - WSU 4-H Teens helping Teens
Youth Leadership - Nexus: Mental Health Hub for Schools
Young Adult Leadership - Luke Fincher
Prevention Professional - Katya Miltimore
Prevention Professional - Francisco Jimenez
Prevention Professional - Dr. Christine Lee
Community Coalition - Clarkston EPIC Leadership Team
Organization, Business, or Agency - Safe Yakima Valley
Organization, Business, or Agency - Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center
Early Career Prevention Professional - Jordan Newburg
Lifetime Achievement - Michael Langer
Lifetime Achievement - Jackie Jamero Berganio

2023

Youth Leadership - Audrey Curtis
Prevention Professional - Samantha Stormont
Prevention Professional - Michelle Dower
Prevention Professional - Danielle Watkins
Lifetime Achievement - Leanne Reid
Lifetime Achievement - Mary Segawa
Lifetime Achievement - Laura Griner Hill
Organization, Business, or Agency - Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board
Implementation of a Prevention Program - Strengthening Families Program as presented by Blanca Hernandez
Early Career Prevention Professional - Sara Bumgardner

2022

Tribal Organization - Lummi Counseling Service
Youth Leadership - Althea Patterson
Prevention Professional - Julie Peterson
Prevention Professional - Lindsey Worley
Prevention Professional - Jose Ochoa
Community Coalition - West Spokane Wellness Partnership
Organization, Business, or Agency - MHA Speakout Speakup
Organization, Business, or Agency - West Central Community Center
Early Career Prevention Professional - Gitanjali Shrestha

Lifetime Achievement - Deb Drandoff
Lifetime Achievement - Scott Waller
Lifetime Achievement - Peggy Needham

2021

Prevention Professional - Haley Green
Prevention Professional - Holly McIntyre
Prevention Professional - Rebeca Natali Barrios
Tribal and Urban Indian Prevention Professional - Joe Hipp
Community Prevention Group - Forks Community Coalition - Cecilia Ashue and Philip Sifuentes
Contributions to Prevention by an Agency - Prevention Voices
Lifetime Achievement Recipient - David Harrelson
Lifetime Achievement Recipient - Seth Dawson

2020

Youth Leadership, Middle School - Garrison Middle School Prevention Club
Youth Leadership, High School - Amara Farah
Prevention Professional - Brenda Barrios
Prevention Professional - Carrie McKinley
Tribal and Urban Indian Prevention Professional - Larry Jackson, Jr.
Community Prevention Group - Forks Community Coalition - Cecilia Ashue and Philip Sifuentes
Implementation of Prevention Program - Cowlitz Tribe Healing of the Canoe Program
Contributions to Prevention by an Agency - Puget Sound Educational Service District Student Services and Intervention Service Program
Lifetime Achievement Recipient - Cynthia Stark-Wickman

Who can I contact for more information?
Martha Williams
Prevention System Manager
Martha.Williams@hca.wa.gov