Starts with One campaign introduces brand refresh, new pain management resources
The Starts with One opioid misuse prevention campaign has undergone a refresh. The campaign features an updated logo, website, and new materials. It's also placing emphasis on educating patients with short-term injuries, surgery, or acute pain about effective pain management.
Grounded in the idea that being in pain can feel like being out of control, the campaign aims to help patients regain their sense of security by knowing options and making a plan.
Join the campaign webinar on December 10 to learn about HCA’s Starts with One opioid misuse prevention campaign brand refresh and new pain management resources.
Congratulations to the 2025 Prevention Awards of Excellence recipients
Each year, professionals, community members, youth, and coalitions are recognized for their exemplary contributions to substance abuse prevention, problem gambling prevention, mental health promotion and the health of their communities, through the Prevention Awards of Excellence.
HCA is pleased to recognize the 2025 recipients:
- Youth Leadership - Individual: Angela Kruger
- Youth Leadership - Individual: Lauren Day
- Youth Leadership - Group: Sunnyside School District Prevention Clubs
- Youth Leadership - 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
Congratulations to these recipients, and thank you to all who took time to nominate.
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.
New post-overdose toolkit for friends and family
The Health Care Authority (HCA) is sharing a new post-overdose toolkit for friends and family, for individuals whose loved ones survived an overdose.
This toolkit "helps the helpers" with educational materials for family, caregivers, or loved ones in the aftermath of someone close to them surviving an overdose.
Informed by the collective wisdom of those with lived experience and in partnership with Health Management Associates, HCA wrote this guide for a broad audience, with siblings, parents, friends, partners, caretakers, and other close relationships in mind. This guide draws on the real experiences of people who love someone who has survived an overdose, clinicians, and health policy experts.
Contact Sarah Melfi-klein for more information.
Athena Prevention Newsletter now accessible on The Athena Forum
We're pleased to share that the monthly Athena Prevention Newsletters are now archived and accessible on the Athena Prevention Newsletter page on The Athena Forum.
Visitors can navigate to this page by selecting the Headlines in the navigation menu, then clicking Athena Prevention Newsletter.
For questions or feedback, you may email dbhrathenateam@hca.wa.gov.
Community spotlight: Wahkiakum Community Network announces new logo
As communities rebuild after COVID-19, Wahkiakum Community Network (WCN) saw a resurgence in membership. With new energy and the mission statement "to empower our youth, families, schools and community to live healthy lives physically and mentally, promoting well-being for all," members felt it was time to refresh the logo.
At the September Wahkiakum Community Network meeting, the coalition agreed to adopt a student created logo following a contest sponsored by the coalition. Beth Brophy created the winning design while participating in a high school art class.
See the logo and read the Wahkiakum County Eagle article covering the story.
Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board (LCB) publishes Topics and Trends quarterly newsletter
Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board's (LCB) quarterly newsletter, Topics and Trends, is now live with the Fall 2025 Alcohol+ Edition on Medium. This issue of Topics and Trends features the following stories:
- LCB Now Accepting Applications for Expanded Alcohol Services
- Five Fun Facts for Fall!
- This Winter, Make Sure the Public is Safe and Responsible
- Changes to Acceptable Forms of ID
- Bonded Wine and Spirits Warehouse
- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Permit
- Beer and Wine Restaurant Seasonal Hours Updated
- Contracted Food Services for Breweries
Registration is open NatCon 2026
NatCon is where the future of behavioral health care takes shape - a can’t-miss event where bold ideas spark collaboration and breakthrough solutions. Curriculum covers emerging trends and strategies that keep you ahead of the curve.
NatCon is the largest conference in mental health and substance use care, with thousands in attendance each year and 150 continuing education credits to choose from. You’ll find a uniquely supportive environment that prioritizes self-care, rejuvenation and giving back to the community.
Learn more by visiting the event website.
Department of Health publishes Hablemos de Salud podcast episode
Hablemos de Salud is Department of Health's new source of information and resources to promote wellness and health equity in the Spanish-speaking communities.
Stream the Washington Dept. Health podcast on Soundcloud.
The episode is about tobacco prevention. Washington state has seen a significant decline in tobacco use and an increase in public awareness of the harmful effects of smoking; however, there is still more to be done. On this episode of “Hablemos de Salud,” Antonio Gomez from the Health Promotion and Education (HPE) team discusses tobacco prevention and the Washington State Department of Health’s efforts to protect the health of our communities.
Listen along to discover more about the use of tobacco in the Hispanic community and what DOH is doing to help everyone live longer, healthier lives.
HearMeWA Youth Advisory Group recruitment
The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting members for the HearMeWA Youth Advisory Group. The purpose of the HearMeWA Youth Advisory Group is to ensure that HearMeWA is and stays youth centered. Youth Advisory Group members provide meaningful input to the decision-making process to the Attorney General’s Office’s Youth Program team when it comes to HearMeWA's outreach and engagement and program feedback. Youth Advisory Group members will be compensated for their time and effort.
For more information, visit the HearMeWA website or please contact the HearMeWA team.
Read the full opportunity announcement on The Athena Forum.
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