New overdose prevention materials for Tribal youth
Friends for Life’s sister campaign, For Our Lives, is an opioid overdose prevention campaign created by, with, and for Native people in Washington. The campaign is centered around educating Tribal communities about opioid misuse prevention, overdose response, and treatment through the real stories and experiences of Native people across the state.
This year, the campaign is introducing new youth materials for Tribal schools and Native youth education programs to share with students. Visit the For Our Lives website to take a look. The new materials include rack cards, conversation guides, and a refusal skills slider activity. The campaign also provides ongoing printing and technical assistance support to Native-serving organizations. Contact Devan at DH to order campaign materials.
SPF Application for Prevention Success Training (SAPST) in Olympia
DBHR, SPTAC and NW PTTC are providing an in-person SPF Application for Prevention Success Training (SAPST) in July.
- Location: In-person in Olympia, WA
- Dates: July 20-23, 2026
- Time: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Cost: Free!
The SPF Application for Prevention Success Training (SAPST) is a hybrid training that blends a pre-requisite, self-paced online course with four full days of training. Grounded in current research and SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), the SAPST provides foundational knowledge and skills necessary to implement effective, data-driven prevention interventions that improve substance-related outcomes and improve wellness.
Read the full announcement and register on the Athena Forum.
April's National Drug Take Back Day is coming up!
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) National Drug Take Back (NDTB) Day is coming up on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. NDTB day is a free, safe, anonymous, and convenient way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs and prevent opioid and prescription medication misuse in your community!
In October 2025, 48 collection sites across Washington collected a combined total of 3,963 pounds of unused prescription medications! Don't miss your opportunity to get involved in this month's Take Back Day and make a difference.
For more information about Take Back Day and safe medication return in Washington state, view the full announcement on The Athena Forum.
HCA awards first-ever gambling prevention grants
Washington State has reached a meaningful milestone in community health: for the first time, local gambling prevention grants have been awarded to five grantees across the state — each an existing substance use prevention or tobacco and cannabis prevention program.
The five awards mark the beginning of a broader effort to bring gambling prevention closer to the people and places that need it most — neighborhood organizations, trusted coalitions, and community-based programs that residents already know and rely on.
The awards went to:
- Grant County Fire District 7
- Northeast ESD 101
- Prosser Thrive
- Skagit Hospital District #304
- Unite! Washougal
Read the full announcement on the Athena Forum.
New and improved Friends for Life online toolkit
If you’ve visited the Friends for Life website recently, you may have noticed that the online toolkit has a new look. Check out the new updates on the toolkit website.
The redesign makes it easier to search, find, and download materials. You can now filter items by topic, audience, type, and language. Each item also has a short description, preview, and simple download options.
Send feedback to Devan at DH.
Prevention observances and holidays calendar
The Athena Team is pleased to publish an observances and holidays calendar on the Athena Forum website. This resource features a schedule of awareness months, holidays, and special celebrations featured in this monthly newsletter. Visit the Athena Forum website to access the resource.
A special thank you to our Prevention Fellows, Tania Santiago Callejas and Geethika Kodukula for making this possible!
SAMHSA advisory: expanding behavioral health teams in care deserts
Millions of Americans live in behavioral health care deserts, areas with severe shortages of mental health providers, long wait times, high costs, and other barriers. These gaps leave countless individuals without timely care for conditions like depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
This SAMHSA advisory explores innovative, community-driven solutions to close these gaps and improve access to life-saving behavioral health services. One promising way to improve behavioral health care in areas with few services is to add more community health workers and peer support specialists.
Download and read the Advisory.
Save the date: National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference September 29-30
Since its first gathering in 1988 in Kansas City, Missouri, the NPN Conference has brought together prevention leaders from across the country. Now in its fourth decade, the conference continues to connect 700–1,000 professionals each year who are committed to advancing substance use prevention in communities, states, and nationwide.
This year’s virtual format will make it easier than ever for prevention professionals to participate, collaborate, and share strategies that strengthen prevention efforts in communities across the country.
Registration opens April 7. Visit the conference website to learn more.
Register for CCSAP's annual conference and professional development meeting
Washington’s College Coalition on Substance misuse, Advocacy, and Prevention (CCSAP)’s annual conference and professional development meeting will be held virtually on Friday, May 8, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. PDT to 4:00 p.m. Pacific.
Register today, for free. The deadline to register is May 7, 2026.
Read the full Athena Forum announcement to learn more.
Early-bird registration opens for CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute
CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute occurs July 12-16, 2026 at Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida. Register now, with early bird rates through June 9.
This year’s theme is Powered by Purpose, for the 25th Annual event. This milestone year reflects a field in transition, moving from resilience in the face of challenge to forward momentum fueled by clarity, confidence, and shared mission. Prevention professionals from across the country will gather for four days of hands-on training, expert-led sessions, and powerful networking designed to strengthen coalitions and accelerate impact.
Visit the event website to learn more and register.
Pinwheels of Possibility for National Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month, a time to reflect on what it takes to ensure all children and families can live purposeful, happy lives with hope for the future.
This year’s theme, Pinwheels of Possibility, challenges a long-standing misconception: that child abuse and neglect are the result of individual parental failure. In reality, they are often the outcome of unmet needs, chronic stress, and gaps in community support.
Since 2013, Strengthening Families Washington has been leading this effort and distributes about 10,000 pinwheels statewide. They hold an annual pinwheel planting at the State Capitol, coloring the grounds with around 1,000 pinwheels. You may see pinwheels planted around your communities too. We invite you all to participate in Pinwheels for Prevention during the month of April.
Read the full announcement on the Athena Forum website to get involved.
Announcing the Science of Relationships conference
The Science of Relationships is an engaging gathering of professionals focused on strengthening protective factors for youth through connection and health-promoting relationships. The free conference takes place April 28-29 in San Diego, California.
The event will also provide insights into local, state, and regional drug threats and priorities, while creating opportunities for prevention professionals to connect, share ideas, and develop individual and organizational action steps to strengthen relationship-centered prevention efforts.
Visit the event website to learn more and register.
Navigating the Alphabet Soup of Prevention
When you walked into your first prevention meeting, you may have experienced it. The agenda looked promising. The coffee was strong. People seemed kind. And then someone said: “Once we align our SPF with the EBP portfolio and crosswalk it with the YRBSS and NSDUH data, we’ll be in a good place for the CADCA deliverables.” You nodded politely, but you had no idea what just happened. Welcome to prevention’s alphabet soup!
Prevention is filled with passionate, thoughtful people. It’s also filled with acronyms. If you’ve been in the field for a while, these feel normal. Acronyms help us move quickly. They allow us to reference complex systems, research frameworks, and federal agencies without repeating long titles every time.
Visit the PTTC Post website to continue reading the full article.
Community Spotlight
Walla Walla Youth Town Hall
Walla Walla High School students, supported by the ESD 123 Student Assistance Professional and community coalition, hosted a Youth Town Hall on February 25 to amplify student voice and share youth experiences while promoting community and enhanced student supports. View the news article to learn more and see photos.
The team collaborated with law enforcement, the district, Traffic Safety Commission, and many community resource providers to support student planners. They shared Healthy Youth Survey data, students created posters to display attitudes and beliefs about the community, and students created promotional materials. Over 60 people attended to hear students speaking as panelists on issues they are facing and about their experiences.
Spokane bans sale of kratom
With a 6-1 vote, the City of Spokane has passed ordinance to ban the sale of kratom, awaiting the Mayor signature. Pointing to advertisements outside of high schools, warnings from local health officials and law enforcement, and a recent string of overdoses connected to kratom extracts, Mayor Lisa Brown stated, "We think it's clearly the right thing to do for public health and especially the protection of young people."
View the full Spokesman-Review news article to learn more.
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