Today is the last day of May, capping the month-long recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate recovery.
Earlier this month, we shared how King County invests in behavioral health here on the DCHS blog. We also featured King County’s investments in mental health promotion on the Best Starts for Kids blog.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA), the federal agency that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation, celebrated National Prevention Week, a public education platform showcasing the work of communities and organizations across the country that are preventing substance use and promoting positive mental health. It was held this year during the second week of May.
During National Prevention Week, SAMHSA showcased King County’s work in a new video alongside organizations and programs from across the United States that work to prevent substance use and promote positive mental health, emphasizing the collective power of coalitions.
The video features Jackie Berganio, Community Coordinator at the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division in DCHS, who shares about the Community Prevention & Wellness Initiative (CPWI), a community-focused approach to preventing substance misuse among youth in communities at high risk.
King County receives substance use prevention funding from Washington State Health Care Authority to support CPWI activities and, since 2011, we have focused on building coalitions to help youth be healthy, drug-free and resilient.
There are now seven coalitions in King County who are part of the statewide CPWI. This includes urban areas of Auburn, Seattle and White Center, as well as more rural areas of Enumclaw and Vashon.
The coalitions provide youth opportunities to make a positive difference in their community, launch media campaigns related to opioid and fentanyl prevention, and help parents and other caregivers to communicate better with their children and support them to make healthy choices.
Our coalitions also work closely with schools to integrate drug prevention, with local businesses to secure alcohol in their stores, and with law enforcement and other groups to secure medicines.
You can learn more about King County’s substance use prevention and early intervention work on the DCHS blog here.