Strengthened continuity between upstream prevention and treatment, response, and recovery.

We strengthened ties between multiple issue areas and upstream prevention by identifying strategies and practices that can support emergency services and pre-hospital care systems to be more equitable, community-centered, and prevention-oriented. We worked alongside the Oregon Health Authority to visualize the connections between climate change and youth mental health and take action. Building on previous health equity, community trauma, and resilience training we conducted, this work led to developing a cohort of funded BIPOC community groups working on climate change and resilience. And we helped local, state, and federal mental health and substance use prevention ecosystems move further upstream to recognize that recovery and prevention operate along the same continuum, one which benefits from a strong focus on health equity, racial justice, and community trauma-informed approaches.

Funders: CARESTAR Foundation; the National Harm Reduction Technical Assistance Center (delivered in partnership with CDC and SAMHSA); Oregon Health Authority; and Montgomery County (Ohio) Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board.

Image by Oregon Health Authority.