Prevention is built on belonging.

Rates of self-harm and polysubstance use remain unacceptably high in Alaska, leading to preventable illness, injury, and loss of life.

The State of Alaska, with funding from the CDC, partnered with PC CARES to adapt the suicide prevention curriculum to address polysubstance use. The goals of this project are to:

• Engage local people in communities of practice that balance cultural strengths with research-based best practices.

• Expand life-saving strategies into hard-to-reach communities.

• Build stronger partnerships with public safety.

• Strengthen local linkages to care.

Concurrently, Yakima Nation in Washington began a multi-year project with PC CARES to utilize the model for prevention of both suicide and at-risk substance use.

This expansion is reflected in a change in the name of the PC CARES intervention: From Promoting Community Conversations about Research to End Suicide to “for Effective Solutions.”

Turning Knowledge Into Action

Our commitment is to translate scientific research into practical tools that communities can use every day. By combining evidence-based strategies with local strengths, we aim to prevent at-risk substance use, overdoses, and related harms—such as impaired driving and injury—and build healthier, more connected communities.

Community-Led Solutions

We believe the best answers come from within communities themselves. Our project trains community health workers to use the PC CARES model—a proven approach from Alaska—to build local “communities of practice.” These groups bring together neighbors, families, and service providers to share knowledge, reduce stigma, and take action.