Aware Awake Alive

Aware Awake Alive
Name	Aware Awake Alive
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2006
Founder	Patrick B. Kennedy
Headquarters	Spokane, Washington
Focus	Suicide prevention, youth mental health, alcohol education
Methods	Public education, community engagement, training programs
Region served	United States

Aware Awake Alive Aware Awake Alive is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention and alcohol-related harm reduction among adolescents and young adults. It operates as a public-health education initiative that uses evidence-informed messaging and community partnerships to influence behaviors related to binge drinking, suicidal ideation, and risky decision-making. The organization emphasizes peer outreach, school-based programs, and coalition-building to reach students, educators, and families across diverse communities.

Overview

Aware Awake Alive delivers prevention programming through curricula, multimedia campaigns, and facilitator training intended for middle schools, high schools, and college campuses. Its approach combines age-appropriate educational materials with gatekeeper training, crisis resources, and community mobilization. The organization aligns with frameworks used by entities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Association of School Psychologists, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and regional public-health departments. Materials frequently reference best practices from academic centers like Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, University of Washington, and Columbia University while adapting to local contexts including tribal nations and rural counties served by institutions such as Spokane County and statewide networks in Washington (state).

History and Origins

Aware Awake Alive was initiated in the mid-2000s in response to spikes in youth suicide and alcohol-related injury reports in the Inland Northwest. Founders drew on models developed by organizations including American Red Cross, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Youth Suicide Prevention Program (YSPP), and community coalitions convened by county health districts. Early pilots were supported by partnerships with local school districts, tribal governments like the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, and higher-education partners including Gonzaga University and community colleges. The program evolved through collaborations with statewide initiatives such as Washington State Department of Health campaigns, and later incorporated guidance from national efforts like the Zero Suicide model and consensus statements from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Objectives and Strategies

Primary objectives include reducing suicide attempts, decreasing alcohol poisoning and binge drinking incidents, increasing help-seeking behavior, and improving recognition of crisis signs among peers and adults. Strategies emphasize upstream prevention: universal education in schools, selective interventions for at-risk youth, and indicated supports for individuals in crisis. Tactics mirror approaches found in programs from The Trevor Project, Crisis Text Line, and youth mental-health frameworks promoted by Healthy People 2030. The organization promotes evidence-based gatekeeper training akin to models from Mental Health First Aid USA, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), and school-based social-emotional learning initiatives used by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

Program Components

Core components include classroom curricula, student leadership development, multimedia public-awareness campaigns, facilitator training for educators and coaches, and resource guides for families. Curricula are informed by research from institutions like University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Minnesota on adolescent behavior, resilience, and substance use. Campaigns utilize methods similar to those used by organizations such as Ad Council, Partnership to End Addiction, and college-prevention programs implemented at University of Iowa and Pennsylvania State University. Training modules are offered for school staff, athletic personnel, tribal liaisons, and community volunteers, drawing on standards promulgated by bodies like National Collegiate Athletic Association and local departments of public health.

Impact and Evaluation

Program impact has been assessed through pre/post surveys, behavioral surveillance, and community indicators tracked by partnering school districts and county public-health agencies. Evaluations reference metrics used by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and youth surveillance tools from Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Reported outcomes in partner communities include improved knowledge of warning signs, increased referrals to counseling, and reductions in emergency department visits for alcohol intoxication in some localities. Independent assessments often compare Aware Awake Alive interventions with programs evaluated in randomized trials at universities such as Cornell University and Brown University; findings underscore the importance of fidelity, dosage, and integrated community supports for measurable reductions in self-harm and alcohol-related incidents.

Partnerships and Funding

Aware Awake Alive operates through a network of partnerships with school districts, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, health departments, hospitals, and foundations. Collaborators have included entities like Providence Health & Services, MultiCare Health System, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center for research linkages, and regional foundations supporting youth services. Funding sources combine state and local public-health grants, private foundation awards, corporate sponsorships, and philanthropic donations; comparable funding models are used by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and community foundations such as the Spokane County United Way. The organization also leverages technical assistance and training support from national bodies including SAMHSA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for broader systems integration.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington (state)