Community Outreach and Education

Empower Youth Network’s Outreach and Education efforts provide something for everyone in terms of leaning into support our community in the ways that we all can.

Join our network via monthly meetings (through the Healthy Community Coalition), semi-annual retreats (through the Behavorial Health Collaborative), or the annual Key Leaders’ Summit.

You can also learn about the following positive community norm campaigns below that are aimed to serve families, parents, caregivers and those connected to youth: It Starts with You, Needing Help is Human, and Necesitar Ayuda es Humano.

Healthy Community Coalition (HCC)

The primary purpose of this group is to be a shared learning community that meets remotely via Zoom on the second Thursday of the month at 11:00 a.m. to discuss, evaluate, and improve health and wellness across Snoqualmie Valley. Meetings usually are virtual, with the occasional in-person get-together. The HCC provides a platform for “think tanking” on ad hoc concerns attendees bring to the table.

This is a great place to connect with others about available services and needs in the valley. If you work in fields related to counseling, healthcare, social work, education, community outreach or just about any area where you are doing your part to make a better difference in the lives of those around us–this is the space for you!

Examples of past presentations include:

Resources for adults in rural settings, presented by the King County Resource Access Team
Serving the community through volunteer opportunities, presented by Love Snoqualmie
Utilizing mobile, free medical and dental care, presented by CarePoint Clinic
Programming for parents of adolescents and teens, presented by PEPS
Consejo on Wheels & Consejo Counseling Services

Questions about the HCC or joining it? Please contact Youth Resilience and Community Resources Manager, M’Liss Moon.

Monthly Meeting Zoom Link

Behavioral Health Collaborative (BHC)

The BHC is a collaborative of community members and leaders working together to address the gaps that exist in our behavioral health needs across all of Snoqualmie Valley. The BHC typically gathers twice a year at two retreats, one in the fall and one in the spring.

Examples of past retreats include:

Fall 2023, when 40 attendees focused on Transforming Behavioral Health in Rural Communities throughout the Snoqualmie Valley
Spring 2024, when 45 attendees focused on Exploring Trauma, the impact to rural & Latine communities, and how to work collaboratively to address those intersecting issues
Fall 2024, when 35 attendees focused on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the valley, specifically addressing the unique challenges, barriers, and gaps in accessing behavioral health support they experience
Spring 2025, when 36 attendees focused on overall wellbeing from adolescence to senior years by recognizing and managing depression in older adults, suicide prevention training for youth, and how we can problem-solve therapy to find mental health providers in more than one way
Some past presenters have been Program Director Brandon Knox of Lambert House, University of Washington Professor, Researcher, and Clinician Patrick J. Raue, PhD, as well as Researcher and Clinical Psychologist Sam Bernecker.

Assist us in recognizing marginalized communities and understand how your involvement is shaping future planning throughout King County. Reach out to us below to learn more about how you can get involved.

Contact Us

Key Leaders’ Summit

The Summit is a great opportunity for Snoqualmie Valley leaders to network and engage in relevant community conversations, collaborations, and actions. Each year we gather to address issues influencing the overall health and well-being of young people living in the valley. This event usually features a morning for networking, a keynote speaker and a panel of local youth.

The 2025 Key Leaders’ Summit was great! We will see you again next year. Check back in 2026 for more details.

It Starts with You (ISWY)

Research shows the number one protective factor for youth is having a relationship with a trusted adult. It Starts with You: Engage, Listen and Connect is a community information campaign designed to provide encouragement and resources to adults and prompt meaningful conversations and relationship development with youth.

Started in 2018 and informed by community surveys and focus groups, ISWY shares data and tools for discussions with youth of all ages in the Snoqualmie Valley. Find activities, resources, and updates below on all things ISWY!

Activities to Foster Conversation

EYN: Family Questions Bingo Card
EYN: Bingo de preguntas familiares

Family Resources
Keep Connected: Search Institute: Bringing Out the Best in Your Family

Strengthening Family Relationships

Growing Up Responsibly

Understanding Ages and Stages

Mental Health Resources

Recursos para Apoyar las Relaciones de Desarrollo Juvenil

Needing Help is Human (NHIH)

Stigma is often associated with asking for and receiving help for a variety of reasons. Yet we all need support from time to time, whether it be with things like food security, mental health, relationship struggles, financial challenges, or substance use.

Needing Help is Human is a community awareness campaign designed to provide tools and resources for talking about our mental health and unpacking the complex factors that create stigma. When we create a culture of support and openness around mental health, adults and kids alike will gain better access to the things they need to thrive.

Follow Empower Youth Network on Facebook and Instagram for campaign updates, see our resource list below, and help normalize conversations around mental health in your community.

Need more immediate assistance? Reach out to our TRACE team for resource connection and crisis support: Timely Response to Adverse Community Events (TRACE) – Empower Youth Network

RESOURCES

American Federation for Suicide Prevention

Seize the Awkward: Resources for Supporting a Friend or Helping Yourself

Necesitar Ayuda es Humano (NAEH)

ÚNASE A NOSOTROS PARA PRACTICAR LA AYUDA

Descargue nuestro registro de ayuda práctica y vea todas las formas en que familiares y amigos pueden apoyarse mutuamente. Cuando cultivamos dar y recibir la ayuda en nuestras comunidades, encontramos un propósito, creamos conexiones y combatimos el estigma.

Descargar – Catalogo para Practicar Ayuda

El estigma a menudo se asocia con pedir y recibir ayuda por una variedad de razones. Sin embargo, todos necesitamos apoyo de vez en cuando, ya sea con cosas como la seguridad alimentaria, la salud mental, las dificultades en las relaciones, los desafíos financieros o el consumo de sustancias.

Necesitar Ayuda es Humano es una campaña de concientización comunitaria diseñada para brindar herramientas y recursos para hablar sobre nuestra salud mental y desentrañar los factores complejos que crean el estigma. Cuando creamos una cultura de apoyo y apertura en torno a la salud mental, tanto los adultos como los niños obtendrán un mejor acceso a las cosas que necesitan para prosperar.

Siga a Empower Youth Network en Facebook e Instagram para conocer las actualizaciones de la campaña, consulte nuestra lista de recursos a continuación y ayude a normalizar las conversaciones sobre la salud mental en su comunidad.

¿Necesita ayuda más inmediata? Comuníquese con nuestro equipo TRACE para obtener ayuda y recursos en situaciones de crisis: Timely Response to Adverse Community Events (TRACE) – Empower Youth Network

RECURSOS