Information from District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold

On Wednesday evening I attended a Town Hall hosted by the Westside HEY Coalition at Denny Middle School to address youth substance use prevention.   The HEY coalition works to “promote a healthy and safe community through collaboration, education, and empowerment so that Westside youth can thrive.”  The Town Hall was an opportunity to learn about many of the programs of the HEY coalition including, but not limited to, Parent Education Nights and Drug Take Back Days.

A teen dies of overdose about every 2 weeks in King County.  Most of these deaths involve fentanyl. Seattle King County Public Health recommends that no matter how open you are with your teen, some topics can be daunting and preparing what you want to say ahead of time can help. They advise to withhold judgement, remember to be patient, keep an open mind, and hear your teen out.  Important topics to cover:

• Even if your teen is aware of the fentanyl problem in King County, they may not realize how they can help. Make sure they’re prepared to respond to an overdose by discussing when to call for help and how to use naloxone.
• The drug supply in King County is more dangerous than ever. You can’t tell if there’s fentanyl in pills by looking at them. While a single pill might get a person high without killing them, another pill could be fatal. The majority of counterfeit pills seized in recent years were laced with fentanyl.
• There are overdose signs you can see, hear, and feel. Someone overdosing might just look asleep or passed out, may be snoring weird, and their skin can get cold, discolored, and clammy. Encourage your teen to keep an eye on the folks around them, and make sure they know the signs of overdose and how to respond.
• Calling 911 is always the right thing to do. First responders are trained to handle medical emergencies. The Good Samaritan Law means that, if you seek medical assistance in a drug-related overdose, you and the victim cannot be prosecuted for drug possession.

There are many issues underlying substance use.  I had the opportunity to speak about $500,000 in Mental Health Funding for Seattle Public Schools that I championed in last year’s budget.  In 2020, Governor Inslee declared a state of emergency due to the mental and behavioral health of Washington’s kids.  In 2021, the nation’s Surgeon General followed suit. These funds have been disbursed between Denny Middle School, Sealth High School, Ingraham High School, Rainier Beach High School, and Aki Kurose Middle School.  Some of the ways that they’re being used:

Denny

• Mental Health Days
• Student-led programming to meet in-the-moment mental health needs.
• Staff-training by local mental health providers on trauma informed instructional practices through the Why Try Curriculum and training to facilitate community circle meetings
• Two clinicians to work full time at Denny and offer both 1:1 and drop-in group counseling.
• Students and their families may receive up to 6 hours of therapy onsite with local private practitioners and therapists from SW Youth & Family Services

Sealth

• Workshop series for students focused on intergenerational, interpersonal trauma, healing, and resiliency, applicable to all areas of students’ lives.
• 16-week after school program and 1-week Spring Break camp during which students will participate in collective healing that include psychoeducation, coping strategies, and considerations for mental health care.
• CHOOSE 180 will bring professional community members to the campus to work directly with students to move the essential work of restorative practices forward, with roots in community building and establishing trusting, positive relationships.
• 3 different levels of support services to the students and families of East African communities. 1) Parent Connection to our School and how to navigate Seatt Public School systems. 2) Boys in Motion group: Focused on students’ mental health and navigating negative outside influences. 3) Girls Guide group

In the 2024-2023 biennium the Council added an additional $4 million in funding to address the mental health needs of our youth.  The implementation of the additional $4 million is currently being developed and the current plan is to use the $4 million to expand the number of schools receiving mental health resources based on what we learn from this pilot.

We also heard from Principals and Vice Principals from Denny Middle School, Sealth High School, Madison Middle School, and West Seattle High School.  Principal Ray Morales is in the photo below.

Here is the HEY Coalition’s extensive Youth Guide. It is designed to “make sure local teens, and those who care for them, are aware of the many youth-friendly resources that exist to serve their unique needs.”