Who We Are
About the Healthy Youth Initiative
Mission
To successfully launch every Mercer Island youth into adulthood with a foundation of physical and mental health, well-prepared to cope with the academic, social, and emotional challenges of adulthood.
Vision
Every Mercer Island teen thriving with a foundation of physical and mental health, free of substance abuse and high risk behaviors.
Guiding Principles
Focus on growing the healthy, positive, protective factors that already exist on Mercer Island. Make informed decisions based on accurate, reliable and relevant data and science. Utilize strategies with demonstrated effectiveness to achieve sustainable results.
Who We Are
Mercer Island Healthy Youth Initiative (HYI) since 2005, has led efforts to prevent local youth from using alcohol & other substances that impact healthy development. The HYI was conceptualized in 2013, as a progression of the Mercer Island’s Communities That Care Coalition (MICTC, 2005-2013). MICTC was based on Hawkins and Catalano's Communities That Care model, a coalition-based operating system from the University of Washington.
From 2007-2017, MICTC earned ten continuous years of federal Drug Free Community (DFC) funding. During this time, MICTC, and later the HYI, employed the Positive Community Norms model and Strategic Prevention Framework to continue to strengthen healthy norms and behaviors on Mercer Island. After completing the DFC in 2017, the HYI sustained funding through Mercer Island’s Youth and Families Services with support from WA Traffic Safety Commission, King County Health Department of Health, and the YFS Foundation.
In 2020, the HYI was awarded two new grant opportunities from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to build upon and expand existing strategies. The four-year Sober Truth on Prevention Underage Drinking (STOP Act) grant to address community norms regarding alcohol use by youth, reduce opportunities for underage drinking and create change in underage drinking enforcement efforts. Also a five-year Partnership for Success (SPF-PFS) grant to continue prevention activities to address youth substance use and enhance local capacity and infrastructure.
Notable Accomplishments
2005
Early Commitment to Prevention
Creation of Mercer Island's Communities that Care (MICTC) a community coalition to protect local youth from underage alcohol and other substance use.
2007 - 2017
Drug Free Community
Mercer Island Communities that Care (MICTC) was awarded 10 years of continuous DFC funding from the federal Drug-Free Communities Support Program.
2009 - Present
Positive Community Norms Early Adoption
The momentum for positive approaches to community health is growing into a larger national initiative. Since 2009, the HYI has utilized the Positive Community Norms (PCN) model to challenge community misperceptions that influence behaviors among Mercer Island youth.
2011
1st Social Host Ordinance in WA State for underage gatherings involving alcohol.
MICTC unified the community and passes Mercer Island Underage Drinking Ordinance, the first social host ordinance in Washington State that expanded on existing the state’s ordinance to include owners of the residence where underage gatherings involving alcohol.