National Prevention Week

- About National Prevention Week
- Prevention Resources
- Statewide Prevention Community
- National Prevention Resources
- Stella the Prevention Mascot
About National Prevention Week
National Prevention Week, held in May, is a national public education platform bringing together communities and organizations to raise awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health.
Explore SAMHSA's Toolkit for planning your event, and download the NPW Planning Guide and Resource Calendar.
View NPW 2022 Video Messages:
Governor Ned Lamont joins DMHAS Commissioner Nancy Navarretta and DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani to share messages for National Prevention Week. Click on play to listen.
Stella the Prevention Mascot
Meet Starfish Stella, the prevention mascot for Connecticut! Starfish Stella is meant to be used for all aspects of National Prevention Week and throughout the year on promotional materials, handouts, social media posts, and more!
The starfish images available below are for use with your promotional & print materials, as well as for your social media posts, with the #PreventionHappensHereCT hashtag so everyone can see the great work happening here in Connecticut. Stay connected via the CT Prevention Week Facebook Page.
Starfish Stella Social Media Graphics and Messaging can be found HERE
Click Here to download the Stella the Starfish Coloring Book.
Prevention Resources
The Library Subcommittee - part of CT’s National Prevention Week Planning Committee developed a Library Toolkit. The subcommittee encourages Local Prevention Councils and community coalitions dedicated to substance use prevention and mental health promotion to collaborate with local libraries, which includes helping libraries expand their prevention resources and for libraries to get to know their local coalitions better and the activities they sponsor.
The Library Toolkit includes:
- Suggestions for library activities to support prevention
- Book lists for substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion
- Connecticut's prevention campaigns
- SAMHSA's They Hear You. campaign
- National Institute of Drug Abuse parent resources for preventing teen drug use
- Coloring pages
- Prevention bookmarks
- Connecticut Prevention Resources
2023 infographics
Click on each image to download the infographics in Constant Contact.
2022 infographics
Click on each image to download the full infographic in Constant Contact.
Download our Fact Sheets




Statewide Prevention Resources
DMHAS Prevention and Health Promotion
Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals
Connecticut Department of Children and Families
Connecticut Department of Public Health
Connecticut Gambling Awareness Community and Leadership Teams
Connecticut SEOW Prevention Data Portal
Connecticut Strategic Prevention Framework Coalitions Initiative
The DMHAS Center for Prevention Evaluation and Statistics (CPES) at UConn Health
The Governor's Prevention Partnership
Local Prevention Councils
Prevention Training Center
Prevent Suicide CT
Problem Gambling Prevention (DMHAS)
Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations (RBHAOs)
Region 1: The Hub
Region 2: Alliance for Prevention & Wellness
Region 3: SERAC
Region 4: Amplify, Inc.
Region 5: Western CT Coalition
Statewide Prevention Campaigns & Initiatives
1 Word 1 Voice 1 Life...Be the 1 to Start the Conversation
Change the Script
Connecticut Healthy Campus Initiative
Gizmo 4 Mental Health
Tobacco Prevention and Enforcement Program
You Think You Know CT
National Prevention Resources
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - SAMHSA CADCA SAMHSA's TIPS for Teens
National Prevention Network Conference
New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network