The Prevention Awards: Honoring Excellence in Health and Community Wellness

Dedicated changemakers offer fresh perspectives on fostering lasting wellness.

By Medha deb

Created on Sep 26, 2025

Dedicated changemakers offer fresh perspectives on fostering lasting wellness.

The Prevention Awards: Spotlighting Champions of Health and Community

The Prevention Awards represent an annual celebration of individuals, organizations, and innovations leading the way in health, wellness, and community service. These awards highlight achievements across multiple categories, from emerging young leaders and established professionals to dedicated community groups and creative wellness advocates. Through rigorous selection and meaningful recognition, the awards inspire continued progress and set new standards in prevention and well-being.

About the Prevention Awards
Award Categories
Selection and Nomination Process
Impact and Success Stories
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

About the Prevention Awards

Created to honor the unsung heroes and standout leaders in health, wellness, and community engagement, the Prevention Awards are recognized as a benchmark for excellence in the field. These awards shine a light on the tireless work of advocates, professionals, and visionaries who dedicate themselves to advancing public health, substance use prevention, mental well-being, and positive community change. Each year, the program draws inspiration from innovative programs, breakthrough ideas, and courageous individuals who set new standards for others to follow.

Award Categories

The Prevention Awards offer a diverse range of categories to ensure achievements at all levels and in multiple disciplines are properly celebrated. Below, we outline each category, its purpose, and the key attributes of honorees.

Tomorrow’s Leader, Today

Purpose: Recognizes early-career professionals—those with less than three years in prevention—who have already made significant contributions through creative leadership, relationship-building, and boundless enthusiasm.

Emphasizes fresh energy, new perspectives, and hope in prevention work.
Highlights problem-solving and adaptability, even in challenging situations.
Values collaboration and inspirational leadership skills.

Makes Good Happen

Purpose: Honors individuals or organizations whose ongoing initiatives significantly improve local health and wellness, often working from outside traditional prevention fields.

Acts as a community champion and unifier.
Demonstrates effective action leading to tangible improvements.
Encourages and manages broad community involvement.

Catalyst for Change

Purpose: Recognizes those who pioneer innovative, diverse, or culturally informed approaches in fields like substance use prevention, education, and advocacy—especially within marginalized communities.

Implements creative strategies for substance use/misuse prevention.
Focuses on inclusive outreach and culturally competent practice.
Promotes positive impact and awareness across diverse populations.

Embodies Amazing

Purpose: Celebrates dedicated professionals or volunteers who consistently exceed expectations, serving as the backbone of their organizations and fields through initiative, advocacy, and contagious energy.

Advocates for community needs and prevention advancement.
Goes above and beyond in their professional role.
Positively influences the workplace and the wider community.

We Is Better Than Me

Purpose: Highlights the importance of collaboration, inclusivity, and teamwork in achieving lasting impact through prevention and wellness initiatives.

Practices creative collaboration and partnership-building.
Makes room for diverse voices and talents within every project.
Ensures the success of group efforts through behind-the-scenes dedication.

Next Generation Influencer (Youth Impact Award)

Purpose: Celebrates youth (ages 13-18) and youth coalitions who have mobilized their peers, advocated for change, and promoted mental health and well-being through inventive channels.

Leverages social media, art, and other creative mediums to drive positive messages.
Demonstrates resilience, leadership, and support for open mental health dialogue.
Acts as mentors and connectors among peers and within their communities.

Additional Recognitions

Community Coalition or Organization: Honors groups offering innovative and effective prevention programming.
Young Adult Leader: Recognizes individuals aged 18-25 actively driving prevention or mental health support efforts.
Professional Excellence and Lifetime Achievement: Highlights outstanding dedication and lasting contribution to community or public health.

Selection and Nomination Process

The Prevention Awards follow a rigorous process to ensure all achievements are evaluated fairly and transparently. Here’s an overview of how nominees are selected and honored each year:

Call for Nominations: Community members, organizations, and professionals are invited to submit nominations, often via a dedicated online survey or nomination portal.
Eligibility Screening: Submissions are reviewed for eligibility based on criteria such as experience level, scope of impact, and alignment with award values.
Panel Review: A panel of experts—including previous winners, health advocates, educators, and community leaders—evaluates the candidates against established benchmarks.
Final Selection: Winners are chosen based on demonstrated achievement, innovation, collaboration, and overall impact. Special consideration is given to signifiers such as cultural competency, perseverance despite adversity, and inclusion.

Selection Criteria Include:

Years of service and active involvement in prevention or promotion efforts.
Evidence of tangible impact—improving lives, raising awareness, or driving change.
Demonstration of leadership, even when facing systemic barriers or limited funding.
Actively strengthening community partnerships for greater collective impact.
Commitment to health equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Impact and Success Stories

The Prevention Awards shine a spotlight on stories of transformation, resilience, and hope. Below are highlights from recent award honorees whose efforts have set new benchmarks in health and wellness:

Category	Honoree(s)	Contribution
Youth Leadership	Amara Farah Garrison Middle School Prevention Club	Mobilized peers for prevention, promoted inclusive mental health programs, and fostered ongoing community service among youth.
Prevention Professional	Brenda Barrios Haley Green Holly McIntyre	Led substance abuse prevention, implemented mental health outreach, and started innovative educational campaigns in their communities.
Community Coalition	Forks Community Coalition West Spokane Wellness Partnership	Developed robust community action plans, coordinated events, and built partnerships that bridged gaps across diverse populations.
Early Career Professional	Gitanjali Shrestha	Produced new research, delivered evidence-informed prevention programs, and established dynamic learning opportunities for peers.
Lifetime Achievement	Deb Drandoff Scott Waller Peggy Needham	Decades-long leadership, transformative policy initiatives, and mentoring the next generation of prevention professionals.
Tribal & Urban Indian Prevention Professional	Joe Hipp	Advanced culturally grounded prevention strategies and fostered cross-cultural cooperation for improved community health.

Meaningful Innovations Recognized

Development of new outreach methods integrating social media, arts, and youth-driven campaigns.
Launch of collaborative networks for sharing resources and best practices across jurisdictions.
Implementation of inclusive, trauma-informed prevention curriculum in public schools and community centers.
Pioneering culturally responsive models targeting underserved or marginalized communities.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who can be nominated for the Prevention Awards?

Eligibility is broad—youth, young adults, professionals, community groups, organizations, and business partners making a positive impact in health, wellness, or prevention are welcome to be nominated. Award categories span individual leadership, group efforts, and organizational excellence.

What kinds of achievements are recognized?

The awards honor effective, innovative, and inclusive achievements in prevention—from launching new mental health initiatives and advocating policy change to leading community-based programs or advancing health equity.

How are nominees assessed? What makes a winner?

Nominees are evaluated on leadership, achievement, impact, collaboration, creativity, and their commitment to diversity and inclusion. Real-world impact and resilience in the face of obstacles are highly valued.

Can youth and young adult leaders apply or be nominated?

Absolutely. Dedicated categories exist for youth (13-18), young adults (18-25), and youth-led coalitions, recognizing their critical role in shaping the future of prevention and health advocacy.

What is the significance of the ‘We Is Better Than Me’ award?

This category emphasizes the philosophy that collective action and inclusivity lead to stronger, more sustainable results. It honors individuals or teams excelling at broad-based collaboration, often working behind the scenes to ensure community success.

Are there special recognitions for lifetime achievement?

Yes, the Prevention Awards include lifetime achievement categories for professionals, mentors, and advocates who have dedicated many years to driving change and supporting the next generation in prevention work.

Key Takeaways

The Prevention Awards provide a platform for honoring excellence in prevention, health, and community wellness.
Categories span early-career professionals, youth leaders, veteran advocates, organizations, collaborations, and more.
Winners exemplify creativity, dedication, inclusivity, and measurable impact in their fields.
The nomination and selection process is transparent, expert-driven, and values-driven.
Through recognition and storytelling, these awards inspire ongoing innovation and progress in community health.

Conclusion

The Prevention Awards not only honor the extraordinary individuals and groups making communities healthier and safer, but they also serve as a catalyst, encouraging others to step up, innovate, and collaborate. By celebrating diverse achievements and championing new leaders, the awards help chart a path toward a vibrant, resilient future where health and well-being are shared values across every community.

References

Author

medha deb

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

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