The city of Santa Clarita has won two prestigious League of California Cities Helen Putnam Awards for Excellence in the category of Public Safety for the program Heroin Kills, and in the category of Internal Administration for its Employee Development program. City Councilwoman Marsha McLean accepted the awards on behalf of the City of Santa Clarita on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo in Sacramento.

“We are thrilled to be honored once again for not one, but two innovative projects,” remarked Councilwoman McLean. “Santa Clarita puts a strong emphasis on forward thinking initiatives and creative solutions. This year’s award winning programs are two examples of projects that are of great benefit to our community in two very different ways.”

In 2011, after experiencing its tenth fatality involving young adults in less than two years, the City of Santa Clarita launched Heroin Kills: The High is a Lie – The Shocking Truth About Heroin in Santa Clarita, a hard-hitting multi-faceted education and outreach campaign to address the heroin crisis facing young people in the city. The campaign includes a marketing plan with eye-catching graphics, videos, digital and print advertising, social media, a website and outreach events such as the annual Heroin Kills symposium. The program has featured valuable information to help parents protect their children. Speakers at the symposium have included recovering addicts, drug recovery counselors, parents of addicted Santa Clarita youth, as well as representatives from law enforcement and health care. This year’s symposium was titled the Parent Resource Symposium and was also held September 13, the same day that the Helen Putnam award was presented. More information on the program can be found at HeroinKills.org.

The City also received a Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Internal Administration for its Employee Development program which encourages employee development and successful succession planning. Examples include an employee Mentoring Program, a Leadership Academy, Job Shadowing and multiple other development opportunities.
This is the twelfth year the City of Santa Clarita has won Helen Putnam Awards for Excellence. The City has won 15 Helen Putnam Awards total. In 2016, the City won in the category of Public Safety for its Special Needs Registry.

The Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program holds a long-standing tradition with all California cities as being a coveted and premier award, recognizing outstanding achievements in a variety of categories that deliver the highest quality service in the most effective manner possible.
For more information about the League of California Cities, please visit CAcities.org. For more information about the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program, please visit HelenPutnam.org.
For more information about the City of Santa Clarita’s award-winning programs, please contact Communications Manager Carrie Lujan at (661) 255-4314 or clujan@santa-clarita.com.