Friends –

Community Advocates Public Policy Institute continues to strengthen our community through prevention, advocacy, and collaboration. In this spring newsletter, we're highlighting the partnerships, programs, and people advancing mental wellness, housing stability, youth support, and substance use prevention across Milwaukee and Wisconsin. We’re grateful for everyone helping us build healthier, more resilient communities for all.

In partnership,

The Community Advocates Public Policy Institute Staff

Community Advocates is celebrating 50 years of service—and we’re inviting partners and stakeholders to mark this milestone while helping to shape what comes next.

You or your organization can gain meaningful visibility while impacting programs that serve more than 60,000 people each year across housing, behavioral health, domestic violence services, and more—as a sponsor or table host for our 50th Anniversary Celebration on September 18, 2026.

Sponsorship and table hosting opportunities are available now, and individual ticket sales begin in early June.



Celebrate the past. Support stronger, more stable families in our community. Thank you!

A special thank you goes out to Direct Supply, which is serving as the celebration’s Dignity in Action Presenting Partner.

On April 28, Community Advocates brought together community leaders, service providers, and advocates for an important conversation on one of Milwaukee County’s fastest-growing public health challenges: housing insecurity among older adults.

Adults ages 50+ often facing rising rents, health challenges, and limited access to resources that make stable housing harder to maintain. Through research supported by Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment and completed in partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Community Advocates heard directly from more than 100 older adults experiencing housing insecurity and more than a dozen community stakeholders to better understand the barriers they face and the solutions our community needs.



Katherine Kishline, the project’s researcher, presented the findings, and the project’s Academic Partner, David Nelson, Ph.D., from the Medical College of Wisconsin, moderated the panel discussion.

The panel included:

• Bill Calawerts, MD, MPH, with Medical College of Wisconsin-North Side Family Medicine Residency, Outreach Community Health Center
• Erin Cronn, BSN, RN, Director of Nursing, City of Milwaukee Health Department
• Emily Kenney, LCSW, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Transformation, Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services
• Matt Raymond, Supportive Housing Program Director, Community Advocates

The presentation and panel discussion held at ThriveOn King highlighted the power of collaboration in creating real change. Thank you to everyone who joined us in exploring pathways forward and building a Milwaukee where aging with dignity includes safe, stable, and affordable housing for all.

Community Advocates' Mental Health Awareness Trainer Rita Liesiefsky was recognized by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing for training 254 people on Mental Health First Aid last year, the most in Wisconsin in 2025. Congratulations, Rita!

On April 23, Community Advocates joined leaders, policymakers, community members, and young people with lived experience at the 175th anniversary housing event hosted by Wellpoint Care Network. The discussion focused on the impact housing stability has on youth and young adults, and the collective action needed to create more stable futures.

PPI’s Child Welfare Program Manager Lauren Faulds and CA's Supportive Housing Director Matt Raymond served as table facilitators by helping to guide conversations and share insights from their work as housing advocates. We're grateful to be part of conversations that center lived experience, collaboration, and long-term solutions for youth housing stability. 

Earlier this spring, 11 professionals from across Wisconsin completed the Wisconsin Substance Use Prevention Skills Training (SUPST).

This annual training is delivered by the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth and designed to develop the skill sets of people working to prevent and reduce the consequences associated with substance use. Participants were introduced to the Strategic Prevention Framework and walked through strategies for implementing a principled approach to environmental-level change in their local communities.

Participants put their knowledge to the test over the course of three days by applying the framework’s concepts to a case study, offering opportunities for real-time learning through conversations based on lived experience and best practice. One participant shared, "It was great to see and experience the teams support each other in and out of their individual groups. Thank you for the opportunity for some honest and relevant conversations."

We're grateful for those who took time out of their busy schedules to prioritize this education!

If you’re interested in learning about the Strategic Prevention Framework, evidence-based substance use prevention, or getting connected to a local coalition, please reach out to the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth’s SE Wisconsin Region Coordinator, Kat Becker.

Thanks go out to all of our partners and allies for celebrating Light and Unite Red Week in March. Even the iconic Hoan Bridge lit up red in solidarity!



Through sharing the facts about alcohol and other drug use, we aimed to inspire dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. RISE Drug Free MKE is here year-round to provide the facts and encourage positive change in our community. 

To honor Mental Health Awareness Month, RISE Drug Free MKE is setting up a Zen Den in Community Advocates' lobby every Thursday in May, offering a space to pause, breathe, and reset.

The Zen Den offers activities to start conversations about mental health, resources on how to take care of yourself when you're stressed, and provides information on finding someone to talk to if that's what you need.



"Spending time in the Zen Den was truly the highlight of my day! Being there and connecting with the youth felt refreshing and uplifting. Watching both youth and adults come together and find their calm was healing. It's amazing how easy it can be to discover your Zen when you're surrounded by community and positive energy," said RISE Coalition Coordinator Daisy Diaz. 

The Empowerment Coalition of Milwaukee (ECOM) is a monthly gathering that aims to bring social service professionals and advocates together. It is a networking, educational, and professional development opportunity, featuring multiple presentations from experts in the field.

Community Advocates serves as the convener for ECOM, a collaborative professional development group for service providers. ECOM is funded through participant registration fees, and training topics are selected in partnership with members to address emerging community needs and professional interests.

This month’s topic is LGBTQ+ Services and Behavioral Health. Learn about therapy services, navigating the healthcare system, and where drop-in services are available.

ECOM will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon on June 24 and will be held at Community Advocates, 728 N. James Lovell St., Milwaukee.

Your generous gift will allow us to continue to provide effective and innovative programs and services to thousands of community members.

We appreciate your support!

Leadership

President: Sharon R. Jordan | Direct Supply

Vice President: Natasha Dotson | Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative

Treasurer: Sandy Samse | BDO USA, PC

Secretary: Kate Venne | Brady Corporation



Board Members

Nicole Angresano | United Performing Arts Fund

Jessica Currie | Missionary Currie for Women and Children

Anne DeLeo | Community Volunteer

Valerie Gabriel | Community Volunteer

Bryan House | Foley & Lardner, LLP

Gary Ingram | Igary Events

Pamela Klein | Community Volunteer

Jim Liedtke | Community Volunteer

Angela Walters | Walters Realty Group

Jodi Wire | Community Volunteer

Community Advocates Public Policy Institute

prevention@communityadvocates.net | ppi.communityadvocates.net