Welcome to our December newsletter!

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Wisconsin CONNECT is a collaborative. We seek to provide technical assistance and training opportunities for substance use prevention and treatment grantees, providers, clinicians, social workers, and support staff.

We draw on local and national academic and community resources to reduce and prevent substance use and improve overall health and wellness in Wisconsin.

To that end, we want to help you connect the dots with this newsletter. It is a tool to support our efforts to promote new research, share tools and trainings that aim to help you engage in different communities, enhance practice and improve the health of your clients and program participants.

As the year wraps up, we want to focus on slowing down and taking some time to thoughtfully recover and explore your wellbeing. Scroll to the "Improving Wellness" checkpoint to find a few resources on mindfulness, meditation, and more! You may find some new methods to incorporate in your practice- or just prioritize your own wellness.

Studies on experiencing stress and trauma as children and how it effects adulthood

Articles

"Early-life stress changes more genes in brain than a head injury"

"A surprising thing happened when researchers began exploring whether early-life stress compounds the effects of a childhood head injury on health and behavior later in life. . ."

Click here to read the full article from Ohio State News.

"New study links childhood trauma to increased anger in adults with and without depressive and anxiety disorders"

"Childhood trauma has long been known to have lasting psychological effects. A new study delves deeper into how different types of childhood trauma can impact various aspects of anger in adulthood. The findings, published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, provide valuable insights into the potential long-term consequences of childhood trauma and may have important implications for mental health treatment."

Click here to read the full article from PsyPost.

"Association between childhood adversities and premature and potentially avoidable mortality in adulthood: a population-based study"

"The association of childhood adversities with mortality has rarely been explored, and even less studied is the question of whether any excess mortality may be potentially preventable. This study examined the association between specific childhood adversities and premature and potentially avoidable mortality (PPAM) in adulthood in a representative sample of the general population. Also, we examined whether the associations were potentially mediated by various adult socioeconomic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors."

Click here to read the full article from BMC Public Health.

Coordinated Services Teams Initiatives 2024 Request for Applications

from DHS Division of Care and Treatment Services

Federally recognized tribal nations and counties that did not request Coordinated Services Teams Initiatives (CST) grant funding for 2023 (Bayfield County, Columbia County, Dane County, Ho-Chunk Nation, and Shawano County) are eligible to apply for 2024 grant funding. The deadline to apply for this grant funding is January 5, 2024.

View the entire memo

Survey for People with Lived Experience

from DHS Division of Care and Treatment Services

"We're seeking the perspective of people with lived experience as we transform Wisconsin's system of care for people experiencing mental health and substance use emergencies. Help us understand how comfortable people with lived experience are working in crisis services and how people with lived experience are currently working in crisis services. 

Complete this short survey by 11:59 p.m. December 23, 2023.

This survey was published in October, with a deadline of November 30, 2023. If you have already completed it, thank you. There is no need to complete it again."

Free In-Home Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines

from City of Milwaukee Health Department

Free in-home COVID and flu vaccines are available through the Milwaukee Health Department for individuals who qualify. To be eligible for this service, individuals must either need assistance leaving home or are generally not advised to leave home. For details, click the button below to download the flyer.

Learn more here.

Recovery Series

This video portrait is one of a 10-part educational series titled Recovery Stories: Navigating Health Disparities, Racism, and Stigma to Get Mental Health Access. The portraits are being used in healthcare systems, allied health, and medical education training. This project was funded by the Advancing Healthier Wisconsin Endowment in collaboration with the Wisconsin Collaborative on Quality Healthcare and the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Access the full video series here.

Translational Design Workshop

Six-Week Training Course from The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being

Do you have a longstanding problem facing the families in your community?

Accomplishing a positive shift in mindsets can be both lofty and daunting, but it's essential to everlasting policy and systems change. If your organization is seeking innovative ways to influence the narrative surrounding child welfare, poverty or other systemic issues in your community, this workshop is for you.



The Translational Design workshop is a six-week training course led by the Institute for Child and Family Well-Being that is structured to meet the needs of busy schedules. At your own pace, you will complete weekly online activities and exercises that are focused on creating tangible opportunities for knowledge application.

Learn more here.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training with Consultation Calls

from The Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center

Applications Due December 4

The Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center will host a virtual Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) training and 12 consultation calls (dates to be determined) for 24 behavioral health professionals and school mental health counselors in HHS Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin).

TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents from 3 to 18 years old. TF-CBT aims to help children, adolescents, and their caregivers overcome adverse events such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, child maltreatment, discrimination, and other types of traumatic experiences. It is a components-based treatment model that incorporates trauma-sensitive interventions with cognitive behavioral, family, and humanistic principles and techniques. The presenter will provide strategies and adaptations that are culturally responsive for diverse communities.

Applications must be submitted by December 4, 2023. Approved applicants will be notified by December 11, 2023.

Learn more here.

Connecting the Dots

from Wisconsin CONNECT

On Demand Training

Launching 2024

You asked for more On Demand training options, and we listened! We are calling this new programming Connecting the Dots.

In a podcast format, Kyle Mounts and Lonnetta Albright from the original Women and SUD ECHO team will host experts in the field. Experts will also come from our provider community who will discuss relevant and current research in the field of substance use recovery for women-- to spark meaningful discussion aimed at facilitating practice change.

Our goal is simple—to provide current, relevant information intended to: Increase Awareness & Knowledge; and Identify Application Strategies for changes in practice to support the work you do. On the second Friday of every month, a new podcast will go live.

FASD Self-Paced Training Series

from Wisconsin Connect

On Demand Training

Launching 2024

Many medical, allied health care providers, educators, and others work with individuals affected by prenatal alcohol exposure—diagnosed or undiagnosed—but may lack training to identify, refer, and/or provide effective services. Few agencies offer FASD training to address these important issues. 

This FASD self-paced learning series helps decrease the knowledge gap by providing on-demand educational opportunities to learn more about the prevention, identification, and treatment of FASD. 

Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth

from Suicide Prevention Resource Center

This series of guides can help professionals, families, and communities support the mental well-being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) youth. The series includes a resource guide and four companion focus guides designed for specific populations. Developed by SPRC in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, the guides center the input of LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and those who have experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Find full resource guides here.

Mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion – a clinical psychologist explains how these science-backed practices can improve mental health

Article by Rachel Goldsmith Turow, Seattle University

"(THE CONVERSATION) Mindfulness and self-compassion are now buzzwords for self-improvement. But in fact, a growing body of research shows these practices can lead to real mental health benefits. This research – ongoing, voluminous and worldwide – clearly shows how and why these two practices work."

Click here to read the full article.

2023 Training Catalog that offers cutting-edge, trauma-informed training

from The Connecticut Women's Consortium

"Behavioral health professionals are always seeking ways to better serve individuals, families, and communities. Our Fall 2023 Training Catalog offers cutting-edge, trauma-informed training for every step of your journey.

Our communities need more trauma-informed and gender-responsive behavioral health care. That's why we refresh our catalog continually, offering a fresh set of trainings on topics from self-care to clinical applications. We offer behavioral health trainings that include

• Trauma-informed mindfulness
• Yoga therapy for trauma
• Using a trauma-informed framework with men
• Reiki training for mental health professionals
• Caring for older adults
• And more!

Connecticut Women's Consortium is a leading educational resource for trauma-informed and gender-responsive care and a trusted advocate for behavioral health professionals."

Complete the form to download here.

Save the Date for Conferences

Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit

May 7-9, Pre-conference May 6, 2024

Hybrid. In-person at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells.

Alcohol Policy Seminar

October 8, Pre-conference October 7, 2024

Hybrid. In-person location TBD.