March 14th, 2022
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” — Maya Angelou
March Is Women's History Month
MCSAP wants to take time to recognize that March is Women's History Month!
MCSAP Coalition Meeting March 24th 12-1:30pm
I am looking forward to seeing you all virtually on
March 24th from 12-1:30 pm.
You can find the zoom link here


Addiction and Stigmatizing Language presentation here

Whip-it Project presentation here

Whip-it Presentation here


If you have any questions or concerns, please email akohn@communityadvocates.net

Light & Unite Red Week March 26th-April 1st
Mark your calendars! Light & Unite Red week is March 26 - April 1st! This week is dedicated to shining a light on the dangerous of substance misuse and supporting community efforts to spread awareness! Keep up to date on all the activities and events going on during that week by following our Facebook page facebook.com/MCSAPMilwaukee

Check out these trainings hosted by Community Advocates during Light & Unite Red week:



If your organization is interested in hosting events and activities, please send an email to Alexandria Kohn at akohn@communityadvocates.net. 
Light & Unite Red Events
Join Mindful Gratitude & Community Advocates in a Mindful Gratitude Workshop, Support Mental & Emotional Wellbeing!
This workshop is open to those who live or work in Milwaukee County.

Challenges at work, home, in relationships, and in society can leave us feeling sad, hurt, disconnected, frustrated, or even angry. Research shows that mindfulness and gratitude can help us cope with difficulties and improve mental, emotional, and physical health. But how do we put mindfulness and gratitude into practice? Show yourself some TLC, and attend a Mindful Gratitude workshop to find out! The Mindful Gratitude Workshop offers a safe and supportive environment for you to relax, recharge, and reconnect with your joy and purpose!


You will also receive a gift bag crafted by Mindful Gratitude in the mail before the session!


Learn skills to help you:
• See the unique beauty in your life, even on the hard days
• Stay calm, even in difficult situations
• Stay centered, even in a fast changing world
Participants receive:
Journal, pen, and sticker gift set
• Online follow-up session to discuss barriers & breakthroughs!
This workshop is for you if you:
• Want to find more joy and meaning in your everyday life
• Want to improve your sense of wellbeing
• Sometimes feel overwhelmed by work, family, relationships, and responsibilities.


 "Be present in all things, and be grateful for all things.”~ Maya Angelou
Date: Thursday, March 31 - 6:00pm 7:00pm CT
Volunteer Opportunity: Counter Tools
The Public Policy Institute (PPI) at Community Advocates leads several projects focused on substance (mis)use prevention. These projects have highlighted the need to better understand the retail environment and how young people are influenced by the marketing practices and accessibility of substances in these establishments. We have connected with Counter Tools, a national expert on retailer assessments, in order to note and analyze trends in the pricing, placement, and advertising of alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and vaping products within stores.  

With assistance from Counter Tools, we have identified over 200 retail establishments that sell these products across Milwaukee County and have designed a brief survey that can easily be completed in the store to note the information above. Surveys can be completed via paper or electronic device and typically take 10-15 minutes to complete per site. This is where we need really your support! 

Each volunteer will have the opportunity to take an online training on how to complete the survey and interact with store staff in a way that is respectful of their space. Ideally, we will be sending people out in teams of two, but surveys can be completed individually! To increase volunteer engagement, we’ve launched an incentivized survey competition; details are listed below. Finally, the wonderful thing about the survey is that it is an intervention by itself. We know that many of the store owners want to keep the youth drug free, so with the information gathered, we will host a training series for store owners to learn best practices as it relates to pricing, placement, and advertisement of addictive substances. Please join us in this mission! 
 
If interested reach out to Martha mghebregziabiher@communityadvocates.net and send along this information
  • Full Name
  • Organization or affiliation
  • Email address
  • Phone Number
  • Indication of zip-code(s) listed in the document that you want to do assessment surveys in
 Mental Health Awareness Trainings
Offered by Community Advocates
Community Advocates is hosting free workshops for individuals who work or live in Milwaukee County to improve emotional literacy and provide better access to services. These trainings include:
  • Mental Health First Aid for Adults
  • Mental Health First Aid for Adults Who Work with Youth
  • QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Trainings

You can find details of our trainings on PPI's online calendar.


If you are interested in a workshop for your organization or community members, please contact me at akohn@commnityadvocates.net to help get you set up with these FREE trainings.
Resource of the Month:
 Community Advocates
Mental Health and Wellness Resource Guide
Check out the 50+ page resource guide developed by Community Advocates here
Check Out MCSAP’s Website
MCSAP has upgraded and enhanced our website with new resources, videos, calendar, and blog to provide better engagement with our partners and community members. Take a look at mcsapcoalition.org. And don’t forget to Like MCSAP on Facebook, where you’ll find continually updated news and resources.
DEA Alert: Fake Pills
September 27, 2021 – The US Drug Enforcement Administration warns the American public of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. International and domestic criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills, falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills, and killing unsuspecting Americans.

Pills purchased outside of a licensed pharmacy are illegal, dangerous, and potentially lethal. This alert does not apply to legitimate pharmaceutical medications prescribed by medical professionals and dispensed by pharmacists. Click here to learn more.
Let's Stay in Touch
We're aiming to share prevention-related information and activities and help our partners connect easily. Like us at facebook.com/MCSAPMilwaukee and sign up for our prevention-related newsletters.
The MCSAP Newsletter is brought to you by the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute. For more information about each of our prevention programs, click here.