The U.S. is getting close to the July 16 transition to 988—the easy-to-remember number to reach the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This transition is an important step to strengthening and transforming the crisis care continuum in the U.S.

To help partners communicate about 988, SAMHSA has added downloadable print files for wallet cards, magnets, and posters to its 988 Partner Toolkit. The toolkit already includes logo and brand guidelines, key messages, frequently asked questions, fact sheets (English and Spanish), radio PSA scripts (English and Spanish), and more. SAMHSA is also working to make the print materials available for ordering from the SAMHSA store and will be adding social media shareables by mid-July about the basics of 988.

Want to volunteer or participate in the resource fair? Contact Gloria Marfo at gmarfo@communityadvocates.net or Ryan Clevenger at ryan.clevenger@oxfordhouse.org.

Mental Health America has launched its 2022 BIPOC Mental Health Month toolkit; go to mhanational.org/july to download the toolkit. You can also find actionable ways to support BIPOC communities and honor the legacy of Bebe Moore Campbell, the pioneer whose advocacy and visionary work first led to July’s formal dedication to the needs of BIPOC communities in mental health beginning in 2008. This year’s theme for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), Mental Health Month is #BeyondTheNumbers.

Suicide awareness and prevention is essential within the community, especially as we connect with our youth. The Medical College of Wisconsin and the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention are seeking to hear from youth and families regarding suicide and its impacts. Please use the QR code provided in the graphic or register through this link.

CRAY (Collaborative Rapid Advocacy for Youth), a Pathfinders-led collaborative of advocates in Milwaukee, is looking for volunteers to expand their after-hours advocacy response to provide specialized support to commercially sexually exploited youth. CRAY is holding their 7-session on-boarding training series in August. Go to CRAYmilwaukee.org to learn more and sign up.

The Zero Youth Corrections - Youth Opportunity Community Grant provides funding for a group or groups working to prevent young people from becoming impacted or recidivated into the criminal legal system. This may look like prevention, reduction, intervention, and/or community support. This is a new attempt to fund people who may not have received funding for their meaningful work in the past. This is an opportunity to “get the resources to the people doing the work.”

There will be a video presentation on this RFP and opportunity for Q&A on July 14 on Zoom. The deadline to apply is August 5, 2022. Click here for details.

Proposals are due August 12, 2022. Please email ed2recovery@fammed.wisc.edu for the application materials (all due dates, RFP, and budget template).

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services is requesting applications for federally recognized tribal nations with members in Wisconsin and Wisconsin-based nonprofit organizations to develop a plan for a culturally responsive primary prevention strategy related to opioids for a disproportionally affected population, which is a community that faces barriers in accessing and using primary prevention strategies related to opioids. Four one-year grants of up to $175,000 will be awarded from this request for applications. The deadline to apply for funding is 11:59 p.m. August 31, 2022. Click here for details. 

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services is requesting applications for an individual or organization to provide technical assistance to organizations receiving funding under the Community Driven Approaches to Prevent Opioid Harm in Disproportionally Affected Populations Grant Program. Two one-year grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded from this request for applications. The grantees will provide technical assistance to organizations engaging communities to create a culturally relevant opioid prevention strategic plan to reduce opioid use and promote overall well-being. The deadline to apply for funding is 11:59 p.m. September 7, 2022. Find details at this link.

Join us if you are interested in taking charge of your mental wellbeing or if you are a service providers who is interested in learning more about the mental wellbeing of African Americans in Milwaukee. You will also receive links to resources in Milwaukee County. Join us Monday, July 18, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. on MCSAP’s Facebook page.

Community Advocates is offering Youth Mental Health First Aid workshops to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Community Advocates will offer this session via Zoom at no cost, on July 29. It's open to Milwaukee County residents and those who work with them. Click here to register by July 22.

The City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention is offering the Summer of Healing initiative in which you can learn about community resources, holistic healing practices, cultural practices and self-defense techniques. This program will also have activities and prizes for youth and teens. The next program will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 13, at Sherman Park, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd., Milwaukee. If you are interested in attending and have any additional questions, reach out to the Office of Violence Prevention through Facebook by clicking here.

The Wisconsin Peer Recovery Conference will be held August 18-19 and will be an in-person event. This conference is an opportunity to learn about effective support within community services, mental health and substance use recovery. The Peer Recovery Conference registration will be open through Wednesday, August 10, with a registration fee of $100. Advocates, mental health professionals and peer specialists are encouraged to attend. To register, click here.

In honor of Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, Community Advocates has updated its Milwaukee County Mental Health & Wellness Resource Guide to expand resources for and by People of Color. You can download it here.

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has created a resource page for LGBTQ+ Pride Month that can be utilized throughout the year to bring awareness to the challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face. Click here to access them.

The CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention developed an interactive data visualization tool, the SUDORS dashboard, which displays fatal overdose data from 2020. These data offer valuable fatal overdose data about drugs involved in overdose deaths, demographic characteristics, circumstances surrounding overdose deaths, and potential opportunities for intervention. Although Wisconsin is not included in this data set, the information can provide a helpful national perspective on substance use overdose deaths.

This resource guide from SAMHSA offers information and resources to help practitioners in health and social service systems implement best practices to engage and help families and caregivers support their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) children. Download it here.

Released in conjunction with Ken Burns’ PBS series “Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness,” this resource from the Well Beings campaign provides examples of stigmatizing and non-stigmatizing language for adults who wish to communicate with youth about mental health and other issues. Download it at this link.

In response to the Robb Elementary School (in Uvalde, Texas), supermarket (in Buffalo, New York), and other mass shootings, the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) has compiled a list of resources to help youth, families, educators, and community members cope with and talk about community trauma, as well as provide psychological first aid. Click here to access the resources. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Disaster Distress Helpline is available 24/7/365: Call or text 1-800-985-5990 (for Spanish, press “2”) to be connected to a trained counselor any time.