When you work in the field of prevention, your work is never done. But the end of the year gives us the opportunity to take stock of where we came from and where we’re headed—and what we accomplished in 2019 thanks to engaged, enthusiastic community members like you. Community Advocates Public Policy Institute’s prevention team was busy the entire year with a variety of outreach events, summits for youth and LGBTQ+ young people, drug take-back initiatives, professional and community trainings in behavioral health, and much, much more. You can check out what we accomplished in our Prevention Year in Review. Cheers! 

Connections to Heal (CTH) events are held for those living with substance use disorder and their families and bring together community organizations that provide a wide range of resources, including treatment, harm reduction, insurance, housing, food, and more.

The City of Milwaukee Health Department intends to schedule a work group meeting the first week of January, and the first CTH event by the end of January. Community members are invited to participate in a monthly, one-hour work group meeting with the possibility of receiving a gift card incentive for your time. People who work in the substance use disorder community, community members living with substance use disorder, and their family members are especially encouraged to attend. Please contact Courtney Geiger at [email protected] by December 18 if you are interested.

The theme for the next HealthWatch Wisconsin Conference is “2020 Visions & Decisions: Health Insurance. Social Justice. Health Equity.” The conference will be a hybrid event: one day of in-person presentations on March 5, then an on-demand workshop series that runs March 5-13. The conference will be held at the Madison Masonic Center in Madison. Get more details and register at this link.

Safe & Sound’s 27th Street West Drug Free Coalition is partnering with Neighborhood House to offer this panel discussion for young people about underage alcohol use. The SIP panel will be held on Friday, December 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Neighborhood House, 2810 W. Richardson Place, Milwaukee. Get more details here. Contact Zoe Whorrall at 414-345-7258 for more information.

The 27th Street West Drug Free Coalition is organizing an overnight Teen Lock-In focusing on the prevention of teen drug and alcohol use. There will be six prevention-focused workshops, each followed by six fun rooms or activities. It will be an opportunity for teens from different parts of the city to get to know one another and to learn about the effects of drugs and alcohol on teens and their communities at large.

The organizers are encouraging 6th-12th graders from the city of Milwaukee to attend this event. There will be dinner, snacks throughout the night, and a light takeaway breakfast in the morning. Teens should be dropped off at 8 p.m. on Friday night at Neighborhood House , 2810 W. Richardson Place, Milwaukee, and picked up promptly at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. Teens should arrive in comfortable clothes (no one will be changing clothes) and bring sleeping bag or blanket and pillow to sleep. Please reach out to Zoe Whorrall at 414-345-7258 with any questions.

The Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force, Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition, and the MIRACLE Network are organizing this nonpartisan forum for candidates for Milwaukee County executive. It’ll be held during the Task Force’s regular meeting, from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 14, at Independence First, 540 S. First St., Milwaukee.

Samaritan Family Wellness is offering a training for those who want to learn how to host six-week Wellness Circles for adult, parent, and teen audiences. The training will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 23, at Aurora Family Service, 3200 W. Highland Blvd., Milwaukee. Get details and RSVP here by January 16. Space is limited. Cost is $35 for lunch and materials. 

This two-day professional development workshop explores Motivational Interviewing from a trauma-informed lens. Led by Shawn Smith, Founder of Share Training and Co-founder of the Alma Institute, it’s designed for all human services professional and leaders. It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on January 14 and January 21 at the Welford Sanders Enterprise Center, 2821 Vel R. Phillips Ave., Milwaukee. Cost is $135 and includes light breakfast and bag lunch. CEUs are available. Register and get details here.

Join Shawn Smith of Share Training to continue the journey of applying Motivational Interviewing to hold space for those you serve. Due to the contextual and experiential nature of the training, only 12 slots are available. Cost is $45. This session will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon on January 22 at the Welford Sanders Enterprise Center, 2821 Vel R. Phillips Ave., Milwaukee. Get details and register here.

The Milwaukee Continuum of Care offers up-to-date information on daytime and overnight warming centers for those who are experiencing homelessness or unstable housing. You can find resources on the CoC’s website and Facebook page anytime.