This month, substance abuse prevention coalitions and allied individuals and organizations are recognizing April as Alcohol Awareness Month. In his proclamation declaring this observance, Gov. Tony Evers wrote, “this occasion presents all Wisconsinites with the opportunity to examine their drinking habits and assess the effects on their overall health and well-being, and to utilize resources available on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website to learn more.” To boost awareness of how to prevent underage drinking, DHS has added an Alcohol Awareness Month toolkit to its Small Talks campaign website.

MCSAP is offering virtual events throughout April to observe Alcohol Awareness Month and celebrate alcohol-free lifestyles.

Students are encouraged to join MCSAP in this honest chat on Zoom and Facebook Live about what the absence of alcohol looks like among college students, and how it impacts their social lives, activities, and more. It will be held from 12 noon to 1 p.m. on April 9. RSVP at this link.

MCSAP is offering this Zoom and Facebook Live conversation to talk with adults who live with an absence of alcohol. It’ll be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on April 16. RSVP here.

MCSAP and Vivent Health are offering this session on this history and impact of alcohol and opioids, as well as a Narcan training to prevent overdose. It’s scheduled for 1 to 2 p.m. on April 29. RSVP at this link.

It’s back! The annual MCSAP Youth Summit, organized by Neu-Life Community Development and produced by their NeuMedia Studio, will be held on Zoom from 1 to 3 p.m. on April 10. This year’s theme is Mental Health Matters, and the summit will feature great speakers, entertaining sessions, and free hoodies. Additional sponsors include Safe & Sound, Brewers Alumni Association, and Milwaukee Christian Center. RSVP now!

The National Summit on Opioid Awareness, with partners the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, DEA 360 Strategy and WISN 12, presents What Every Family Needs to Know about Opioids, which will examine the opioid epidemic from a local perspective and focus on how this crisis impacts our schools, families, law enforcement, and healthcare systems. An expert panel will answer your questions about how opioids affect the human brain, signs of substance use disorder and what recovery options are available in our state.

Guests include Hannah Lepper, Coordinator of the Southeast Region of the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth, Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul, Milwaukee Bucks Assistant Coach Vin Baker, and Ashleigh Nowakowski of Your Choice to Live. This special will be broadcast on April 21 at 7 p.m. on WISN 12, with a live discussion online at WISN’s Facebook page and DrugFreeIsUpToMe.org.

Zoom burnout is real! This webinar explores game-based substance use prevention activities that will engage youth across the continuum of care, from face-to-face interactions to virtual learning. This session is open to AWY and MCSAP members only. It will be held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on April 30. RSVP at this link.

Click here to fill out the interest form by 5 p.m. on April 6.

Learn how to integrate cultural traditions and beliefs into effective treatment for Hispanic and Latino clients in this two-part, expert-led training from the Great Lakes MHTTC Network. Register here for the April 7 session and click here for the April 14 session.

In preparing of No Menthol Sunday, Wisconsin hosts an annual No Menthol Sunday Virtual Kick-off meeting. The purpose of this event is to mobilize faith-based partners and community allies to participate in No Menthol Sunday on May 16. 

The Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network and Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention & Poverty Network’s No Menthol Sunday kickoff meeting, hosted by Vivian King, will take place on Friday, April 16, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Speakers will include Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Karen Timberlake, Secretary of Health Designee for the State of Wisconsin, Carol McGruder of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, and LaTroya Hester, Center for Black Health and Equity. Click here to register to attend for the virtual meeting. Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities to support No Menthol Sunday 2021 and opportunities to participate in Soul of a Nation discussion groups or a book club.  

Wisconsin Department of Health Services is presenting a new training opportunity in 2021: the Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit. This virtual event will feature keynotes and workshops on strategies to address the harmful use of opioids and stimulants in Wisconsin. Presentations will also focus on the intersection of trauma and harmful substance use. All people interested in building healthy communities are invited to participate. The 2021 Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit will be presented over three days. Each day will feature a keynote presentation followed by three concurrent workshops.

All participants will be required to register. The registration fee will be $50 per day or $125 for all three days. CEHs/CEUs will be available. Click here for details and to register.

Amplifying Youth Voice and Increasing Engagement is the theme of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Bureau of Youth Services conference for youth workers from a variety of disciplines. The conference addresses topics including youth justice services, health and well-being, education and employment, homelessness and runaway services, transition-age youth, prevention, and best practices. This conference is supported by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System. A half-day pre-conference summit will be held on April 27, with the full day conference to be held April 28-29. Get details and register here.

This training from Convergence Resource Center is to equip human trafficking service providers with additional tools to enhance their care for survivors. This free two-day training will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 28 and 29. A Spanish speaker will be on hand to provide translation. Get details and RSVP here.

Building on their 2020 theme of Reframing the Narrative, Mental Health America of Wisconsin and Prevent Suicide Wisconsin will be Expanding the Conversation in 2021 with topics of peer support, the intersection of mental health and race, social justice frameworks for suicide prevention, and centering lived experience. On April 29 and April 30 via Zoom, they will be exploring current efforts in Wisconsin, what’s working and what we could be doing better, and continuing to reimagine a world worth living in. Keynote speakers are Caroline Mazel-Carlton, Kelechi Ubozoh, and IV Staklo. A preconference clinical training will be held on Wednesday, April 28. Posters are due by April 15. Get details and register at this link.

Registration is open for this buprenorphine x-waiver training webinar sponsored by the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The webinar is part of an effort to increase treatment capacity for opioid use disorder through expanded prescribing of buprenorphine. This course is open to MDs, DOs, NPs, and PAs. Registration is required. There is no registration fee. It will be held on April 30 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register here.

From APHA, this toolkit is designed to "stimulate and guide smaller nonprofit organizations as they integrate E-D-I best practices into their governance and organizational structure." Download it here.