Mental Health America of Wisconsin and the PSW Conference Planning Committee have extended their presentation proposals deadline for the 2022 Prevent Suicide Wisconsin Conference. Applicants now have until Monday, February 28, to submit their proposals. For more information, click here.

The 2022 Peer Recovery Conference is looking for proposal submissions. Proposal guidelines must align with the peer recovery objectives, demonstrate evidence-based practices, support various pathways of recovery and highlight direct inclusion of people with lived experiences. All WI Certified Peer Specialists and Certified Parent Peer Specialists are encouraged to apply. The proposal submission deadline is Friday, March 4. For more information, click here.

MICAH will be hosting a Black History program fundraiser event which will be focused on the theme of "Building a Healthy Community" in which attendees will hear about the history and work of the Black Nurses Association and the MKE Black Grassroots Health Equity Network. This is a virtual event that will be held on Tuesday, February 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets will be $20 and scholarships will also be available. Click here to register!

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare will be hosting a webinar on "Improving outcomes for Families Affected by Prenatal Alcohol Exposure." This webinar will be presented by Dr. Ira J. Chasnoff in a two part session. Each session will cover different objectives and experiences of prenatal alcohol exposure. The first session will be on Tuesday, February 22, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Registration is free and questions on the topic are accepted. For more information, click here.

The Southeast PTTC is offering a webinar on "Community Engagement Concepts That Counter Trauma, Disparities and Lack of Trust." The webinar will teach you how to improve the understanding and communication between prevention organizations using the strategic prevention framework and underserved communities in need of prevention assistance. The webinar will be held Wednesday, February 23, from 12 to 1:45 p.m. To register, click here.

Brentwood Church of Christ in partnership with Milwaukee County BHD and Wraparound Milwaukee is hosting a virtual mental health event on "How to Achieve Wellness in Your Life, Family and Community." The event will feature Maria Castillo of Milwaukee County Wraparound and Jeremy Triblett of Milwaukee County BHD and CARS and will be held on Thursday, February 24, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. To register for the Zoom session, use the meeting ID: 839 7476 2442 and passcode: 690430.

Samad’s House will be hosting a Black Balloon Release to bring awareness to the dangers of addiction from drug substances, as well as bring light to the lives lost due to drug overdose. This event will be held on Sunday, March 6, at 2875 N. 23rd St. Samad’s House also offers programs and a holistic approach to treatment for women recovering from substance abuse. For more information on this event, please contact Raqiba Malik at maxwell@bluejadebranding.com.

NAMI SE WI and Rogers Behavioral Health are partnering to offer the "Compassion Resilience Parent/Caregiver Overview" Training. This training is for community partners looking to train parents and family caregivers of adolescents with mental health disparities on compassion resilience. The trainings are virtual and are offered free. The training will be held on Wednesday, March 9, from 2 to 3 p.m. To register, email at Alison.wolf@rogersbh.org including your name, organization, role and email.

Community Advocates is offering a workshop on "Trauma and Substance Use." With this training, participants will gain a better understanding as to how trauma affects the brain, learn risk factors for substance use disorders, and develop their strategy for intervention methods for a particular population. The workshop will be held twice on Wednesday, March 16. Registration is required at the links below.

The MHTTC is providing multiple resources that shed light on training and offer assistance resources on Black health and wellness:

Building Health Equity and Inclusion: Black/African American Populations: Explore substance abuse disorder and mental health treatment and recovery resources specialized in Black/African American communities. Visit the resource here.

Racial Equity and Cultural Diversity: Explore products and resources on cultural responsiveness, racial equity, and cultural diversity for the mental health workforce. Visit the resource here.

Health Equity and Inclusion: Explore resources designed to help the substance misuse prevention workforce reduce health disparities, address social determinants of health, and provide prevention services. View the resource here.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) have officially launched the updated Dose of Reality Initiative. This initiative provide tools for Wisconsin residents to help prevent and reduce risks of opioid use by having open and honest conversations. The Dose of Reality Initiative will help provide information on opioid risks, safe disposal of medication, support resources and other topics and resources related to opioid use and recovery. You can access the Dose of Reality webpage here.

The Office of Children's Mental Health is focusing on supporting child well-being through the grief of Covid-19. The fact sheet is a tool for parents, schools and communities to use to make a difference while also attending a young person's grief. The tools provided will help them heal and become resilient moving forward. Click here to view the fact sheet.