Diverse groups from across Milwaukee County are inviting individuals and families to Grant Park Location 4, 1335 Grant Park Dr., South Milwaukee,  from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 18, to experience activities and gather resources that will improve their health and wellness. "Discover Wellness" will feature a Walk for Wellness, free food, prizes, activities, and a chance to win a Milwaukee Bucks swag bag, a Kwik Trip gift card, an adult and kid’s bike, and more.

MCSAP will be hosting their annual International Overdose Awareness Day Memorial Event in partnership with local organizations to commemorate those who have passed from drug overdoses, and to provide support to family, friends, and communities who are deeply affected by those losses every day. All are welcome to this event, to be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31, at Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee. There will be a memorial board to honor those we have lost to overdose, a resource fair, open mic, poster making, and free food.

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

You can watch the livestream at this link.

The hotel room block at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center is now open. It closes September 19. See the full schedule and information on registration fees at this link.

Learn more about 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at this link.

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.

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.

Two sessions will be offered – at 12 noon on August 16 and an encore presentation at 12:30 p.m. on August 24.

A growing body of research has begun to change understandings of how toxic environments can affect young people, particularly African American boys and young men. In this webinar presented by UW-Madison Institute for Research on Poverty, you will hear from Noni Gaylord-Harden, Jocelyn Smith Lee, and Alvin Thomas about risk and protective factors for youth in conditions with exposure to poverty, racism, and violence, and about how research, policy, and practice can incorporate these lessons. It will be held from 1-2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17. Register 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.

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.

This data visualization from SAMHSA illustrates alcohol use among girls and young women, versus use among boys and young men. It also shares ways for parents, caregivers, or community members to respond and help girls and young women avoid alcohol use. 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.