Issue 11-16| August 8, 2022
News
Spotlight On: Discover Wellness
Thursday, August 18
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.

"Discover Wellness" will encompass the eight dimensions of wellness—emotional, physical, occupational, intellectual, financial, social, environmental, and spiritual—to provide visitors with a broad range of activities that can help to enhance their health and well-being.

"Discover Wellness" sponsors include Healthiest Cudahy Collaboration; Healthiest Oak Creek Coalition; Healthy Mind, Healthy Greendale; Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention coalition; Neu-Life Community Development; The Parenting Network; Volition Franklin; West Allis-West Milwaukee Family Resource Center; and Community Advocates Public Policy Institute.
MCSAP Overdose Awareness Day Memorial Event
Wednesday, August 31
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 Bandshell, 3000 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee. There will be a memorial 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.
Drug Overdose Deaths Rise, Disparities Widen
Newly released drug overdose data from the CDC shows widening disparities between different population groups. In just one year, overdose death rates (number of drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people) increased 44% for Black people and 39% for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. Most people who died by overdose had no evidence of substance use treatment before their deaths. In fact, a lower proportion of people from racial and ethnic minority groups received treatment, compared with White people. Read the full report here.
Over-the-Counter Medicine Safety Guide
CADCA has partnered with Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. to promote the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicine Safety program, a free curriculum for teaching health literacy and medicine safety as a cornerstone of primary prevention. For many years, CADCA has worked with community-based prevention coalitions, youth leaders, and statewide representatives to train and disseminate this powerful prevention program.

This publication serves to prepare and guide coalitions in primary medicine safety efforts, health promotion messaging, and program implementation, while also offering a toolkit to access authoritative sources on medicine safety initiatives. Download it here.
Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Conference
Care for Self, Care for Others: Building Resilient Communities
Preconference October 19; Conference October 20-21
Kalahari Resort and Convention Center
Wisconsin Dells
You are invited to join Wisconsin Department of Health Services in person or virtually for the Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Conference. This is Wisconsin's largest annual event focused on the full range of behavioral health care and supports—prevention, harm reduction, intervention, treatment, and recovery services.

This year's event features two keynote sessions and 39 workshops. Registration will open in August.
 
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.
Data Dream Award Applications Sought
Deadline: August 31
Data You Can Use (DYCU) seeks applications for the Data Dream Award. Winners will realize their “data dream” through the professional services of DYCU and expertise of our partners. Milwaukee-area nonprofits will be selected through a competitive process and awarded at Data Day on October 19, 2022. Get details at this link.
Webinars & Events
Remembering Dr. Lester Carter
Wednesday, August 10
This Amani neighborhood community pop-up event will celebrate the birthday of Dr. Lester Carter, who did so much for the community. This event will be held from 12 noon to 3 p.m. on August 10 at Dr. Carter Park, 24th Place and Burleigh. You'll enjoy free food, connection, and resources. It's sponsored by Amani United, Dominican Center, Safe & Sound, and COA Youth & Family Centers as part of their Pop-Up Outreach Days.
Community Needs Assessments Workshop
Wednesday, August 10
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You’re invited to attend a community needs assessment data workshop. While this virtual workshop is open to the public, this opportunity intends to provide technical assistance to National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED) members (free to join) and minority-serving and under-resourced community-based organizations (CBOs).

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:
  • Understand the purpose of a community needs assessment
  • Identify who should be involved in a community needs assessment
  • Plan and conduct a community needs assessment
  • Learn about the impact made by community needs assessment reports

This webinar will be held Monday, August 10, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Register here.
A Summer of Healing
Saturday, August 13
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.
Virtual Adult Mental Health First Aid
Tuesday, August 16
Community Advocates is offering Adult Mental Health First Aid workshops to help participants to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. Community Advocates will offer this introductory session via Zoom. To register, click on the link below:

Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Briefing on Proposed 2023 Milwaukee County Department Budget Requests as Submitted to the County Executive
Tuesday, August 16
This Mental Health Task Force meeting will feature the annual Milwaukee County budget briefing. Special guest County Executive David Crowley will provide opening remarks, Director Joe Lamers will provide an overview of the budget process, and department leadership will share an overview of proposed budget and address questions. County budget funding is essential funding services for children and adults with disabilities and mental health needs, for older adults, and other community members. Join us to learn about the proposed budget and how you can get involved. This meeting is co-sponsored by the Make It Work Milwaukee Coalition.

Additional speakers include:
  • Milwaukee County Transit System, Tim Hosch, Chief Financial Officer
  • Department of Health & Human Services, Shakita LaGrant-McClain, Director,
  • Milwaukee County House of Correction, Chantell Jewell, Superintendent
  • Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Denita R. Ball, Chief Deputy

The meeting will be held on Zoom on August 16 from 3 to 5 p.m. Click here for meeting materials and to request a link. ASL interpreters will be provided. To request other accommodations, please email barbara.beckert@drwi.org by August 8.
From Preparation to Legalization:
Creating Cannabis Campaigns in the Midst of the
Youth Mental Health Crisis
Tuesday, August 16 & Wednesday, August 24
Join the Rescue Agency’s new complimentary webinar as they share their lessons learned from launching youth cannabis education campaigns in states across the country. Whether your state has already legalized cannabis or is preparing for legalization, you’ll leave with valuable research insights and messaging strategies for educating youth on the risk of using cannabis to prevent initiation of use.

Learning objectives include:
  • Understanding which teens are most susceptible and at increased risk for cannabis use
  • Avoiding common missteps in developing new cannabis prevention efforts in your community
  • Tailoring your communications to be credible and empathetic in the midst of the youth mental health crisis

Two sessions will be offered – at 12 noon on August 16 and an encore presentation at 12:30 p.m. on August 24.
Youth Trauma and Resilience in Contexts of Poverty
Wednesday, August 17
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.
Mental Health Emergency Center Community Open House
Wednesday, August 17
Join neighbors and community stakeholders at the Mental Health Emergency Center Open House for tours and information about the services that will be provided by Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services. The open house will be held Wednesday, August 17, from 4 to 6 p.m., at 1525 N. 12th St., Milwaukee. RSVPs are required at this link.
Wisconsin Peer Recovery Conference
Thursday, August 18 & Friday, August 19
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.
10 Tips to Reduce Conflict:
Practical Verbal De-Escalation Techniques
Tuesday, August 23
Community Advocates is offering a virtual De-Escalation Techniques training to teach participants how to defuse a situation and increase safety using verbal de-escalation techniques. This workshop is aimed toward individuals who encounter conflict in the workplace, at home, or in the community, whether you are a parent or educator, work in the helping professions, or otherwise work with the public in potentially tense situations.

Virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid
Friday, August 26
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.

Virtual QPR Question, Persuade, Refer Training
Wednesday, August 31
Community Advocates is offering QPR Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper workshops to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by providing innovative, practical, and proven suicide prevention training. The signs of crisis are all around us. We believe that quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background, to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know.

Community Advocates will offer this introductory session via Zoom. To register, click on the link below:

Public Health Law Summit 2022
Navigating the Fast-Changing Landscape of
Equity and Cannabis Law and Policy
September 13 & 14, Baltimore
There is a growing and intensified demand that long-standing social and structural barriers that drive health disparities among people of color, people with disabilities, low-income people, and people with less education be addressed. As pressure grows to confront and eradicate these barriers, there is also a call to reexamine other longstanding law and policy approaches, including the regulation of cannabis.

Join the Network for Public Health Law for this summit on the quickly changing landscape of law and policy in both health equity and cannabis, including the public health response to growing disparities that were exacerbated by the pandemic, and the broad spectrum of public health and policy issues that have surfaced as more states contemplate cannabis legalization. Get details here.
Resources
Updated Mental Health & Wellness Resource Guide
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.
Racial Equity Resource Library
Beginning in the summer of 2021, a workgroup of Region V Public Health Training Center partners and stakeholders from across the region began to gather and review resources for public health practitioners to conduct racial equity assessments, primarily at the organizational level but also at the individual level. The result is a resource library of racial equity resources, including assessment tools and guides, as well as other informational items of a variety of formats. Get it now.
CADCA’s Advocacy Toolkit
Advocacy can take many forms, from meeting with a legislator in Washington, DC, to attending a town hall in your local community, to sending an email to a legislative staffer. Everyone who wants to participate in advocacy can do so regardless of experience level or time constraints. Learn to get your issue on the policy radar screen so that you can make a difference in your community. This CADCA guide will teach you how to engage in advocacy for substance use prevention, but the principles covered can be applied to any advocacy effort at any level of government. Download it here.
Good Medicine Bundle
From Operation Prevention, use the wisdom of Native practices of wellness combined with the insights of modern science to help Native and non-Native students avoid the dangers of substance misuse. These hands-on, standards-aligned resources empower students to embrace positive and holistic health practices and gain an understanding of modern and historical Native approaches to wellness. Learn more at this link.
Family Resources
Take Action to Prevent Underage Alcohol Use
This data visualization from SAMHSA illustrates the steady decline of alcohol use amongst adolescents, informing parents/guardians and communities that taking action against underage drinking is effective. Download it here.
Johnny’s Ambassadors
Johnny’s Ambassadors is on a mission to educate teens, parents, and communities about the dangers of today’s high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide. The organization focuses on youth marijuana awareness, prevention, and education. Primarily, they share data-driven facts and clear messaging with teens and parents to reduce the likelihood they will use marijuana and stop progression to more problematic use. Donations primarily go to create free educational resources on their website for you to use and share. Their goals are to keep youth from using marijuana and increase their perception of harm in using.
Job Opportunities
Milwaukee Prevention Journal Readers -- do you have:

  • Job openings?
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  • News to share?
  • Suggestions?

Forward the information to Prevention@CommunityAdvocates.net. Thank you for your service to Milwaukee!
Community Advocates Public Policy Institute | 414-270-2950  | ppi.communityadvocates.net