Community Advocates Public Policy Institute loves taking on big challenges. We were created to address the root causes of poverty so that we could end poverty for good.

Currently in our tenth year, we are making strides in addressing poverty by preventing some of the conditions that create it—namely, substance abuse and lack of support for our community’s disadvantaged young people—by creating the conditions that allow youth and families to thrive. We do so by enhancing the skills of our local human services professionals; promoting public awareness of the harms of substance abuse; providing community members with easy ways to reduce access to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco; and encouraging our youth to live substance-free lives.

"Although we’ve taken on a big, community-wide challenge, we're always focused on how our programs and partners are impacting the daily lives of individuals," said Public Policy Institute Deputy Director Kari Lerch. "We see results when our partners have breakthroughs with the youth they serve, when policy makers tackle substance abuse and misuse in a thoughtful way, or when we increasingly expect to live in a healthy, equitable community that welcomes and provides opportunities for individuals and families from all walks of life."

Learn More:

Young leaders from Neu-Life Community Development’s FACT group, Wisconsin’s youth tobacco prevention program, met with Representative Christine Sinicki during a legislative breakfast on Saturday, November 17, at Employ Milwaukee. Maya Randolph (left) and Destiny Yarbrough (center) shared a video they created that highlights how tobacco companies target youth with fruit- and candy-flavored products, especially in Milwaukee’s Central City. Both youth have also participated in Wisconsin Wins, a program in which teens try to purchase tobacco or nicotine products to make sure stores check ID and don’t sell to minors. In 2017, nearly one in five stores sold to underage youth during checks conducted across the city, but the number was even higher – 1 in 3 – in the 53207 zip code. For more on FACT check out FACTmovement.org, and for more information on how stores can complete a free training to prevent sales to youth, go to witobaccocheck.org . 

As Community Advocates Public Policy Institute begins a new year, we do so without our Prevention Services Manager Elysse Chay, whose time with us ended in the final days of 2018. Elysse played a key role in the growth and strength of our prevention team and she was an upbeat, knowledgeable colleague with a passion for helping others, especially young people. We wish her well in 2019 and beyond. 

Registration is open for Mental Health America’s 2019 Annual Conference,  Dueling Diagnoses: Mental Health and Chronic Conditions in Children and Adults , in Washington, D.C . Register early   and receive $50 off with early bird pricing and enjoy a discounted rate with MHA's hotel room block at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Their discounted hotel room rate ends May 20 .

Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee will use the Future Search strategy tool to develop an optimal vision for SWiM and its impact. The Monday session will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Marquette University Alumni Memorial Union, Monaghan Ballroom, 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave. The Tuesday session will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bader Philanthropies, 3300 N. MLK Drive, Milwaukee. RSVP here.

This free 12-session program is for family, partners, friends, and loved ones of adults living with mental illness. It’s taught by family members of a loved one living with mental illness. The sessions will be held on Thursdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. from January 10 through March 28 at NAMI Greater Milwaukee, 3200 S. Third St., Unit 6, Milwaukee. Register by calling 414-344-0447 or emailing [email protected].

This free Teen Wellness Circle helps teenagers learn how to deal with stressors of everyday life, reduce their stress, and take concrete steps toward more wellness. The circle meets for six Thursdays, from January 10 through February 14, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Samaritan Family Wellness Offices at Bayshore Town Center, 500 W. Silver Spring Drive, #K270 (offices above Qdoba). Sponsored by REDgen, The Teen Compass, and Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation. Register at this link.

Elmbrook Schools present a visit from David and Nic Sheff, whose dual memoirs were the source material for the acclaimed film  Beautiful Boy , starring Steve Carrell and Timothée Chalamet. David, author of  Beautiful Boy , and Nic, author of  Tweak , have written High: Everything You Want to Know about Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction , the ultimate resource for learning about the realities of drugs and alcohol for middle grade readers. While children are welcome at this event, the talk will be targeted to parents, educators, and mental health professionals. This event is cosponsored by Your Choice , offering alcohol and drug prevention education, intervention, and support, with REDgen , which promotes balance and resiliency in the lives of children and teens. Cosponsor Boswell Book Company will be selling their books. This free event will be held at Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 19805 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield, at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 11. Doors open at 6 p.m. Registration is required here .

This no-cost six-week supportive community is a welcoming space for parents of children of any age. Learn from your peers, share experiences, and take active steps toward intentional parenting. The Parent Wellness Circle meets Tuesdays from January 15 through February 19, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. at Bay Shore Lutheran Church, 1200 E. Hampton, Whitefish Bay. Bring a lunch! Sponsored by REDgen, Parent Wellness Compass, and Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation. Register here.

Bystander Intervention training will focus on ways to intervene in public instances of racist, sexist, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, anti-Trans, and other forms of oppressive interpersonal violence and harassment while considering the safety of all parties. This workshop includes a learning segment of tips and strategies, how to document, knowing your rights as an intervener, and practice scenarios constructed on ways to show up and support a diversity of identities through an intersectional lens, both as the intervener and the person experiencing harm. It will be held at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, 225 W. Vine St., Milwaukee, from 2 to 4 p.m. on January 28. Register here .

Learn how mental health and substance abuse risk connect at this January 30 wellness event sponsored by Community Alliance: Hales Corners and Greendale Communities , the Hales Corners Health Department, and Greendale Schools. A wellness resource fair featuring local vendors offering a wide variety of wellness services and resources will be offered from 5:45 to 7 p.m. A speaker panel (speakers to be announced soon) is scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Greendale's 8th grade health advocacy projects will also be on display. Adults and youth ages 12 and up are encouraged to attend. It will be held at Greendale High School, 6801 Southway, Greendale. Learn more on Facebook or call 414-423-2110.

PSGM is launching a quarterly book club to read and discuss books relevant to mental health and suicide. Their first book is the play Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan, which will be performed by the Milwaukee Rep April 12-28. ( Tickets here.) The book club will meet on Monday, February 11, from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. at the Milwaukee Public Library Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. RSVP by emailing Dr. Bob DuBois at [email protected]. PSGM is conducting QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training for The Milwaukee Rep staff and volunteers in early January.

On December 12, 2018, the Evidence-Based Health Policy Project held a Capitol Briefing on strategies to prevent suicide among youth and young adults in Wisconsin. You can watch the entire briefing on Wisconsin Eye’s website .

UBUNTU Research and Evaluation, in partnership with United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, is conducting an evaluation of the One Key Question protocol, a method of improving healthy birth outcomes particularly for communities of color. The data collected from this survey will be used to inform community stakeholders about approaches to support healthy and informed choices about pregnancy and birth. The survey is open to all women and men of reproductive age. The five-minute online survey is available here.

The African American Breastfeeding Network  (AABN) is looking for space available on the north side of Milwaukee to accommodate an office for two people (sharing an office with two desks and a bookshelf) and room for a little storage, and occasional access to a meeting room to have gatherings with approximately 10 people. The closer to the Parklawn YMCA, the better, since current program participants have already learned to navigate to that location, but that is not a crucial factor. They are currently funded, but have not budgeted to pay rent through the next year, due to their previous arrangement. Contact Shanice Baquet  or Dalvery Blackwell  if you can help.