Join us March 22-28 for Light & Unite Red Week to promote healthy, drug- and alcohol-free living and support our community members who are improving their lives by remaining free of substance use and achieving holistic wellness.

Coinciding with National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week, from March 22-28, Light & Unite Red will host various virtual events and spotlight resources available to those in need.

All community members are welcome to participate in virtual events happening during Light & Unite Red week, March 22 - 28. Click here to learn more.

Download the report here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the Fiscal Year 2021 CARA Local Drug Crises Grants. The purpose of these grants is to prevent opioid, methamphetamine and/or prescription drug use/misuse among youth ages 12-18 in communities throughout the U.S. Current and former DFC recipients are eligible to apply. View a recording of the virtual training session with more details on the program.

The Biden Administration will provide nearly $2.5 billion in funding to states and territories to address the nation’s mental illness and addiction crisis, which has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will direct $1.65 billion in Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funding and $825 million in Community Mental Health Services Block Grant funding to states and territories. Get details at this link.

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. Registration will be open soon. Click here for details.

Please join the American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) and the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) for a webinar on proposed reforms to the United States child welfare system. Tom Keckskemethy of AAPSS will join Lonnie Berger and Kristen Slack of IRP to host the webinar. The discussion will focus on the possibility of different approaches to child maltreatment prevention and intervention—solutions that would significantly shrink the role of child welfare systems, which, as currently organized, are almost exclusively reactive rather than proactive. The webinar will be held on March 23 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register here.

Since the pandemic lockdowns began in March 2020, off-premise alcohol sales have risen dramatically in U.S. cities. During this same period, police departments are reporting increases in domestic violence, homicides, and aggravated assaults. Studies show that more violent crimes are committed in areas with a higher concentration of alcohol outlets (places that sell alcohol for consumption on-site or for takeaway). Fortunately, there’s a local policy solution: Many cities have the power to regulate alcohol outlets through zoning regulations, licensing, and nuisance laws, which can provide powerful tools to reduce excessive alcohol use and prevent violent crime. In this webinar, hear experts discuss CityHealth’s new report on safer alcohol sales, including a menu of policy options available for cities with varying degrees of local control. Learn how cities are working to reduce violent crime through regulating alcohol sales while improving the health and well-being of residents. This webinar will be held at 12 noon on March 24. RSVP here.

27th Street West Drug Free Coalition will be hosting a virtual professional skills summit and job fair for teens. This event furthers the coalition’s mission to create alcohol and drug-free communities by encouraging youth to explore more meaningful and productive ways to spend their summer and by preparing them for the professional world through career development workshops. On March 24, attendees will learn how to dress professionally without sacrificing style and personality and hear from Sisters in the Brotherhood talk about union work and drugs on the job. On March 25, teens will learn how to write a resume for first-time applicants and take part in on-the-spot job interviews. Register to attend on March 24 here and on March 25 here. This event is part of Light & Unite Red Week.

For services to be effective, helping organizations must figure out how to provide their expertise in a way that does not inadvertently re-traumatize people receiving support. This problem is especially acute when providing services to marginalized populations. This class helps learners conceptualize the nature of this problem and offers strategies for how workers, their facilities, and the larger organization can minimize exposure to triggers for re-traumatization in the course of their programming. This online training from the Training Institute will be held from 8:45 to 11 a.m. on March 25. Register here.

Vivent Health is offering a free online Narcan training for individuals who work or reside in Milwaukee County. This course provides information about the opioid epidemic and how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose. It includes practical, step-by-step guidance for performing rescue breathing and administering Narcan (naloxone). All participants will receive a supply of Narcan Nasal Spray and a certificate of training. This event will be held at 4 p.m. on March 25 and is part of Light & Unite Red Week. Sign up at this link.

The Great Lakes PTTC offers this training for prevention practitioners in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. This is the first in a series of two webinars exploring the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on the prevention of substance misuse and substance use disorders. Prevention professionals will consider how to apply this understanding to prevention efforts from assessment to the implementation of prevention interventions. This webinar will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on March 25. Get details and register here.

Community Alliance Coalition and Rogers Behavioral Health are making Wake-up Call VIRTUAL. Wake-Up Call is a life-size exhibit of a teen’s bedroom with more than 20 “red flags” that can signal drug or alcohol use. The bedroom identifies spots where teens may hide drugs, household items that can be used as drug paraphernalia and ways teens try to cover up drug and alcohol use. In addition to the bedroom tour, attendees will get an update on emerging drug trends in the Wisconsin area. After the webinar, each attendee will receive a hard copy of the Wake-up Call Parent Handbook with a ton of great resources and information! This event will be held on Zoom from 6 to 7 p.m. on March 25. RSVP here.

MCSAP will host a virtual escape room experience for adults to find "Sneaky Stashers" along with a mocktail segment hosted by Erik Kennedy and Sarah Hofman, who have been featured on OnMilwaukee.com. The first five people to sign up will receive the supplies for the mocktail. This event will be held on March 26 at 6 p.m. and is part of Light & Unite Red Week. Sign up at this link.

The House of Kings and Priests, Inc. is hosting a virtual event for parents and guardians. They will have the opportunity to go through a mock bedroom to be educated on where their youth might hide alcohol and drugs. Additionally, they will have an opportunity to ask a panel questions about what they saw in the room. To join the Zoom event at 10 a.m. on March 27, please visit bit.ly/hokpHIDD. To learn more, use this link.

The House of Kings and Priests, Inc. will host a Grab n’ Go event on Saturday March 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Grace Fellowship Church parking lot (3879 N. Port Washington Rd). Free grab bags are available while supplies last and include PPE supplies, personal journals, and more. One bag will be provided per person.

This class examines how the brain reacts to crises and what verbal and nonverbal communication is helpful in guiding the other person quickly back to their “thinking brain” so that both parties can collaborate on what to do next. We guide participants through the “Six A’s” of de-escalation, Assessing, Approaching, Asking, presenting Alternatives, Allying, and Appreciating the person. This online webinar from the Training Institute will be held from 12:45 to 3 p.m. on March 29. Register here.

The Great Lakes PTTC offers this training for prevention practitioners in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI. This is the second in a series of two webinars exploring the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on the prevention of substance misuse and substance use disorders. Prevention professionals will consider how to apply this understanding to prevention efforts from assessment to the implementation of prevention interventions. This webinar will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on March 31. Get details and register 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. Get details and register at this link.

From the state Office of Children’s Mental Health, this two-page fact sheet explains why and how growing up in poverty is detrimental to a child’s overall well-being. Download it here.

The 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA) is a comprehensive assessment of the threat posed to the United States by the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs, the diversion and abuse of licit drugs, and the laundering of proceeds generated through illicit drug sales. It also addresses the role domestic groups, including organized violent gangs, serve in domestic drug trafficking. Download the PDF at this link.