Join the Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention (MCSAP) Coalition partners in shining a light on the value of living substance free during Light & Unite Red Week, March 26-April 1.

MCSAP partners throughout the county will be hosting no-cost virtual and in-person events to increase knowledge of substance misuse and mental health challenges; provide resources; offer substance-free, family-friendly activities; and teach self-care and wellness skills. Plus, local landmarks will light up red to show their support for community members who are improving their lives by remaining free of substance use and achieving wellness. Supporters are also asked to wear red on March 31 to show their care and concern for those living with substance use issues, as well as their loved ones.

"We’re excited to bring back Light & Unite Red Week to support the health and wellbeing of Milwaukee County residents after two years of coping with a stressful and isolating pandemic," said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski, MCSAP Chair. "A wide range of organizations are offering resources, workshops, and social events to provide diverse activities for youth, adults, and families. There’s something for everyone."

A full list of events can be found on MCSAP’s website and the Light Unite Red Facebook page or by scanning the QR code above. Highlights include:

Landmarks lighting up red include: City of Franklin Department of Public Works, City of Milwaukee Fire Stations, Community Advocates, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee Art Museum, Mitchell International Airport sign, We Energies building, and WCD Wells Street Tunnel.

"Beyond Light & Unite Red Week, we want everyone to know that resources, services, information, and allied community members are available every day of the year to those who need support," said Alexandria Kohn, MCSAP Coordinator. "We hope that Light & Unite Red Week encourages individuals and families to choose healthy, positive options that enable them to live their best lives. Those options are out there—just ask!"

On March 16, Governor Tony Evers signed three bills in La Crosse to help address substance use and overdose deaths in Wisconsin. Gov. Evers spoke about how substance misuse and overdose have greatly affected families and communities in Wisconsin, stating that alongside the struggles we face due to the pandemic, "fentanyl has (also) played a serious role in overdose deaths across the country." Gov. Evers hopes to overcome these challenges by investing in treatment and support needed by families who are struggling with substances and grieving due to overdose. Gov. Evers signed the following bills:

To read the State of Wisconsin press release on Gov. Evers' addressing substance use and overdose deaths, click here.

The Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Board is looking for applicants to expand child sexual abuse prevention services in Wisconsin by building best practices, implementing trainings and technical assistance strategies, and more. For more information on this grant, click here for the inquiry packet. The deadline to apply is April 18. To find out more about open grants provided by The Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Board, click here.

Familia Dental and NWS Community Development Corp. are partnering with Incarnation Lutheran Church to provide a free dental clinic for those ages 20 and under. They will be offering services such as dental exams, cleanings and sealants. In order to receive those services you must reserve an appointment and have a consent form signed if you are not an adult. The free dental clinic will be held on Tuesday, March 29, from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Incarnation Lutheran Church, 1510 W. Keefe Ave., Milwaukee. Click here to reserve an appointment. 

Owen’s Place will be hosting a Grab & Go as part of their Light & Unite Red week initiative. The Grab & Go event will include information on available programs and community resources, Light & Unite Red prevention materials, books, journals, snacks, gun locks, pill disposal kits and other items that help promote awareness toward substance abuse. The event will be held on Wednesday, March 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Owen’s Place located at 4610 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., Milwaukee.

Join Mindful Gratitude & Community Advocates in a Mindful Gratitude Workshop to support mental & Emotional wellbeing! Challenges at work, home, in relationships, and in society can leave us feeling sad, hurt, disconnected, frustrated, or even angry. Research shows that mindfulness and gratitude can help us cope with difficulties and improve mental, emotional, and physical health. The Mindful Gratitude workshop will be held on Thursday, March 31, from 6 to 7 p.m. To register, click here. This workshop is open to those who live or work in Milwaukee County. Registration is required.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is offering a free eight-session evidence-based series on specific mental health conditions. The NAMI Family-to-Family classes plan to educate family, friends and significant others of adults with mental health conditions. This series will be held every Wednesday, from April 13 to June 1 at Redeemer Lutheran Church 631 N. 19th St. Wauwatosa. For registration or questions, contact Susan Schoenmarklin at sschoenmarklin@namisoutheastwi.org or (414) 344-0477.

Health Resources in Action is presenting a workshop sponsored by Alliance for Wisconsin Youth and Community Advocates Public Policy Institute that will discuss drug-related stigma at the community, individual, and structural level. You will be given tools to learn how to examine personal biases and challenge drug-related stigma at the interpersonal level. The workshop will be held via Zoom on Monday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you are interested in registering, email Hannah Lepper at hlepper@communityadvocates.net.

Lunch N Learn is an interactive meeting that focuses on ending the youth vaping epidemic by highlighting the American Heart Association’s Tobacco-Free Schools Toolkit and the American Lung Association’s signature programs INDEPTH, alternative to suspension program, and Not On Tobacco, youth cessation program. In this meeting there will be program facilitators from Wisconsin INDEPTH and Not On Tobacco who will be sharing their experiences with the programs at their schools. If you are interested, click here to register.

Share Collaborative will be hosting a two-session professional development training on Motivational Interviewing from a trauma-informed, culturally reverent lens. You will learn when, how and why to apply Motivational Interviewing in your role, simple tools for ongoing learning as well as Motivational Interviewing communication skills to empower behavior change. This training is for all human service professionals and leaders. The first session will be held on Thursday, April 28, at 8:30 a.m. To register, click here.

The Center for Black Health & Equity will be hosting a media literacy training for all public health officials, community organizers and the community as a whole to fight misinformation on social media. This is a truth check training that will teach you how to truth check timelines to avoid spreading misinformation on social media. The training is free and self-paced. If you are interested in this resource, click here.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Center for START Services are looking to assess Wisconsin’s community system of care by addressing the needs of individuals with co-occurring Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and mental health conditions. If you are interested in providing feedback on Wisconsin’s system of care, click here to take the survey.

National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week is coming up this month, March 21-March 27. The Prescription Drug Safety Network’s initiative is offering free digital lessons for high school students. These interactive lessons will help inform students about the risks of prescription drug abuse and misuse by discussing how to read and understand prescription labels, including caution or risk statements, the brain science of addiction, personal stories and more. Teachers and counselors are encouraged to use these resources for their students. For access to these digital lessons, click here.

Children’s Wisconsin has officially opened the new Craig Yabuki Mental Health Walk-in Clinic, which will offer care for kids between the ages of 5 and 18 experiencing a mental health crisis. The clinic provides licensed therapists, social workers and clinic assistants who will see patients from 3 to 9:30 p.m. The clinic will provide temporary support for children and families in a mental health emergency. You can find more information on Children’s Wisconsin mental health clinic here.

The Feelings Thermometer is a visual tool that helps you (kids and adults) measure how you are doing emotionally and what steps you can take to shift your mood when ​things are getting tough. From the Office of Children's Mental Health, it's available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and many other languages. You can download it here.