Save the date for Power in Prevention, a two-day intensive regional training to network, gain information, and learn strategies to prevent substance use/abuse in your community. Sponsored by the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth and the Northeastern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, this training is targeted toward prevention coalition coordinators and members, public health experts, law enforcement, health care professionals, and government representatives.

The keynote speaker is Kris Archie, executive director of The Circle, a vaping podcast will be recorded, and ComedySportz will perform. Breakout sessions will cover Strategic Prevention Framework 101, plus trauma, drug-endangered children, Wisconsin's alcohol culture, the CBD phenomenon, the connection between suicide and substance abuse, fundraising for coalitions, youth engagement, and much more.

"Power in Prevention is a great way to learn the most up-to-date information on trends, resources, and activities to create even more impact in our communities," said Kari Lerch, Deputy Director of Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, which coordinates the Southeastern Region of the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth. "It’s also a good way to learn from each other and get inspired."

Power in Prevention will be held Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26, at the Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Northwest Conference Center, 11600 W. Park Place, Milwaukee. Cost is $100 to attend; hotel room is $90 per night. Registration will open soon at this link.

Childhood lead poisoning is far too common in Milwaukee, and it has powerfully negative lifetime effects on health. Describing "what needs to be done" to prevent childhood lead exposures is relatively simple, but doing what needs to be done is not easy, writes Geoffrey R. Swain, MD, MPH, the former medical director for the City of Milwaukee Health Department.

Dr. Swain writes on the Public Policy Institute’s blog: "It’s not easy in large part because of key tensions related to the huge costs involved, to prioritizing lead-in-paint vs lead-in-water, to focusing on rental units vs owner-occupied units, and to prioritizing primary prevention (before lead poisoning occurs) vs secondary prevention (after a child already has elevated blood lead levels). 

"These tensions, however, can be managed. We should not let arguments over smaller details keep us from the bigger picture: There is a path forward to prevent Milwaukee kids from getting lead poisoned. We all need to step up and assure that key financial investments and policy changes are made so that all Milwaukee kids can have a safe, healthy, and lead-free future."

Read more on our blog >>

Last week, Anneke Mohr, Coordinator of the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance, co-presented a webinar on LGBTQ+ disparities in tobacco use with Dr. Scout, Deputy Director of the National LGBT Cancer Network and the principal investigator of the CDC-funded LGBTQ tobacco-related cancer disparity network. You can check out the webinar at the video below.

The Parenting Network is offering a slate of programs around Milwaukee County to help parents learn skills to raise healthy, happy kids and develop positive relationships with them. 

TPN is sponsoring a variety of Positive Parenting Programs at Urban Ecology Center-Washington Park, Milwaukee Public Library-Tippecanoe Branch, Oak Creek Library, South Milwaukee/St. Francis Schools, Milwaukee Public Library-Bay View Branch, and Milwaukee Public Library-Zablocki Branch. Download this flyer for details.

Triple P Parenting classes are being offered at Sojourner Family Peace Center/Beyond Abuse, 619 W. Walnut St., Milwaukee, on eight Wednesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The classes began in January but the next sessions will be held February 5, 12, 19, and March 11. Register by calling the Parent Helpline at 414-671-0566. Fee is $30. Check out the flyer for details.

RELAX: Alternatives to Anger aims to increase parents’ understanding of anger and provide strategies for constructively managing it. RELAX will be held on Mondays, March 2 through May 4, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at The Parenting Network, 7516 W. Burleigh St., Milwaukee. Cost is $100/person, $150/couple. Call the Parent Helpline at 414-671-0566 to register. See the flyer for more details.

Strengthening Families 2020 will help parents and youth ages 10-14 reconnect and work through issues in a positive way. Each session begins with a family meal. The class meets seven Thursdays through March 12 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. (The first session was January 23). This free program is held at Greenfield Middle School, 3200 W. Barnard Ave., Greenfield. Call the Parent Helpline at 414-671-0566 to register. Download the flyer here.

To mark the 10th anniversary of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, this year’s theme is Outrage into Action. Break the Cycle has resources and a toolkit for getting involved this month.

Mind, Body & Soul Dancers are offering 10 weeks of free line dance classes for dancers at all levels of experience, including beginners. Line dancing is a great way to get fit, have fun, and de-stress. Classes will be held at two COA Youth & Family Centers locations: Riverwest Center (909 E. Garfield Ave.) and Goldin Center (2320 W. Burleigh St.). Click on the flyers for details.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), is accepting applications for fiscal year 2020 Grants to Implement the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The purpose of this program is to support states and communities in advancing efforts to prevent suicide and suicide attempts among adults age 25 and older in order to reduce the overall suicide rate and number of suicides in the U.S. nationally. Addressing suicide prevention among adults is imperative to decreasing the nation’s suicide rate. Details here.

The 33rd Annual Greg and Mary Ann Renz Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, organized by Children’s Wisconsin and Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin, will be held at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. The conference is scheduled for April 21 and 22, with a Seminar Day on April 23. Keynote speakers are Cori Jewel Jensen on sex offenders and Lt. Joe Laramie (ret.). The full-day trainings on April 23 are "Understanding the Impact and Risks for Children Living with Domestic Violence" and "Hot Topics in Forensic Interviewing." Details and registration can be found here.

The state Office of Children’s Mental Health will present their 2019 annual report to the State Legislature from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4, at the State Capitol Room 201SE. The office will also release a new fact sheet on supporting child well-being through healthy use of screen time The report will be posted on the office's website after the briefing.

"Home to Stay" is a resource fair-styled event designed to convene community resources and employment opportunities in one location on a monthly basis to support the needs of the reentry and justice-involved community. Resources will be available for on-the-spot services, as well as the opportunity to schedule future appointments. It’s organized by the Milwaukee Community Justice Council and the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Community Advocates Public Policy Institute will be there. Home to Stay will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5, at The Community Warehouse-Partners in Hope Program, 324 W. North Ave., Milwaukee. All are welcome. Bring a friend! 

Presented by the State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Division’s Project Street Youth, attorneys will be available every Wednesday in February at Pathfinders for free consultation about legal issues facing homeless and transitional youth. Bring important documentation with you. The clinics will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on February 5, 12, 19, and 26 at Pathfinders, 4200 N. Holton St., Milwaukee. 

Unidas con Fuerza offers emotional support and education regarding trauma for teen girls ages 13 through 17. It will meet on Monday, February 17, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at UMOS Latina Resource Center , 2701 S. Chase Ave., Milwaukee. For details, contact Yissel Sanchez at 414-389-6514.

Unidas con Fuerza ofrece apoyo emocional y educacion en trauma. Para muchachas adolecentes entre las edades de 13 y 17 a os. ¿Cuando comienza? Lunes 17 de febrero, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., en UMOS Latina Resource Center , 2701 S. Chase Ave., Milwaukee. Para mas informacion, favor de llamar a Yissel Sanchez al 414-389-6514.

Community Advocates Public Policy Institute and the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention are offering this no-cost training on engaging youth in prevention programming. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, and Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education, 5075 N. Sherman Blvd., Milwaukee. This training is free thanks to a ReCast MKE grant from the Office of Violence Prevention. Register here.

On Thursday, February 20, a Place of Last Drink users meeting will be held at UW-Madison Law School. The meeting is a one-day discussion of the success, challenges, and the future of Place of Last Drink (POLD) compilations in Wisconsin to help identify patterns of over-serving.

There is no registration fee, but attendance is limited to those preparing or conducting a POLD compilation. Contact Julia Sherman, Project Coordinator of the Alcohol Policy Project , at [email protected] to attend. If your community is considering a POLD compilation and would like materials to help frame your conversation, Julia will provide them by emailed reply. If you know of a POLD project, please contact Julia with the names and communities of individuals (including yourself) who could benefit from the POLD users meeting in February. 

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders. This no-cost training is provided by Community Advocates Public Policy Institute thanks to a ReCast MKE grant from the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, February 24, at The Kellogg PEAK Initiative, 2480 W. Cherry St., Milwaukee. Registration is required here.

The QPR mission is 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. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer, the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. This no-cost training is provided by Community Advocates Public Policy Institute thanks to a ReCast MKE grant from the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, February 28, at Urban Underground (Employ Milwaukee Building), 2342 N. 27 ^th St., Milwaukee. Register here.

The Power of Hope is a two-day seminar which will include trainings on the Soul, Science and Culture of Hope, as well as details on the implementation of this trauma-focused approach to working with children and families. It will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 12 and 13 at the Holiday Inn Manitowoc, 4601 Calumet Ave., Manitowoc. Cost is $125. Get details and register here .

Disability Advocacy Day is designed to connect people with disabilities and their allies with their legislators to talk about issues that affect people with disabilities in their everyday lives. It’s organized by the Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations and will begin with a briefing at Monona Terrace in Madison before a rally and legislative visits at the state Capitol. Registration is required. Cost is $10 with a $10 optional lunch. Click here for details and to register. 

Join this webinar to learn more about objectives in the new state plan to reduce the burden of tobacco by addressing disparities, prevention, treatment, and secondhand smoke. Also, learn how you can help! The webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 5, from 10 to 11 a.m. Click here to register to attend.

Fathers play an important role in children's health and development. Fathers' own health and health behavior influences the well-being of their children and partners as well as fathers themselves. The webinar will address the experiences of fathers in prenatal and pediatric care settings, and identify strategies for providers to engage expectant and new fathers, as well as address strategies for promoting fathers' own physical and mental health, and supporting fathers to model positive health behaviors for their children. It’s offered by the UW-Madison Institute for Research on Poverty and the Wisconsin Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Board and will be held from 1-2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19. Register here .

The City of Milwaukee is accepting applications for its Earn & Learn Summer Youth Internship Program for youth ages 16 to 19. Interns earn $11.52 an hour and work 20 hours a week for eight weeks. Click here for details and to apply. 

VITA Free Tax Preparation Assistance is offered at three Social Development Commission sites and the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Volunteer Center (Homestead only) through April 15 for those earning up to $58,000. Schedule your appointment by visiting sdc.cascheduler.com or calling 414-206-2262 or 2-1-1. Check the flyer for details. 

The HOPES Award is presented annually at the Prevent Suicide Wisconsin Conference to an individual or organization who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to suicide prevention. The award gets its name from HOPES-Helping Others Prevent and Educate About Suicide, an organization of suicide loss survivors which set the standard for such dedication through their leadership of Wisconsin suicide prevention efforts over a 19-year period. Nominations are due March 13. Get details here.

The Congressional Black Caucus prepared this report on the growing rates of suicide among Black youth and potential policy solutions. Download it here.

WUWM’s Race & Ethnicity Reporter Teran Powell is seeking input on a series she’s putting together on the impact of trauma in Milwaukee. She wants to know what questions you have about trauma to inform her reporting. Submit your questions about trauma at this link. 

The 10th Annual PSW Conference will offer exhibit tables located in the main plenary room, which will allow maximum contact with conference participants. Exhibit hours are Wednesday, April 29, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Around 300 attendees are expected. Click here to learn more.