It isn't easy to talk about suicide. It’s difficult to know the right words to say to someone who is hurting and those left behind.

Fortunately, many organizations are working to reduce the stigma associated with suicide, support individuals in crisis who need help, and provide resources to allies. Their efforts are culminating this month in Suicide Prevention Month (September), Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) and Suicide Prevention Week (September 9-15).

"Many people feel apprehensive about learning about suicide prevention because it’s such an emotional topic," says Elysse Chay, PPI Prevention Services Manager. "But we encourage everyone to learn how to talk to someone who is living with mental health challenges to reduce the chance that suicide is an option."

Chay suggests learning more about the signs and symptoms of suicide, as well as the resources available to those who are struggling with their mental health.

"Oftentimes people want to cover up the fact that they are hurting, but a perceptive ally who isn’t afraid to reach out can prevent a mental health challenge from turning into a mental health crisis," Chay said.

Chay recommended seeking out information from these resources and participating in the many local suicide prevention events in September. 

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Chill on the Hill, one of Milwaukee’s most beloved outdoor concert series, is celebrating three years as a smoke-free event, including both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Over the years, the  Bay View Neighborhood Association realized its number-one complaint was the presence of smoke during the concert, located at Humboldt Park’s band shell. So, its board members listened to the concert-goers and decided to make the series smoke-free.

“If it makes a cloud, it’s not allowed,” says Board President Patty Pritchard Thompson in a  promotional video created by the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance to celebrate Chill on the Hill’s success.

"Milwaukee residents are enjoying more smoke-free events and outdoor spaces each year," says Anneke Mohr, coordinator for the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance . "These spaces benefit everyone by eliminating secondhand smoke exposure and providing a supportive space for those trying to quit smoking. We applaud the Bay View Neighborhood Association for listening to community concerns and creating a fun, family-friendly environment for everyone who attends Chill on the Hill."

The Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention (MCSAP) coalition provided resources and outreach at Washington Park Wednesdays on August 29 to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. Coalition members Deavon Collins of Partnerships for Success/MCSAP, Joyce Felker of The Parenting Network, Shea Halula of Starting Point, Jon Richards of Take Back My Meds MKE, and Patricia Ruiz-Cantu of the City of Milwaukee made the kids and adults who visited our table feel welcome and enlightened.

Members of youth-serving organizations that are part of the Milwaukee Brighter Futures Initiative recently spent an inspiring morning at the Milwaukee Friends Meetinghouse on the banks of the Milwaukee River in Cambridge Woods. There, amid the summer greenery, the youth workers shared their insights about their work and the progress they’re making in helping their youth reach their full potential.

More than a few "aha" moments popped up during the day. Led by PPI’s Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator Jeremy Triblett, even a high-energy icebreaker that had seemingly nothing to do with positive youth development became the catalyst for a candid conversation about teamwork, how "winners" treat their disadvantaged peers, and creating a strategic plan on the fly. Later, participants spent a thought-provoking working lunch developing plans for a youth-focused city.

MBFI organizations meet in these learning communities every other month to swap stories, support their peers, and generate new ideas for their work.

If you know first aid for physical emergencies, consider learning first aid for mental health emergencies. Youth Mental Health First Aid helps concerned adults learn the signs of mental health issues in young people so that they can get the appropriate help when they need it.

The Public Policy Institute is offering two full-day, free-of-charge sessions this autumn, on October 23 and November 13. All are welcome to attend. Register at this link.

Here’s an opportunity to share your ideas for preventing sexual violence. Your input can inform Wisconsin Department of Health Services plans for the CDC Rape Prevention and Education grant for years to come. The session will be held at Neighborhood House of Milwaukee, 2819 W. Richardson Place, Milwaukee, from 5:30 to 7: 30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26. Dinner will be provided at no cost, so please arrive at 5 p.m. to check in and enjoy the food. Questions? Contact Mariah Geiger at [email protected] or 608-266-2684. Register here. Additional sessions will be held in Eau Claire, Green Bay, and Madison.

The theme for the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative’s 2018 summit is "We Are Rising: Uplifting Our Community through Our Fathers." It’ll be held October 5 & 6 at Greater New Birth Christian Campus, 8237 W. Silver Spring Drive, Milwaukee. 

This summit on opioids and meth, sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will focus on collaborations between law enforcement, public health agencies, and prevention and treatment providers. The Summit will highlight the good work of our Wisconsin anti-drug coalitions and introduce best practices from around the country for protecting our most vulnerable neighbors. Attendees will have the option to select from over 40 programs as they work with other professionals to address this national epidemic. The summit will be held at Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee. Cost is $75. Register at this link.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is sponsoring three no-cost regional faith-based summits focusing on the opioid crisis for all faith-based groups, organizations, and individuals. The Milwaukee summit -- organized by the Southeast Wisconsin Region of the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth -- will be held on Monday, October 29, at the Tripoli Shrine Center, 3000 W. Wisconsin Ave. Click on this link for details and to register. Questions? Contact Southeast AWY Prevention Coordinator Jazzmyne Adams at [email protected]. 

Bob Forrest, Thelonious Monster frontman and cohost of Celebrity Rehab and Sober House, will talk about substance abuse and sobriety at this benefit for AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin’s Lifepoint Needle Exchange program. Also appearing will be Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy and a representative from ARCW. Suggested donation is $10 for Lifepoint. Forrest will appear at the Todd Wehr Auditorium, 1047 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 7. Sponsors are Don’t Die Wisconsin podcast and WMSE.

Don’t Die Wisconsin podcast and WMSE present this benefit for AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin’s Lifepoint Needle Exchange program. The evening includes performances by Liv Mueller, Celebrity Rehab and Sober House cohost and Thelonious Monster frontman Bob Forrest, and Xposed 4Heads, plus a silent auction and raffle drawings. Tickets are $10 at the door at Club Garibaldi, 2501 S. Superior St., Milwaukee. The event starts at 6:30 p.m.

The Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force invites you to their 2018 Forum, “The Future Starts Now.” Guest speakers will be Michael Joranger of SaintA, Tammy Scheidegger of Mount Mary University, and Mary Neubauer of the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force and the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board, plus voice of youth sharing their ideas about support and recovery. The forum will begin with a 12:30 to 1 p.m. registration, refreshments, and networking session before offering its program and presentation of the Fifth Annual Karen Avery Award from 1 to 5 p.m. This free-of-charge event will be held at Independence First, 540 S. First St., Milwaukee. Register here.

The state Department of Health Services is offering this unique opportunity for all municipal and county public health department employees, tribal health clinic staff, and substance abuse prevention coalition members to take part in a free-of-charge two-day training with top experts. The sessions, held at the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Wisconsin Dells, will feature experts from Evergreen Data and Frameworks Institute to learn about data visualization techniques to enhance your presentations and message framing to change the conversation on opioids. Get the details and register here.

What might happen if we addressed street prostitution as a public health issue, and not as a crime? Find out at the Benedict Center’s conference and luncheon on Wednesday, September 12, at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee. The morning conference (9-11 a.m.) is free of charge; individual tickets and tables for the luncheon are offered at varied prices. Click here for details and to register. 

FORGE , a national transgender anti-violence organization federally funded to provide training and technical assistance to victim service providers, is providing two free trainings this September:

The PSGM coalition partners will honor National Suicide Prevention Month at their quarterly meeting, to be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 14, at Independence First, 540 S. First St., Milwaukee. 

Learn more about Rogers Behavioral Health’s expansion in West Allis. Its Adolescent Recovery Program treats young people ages 12 to 17 who are struggling with substance abuse. Tour the new space, meet the team, and learn more about substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. Guests will also receive a box lunch from West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe. The open house will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rogers Memorial Hospital, 11101 W. Lincoln Ave., West Allis. Get details and register here.

Can you identify the signs of substance abuse in your teen’s room? You’ll learn how to spot red flags in this life-size exhibit of a teen’s bedroom at this Wake-Up Call presentation. This free presentation will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Monday, September 17, at Cudahy High School Auditorium, 4950 S. Lake Drive, Cudahy. A resource fair will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. This presentation is for adults 21 and over only; childcare is available. Sponsored by Your Choice Prevention Education, Rosecrance, Rogers Memorial Hospital, School District of Cudahy, and Partnerships for Success partner Cudahy Health Department. Register here.

This inaugural Rose Petranech Lecture presents Ben Austen speaking about his book High-Risers , which braids personal narratives, city politics, and national history to tell the timely and epic story of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green, America’s most iconic public housing project. It is an account told though the lives of residents who struggled to make a home for their families as powerful forces converged to accelerate the housing complex’s demise.  High-Risers  is a sweeping exploration of race, class, popular culture, and politics in modern America that brilliantly considers what went wrong in our nation’s effort to provide affordable housing to the poor and what we can learn from those mistakes. Cohosted by Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity at Boswell Book Co. , 2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee, at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 17.

With the theme “celebrating vaccine successes,” the City of Milwaukee Health Department invites health care professionals to learn about the latest childhood and adolescent recommendations and become better able to discuss vaccines with their patients. The symposium will be held on Thursday, September 20, from 4:30 to 8:45 p.m. at Four Points Sheraton, 5311 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee. Download the brochure here for details. Registration deadline is September 10. RSVP at this link.

Celebrate National Recovery Month by joining this fun, festive walk to support those impacted by substance use disorders. The walk will be held on Saturday, September 22, at the Alano Club, 1521 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee, with a block party to follow. Details here.

YWCA Southeast Wisconsin’s six-session Unlearning Racism: Tools for Action course is open for registration. The course uses facilitated dialog, activities, documentaries, and listening pairs to address the roots of racism, institutional racism, each individual’s role in racism, and how to take action. The fall sessions will be held on Tuesdays (September 25, October 9 & 23, November 6 & 20, and December 11) from 1 to 5 p.m. at YWCA Southeast Wisconsin, 1915 N. MLK Drive, Milwaukee. Sessions are also being offered in Racine. Please register at this link by September 18. 

Join this community conversation about how to better reach out to Milwaukee’s diverse communities and include all people with developmental disabilities and their families. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities, this event will be held at Independence First, 540 S. First St., Milwaukee, on Wednesday, September 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be served. Stick around after the event for a tour of Independence First. RSVP for this free event to [email protected] or 608-266-7826.

Circles of Support create a safe space for returning citizens to tell and share their stories so they can be successful in their reentry to the community. The Milwaukee Reentry Council is working with Project Return and its committed partners, Hephatha Lutheran Church, St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church, and the Dept. of Corrections, to create monthly Circles of Support to start in late October 2018. They are currently looking for volunteers to participate in these circles. The training session will be held on Tuesday, October 2, at Project Return, 2821 N. 4th St. Suite 223, Milwaukee, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. If you are interested please contact Wendel Hruska, Project Return, [email protected] or 414-374-8029 or Conor Williams, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, [email protected] or 262-442-4646.

The Public Policy Institute is launching a new quarterly e-newsletter in September to let our community know more about our policy, prevention, and training work so that we can improve our collaborations and partnerships. If you enjoy reading the Milwaukee Prevention Journal, you'll gain even more insights from our new e-newsletter.

Sign up here to receive the first issue of PPI Insights.

SAMHSA’s toolkit can help you celebrate and support those who are recovering from substance use disorders in September. This year’s theme is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community."