Thank you for your commitment to making Milwaukee a better place by investing in prevention efforts. Do you have:
Yours in prevention,
Elysse Chay
Prevention Services Manager
Community Advocates
Public Policy Institute
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Spotlight On:
Youth Mental Health First Aid
We routinely learn how to use first aid techniques in case of a medical emergency.
So why not learn how to use first aid techniques in case of a mental health emergency?
That's the focus of
Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings, which will be offered by Community Advocates Public Policy Institute's Elysse Chay and Jeremy Triblett.
The program likens the tools to CPR, but instead of helping someone having a heart attack, you're assisting an individual that may be experiencing a mental health crisis. The eight-hour course teaches enrollees to identify risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies to use in crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to get help and resources.
"People's experiences with mental health are valid," explained
Triblett, the Resource Coordinator for ReCAST MKE, the City of Milwaukee's healing initiative aimed to support youth that have experienced trauma and their families, in which the Public Policy Institute is a partner. "Mental health affects everyone. There shouldn't be a stigma around mental health or mental illness, because our brains are just like our bodies. If someone breaks their arm or if they have kidney disease, that's something we can accept, that's something we can talk about. We should respond the same way to mental health problems. Our brains should get the same kind of attention as our bodies do."
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Final Reminder:
Stay Strong MKE 2018
Don't delay! The Public Policy Institute has released a request for proposals for
Stay Strong MKE projects for 2018
. We anticipate funding 10 projects, with a total allocation of $250,000, that serve to prevent alcohol and other drug use and misuse among young people. Proposals are due by Monday, November 13, 2017, at 3 p.m., delivered in person to Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, 728 N. James Lovell Street, Milwaukee.
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Strong Baby Campaign
Targets Smoking
Community Advocates and the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance are happy to support the city's Strong Baby campaign, which launched a new phase focused on the importance of raising a strong baby in a smoke-free home. Second-hand smoke can raise the risk of premature births and sleep-related infant deaths.
"It's not just the mother, it's the grandmother, the aunts, it's the uncles. If there's a pregnant woman in your home, do them a big favor and take your cigarettes outside," said Mayor Tom Barrett at a news conference launching the initiative.
You'll see the Strong Baby campaign on bus shelters, online at strongbabymke.com, on Facebook, and in social media with the tag #StrongBaby.
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Journal Sentinel Focuses on Trauma-Informed Care for Youth
The
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has launched a
"Kids in Crisis" series exploring the many mental health challenges facing youth -- and what's being done to help them. In the
series' latest installment,
Shawna Cravillion, who provides trauma-focused therapy at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, sheds light on how correctly identifying the effects of trauma can transform a young person's care.
"Our kids are being misdiagnosed all throughout Milwaukee County with ADHD, bipolar, mood disorders," Cravillion told the
Journal Sentinel. "But really, these kids have the effects of trauma."
She emphasized the importance of
helping kids construct their "trauma narrative."
She told the paper, "These kids can say, 'Oh wait, I'm experiencing this because of the trauma I've endured, not because I'm a bad kid. I can now link my behavior to my trauma triggers.'"
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Rachel Schneider |
Panel Announced!
Income Insecurity Discussion
Featuring The Financial Diaries' Rachel Schneider
Wednesday, November 15
Schneider will appear with Earned Income Tax Credit expert Steve Holt and Community Advocates Chief Operating Officer Maudwella Kirkendoll. The panel will be moderated by the Public Policy Institute's Senior Policy Analyst, Julie Kerksick.
Steve Holt |
Maudwella Kirkendoll |
Julie Kerksick |
You may have caught Schneider's interview on
WUWM's Lake Effect in July, when she and Mitch Teich discussed how volatile a household's cash flow can be, even when its members are employed. That's because many workers, often overlooked in media reports and economic research, have their hours cut when work is slow, work on commission or tips, or have seasonal ebbs and flows in their incomes that often don't match their expenses.
We will provide a light refreshments at 11:30 a.m. before our expert panel discussion begins at noon through 1:30 p.m. Boswell Book Company will be on site to sell The Financial Diaries if you haven't have a chance to read it yet and would like Schneider to sign your copy.
The event will be held in the second-floor community room at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, 728 N. James Lovell Street, Milwaukee. It's free and open to the public but we request that you RSVP so that we can make appropriate plans for the afternoon.
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An Evening with
Peter Edelman
Not a Crime to Be Poor
Wednesday, November 29
Community Advocates Public Policy Institute invites you to meet author and advocate Peter Edelman at
Boswell Book Company on Wednesday, November 29, to discuss his latest book,
Not a Crime to be Poor: The Criminalization of Poverty in America (The New Press, 2017).
Since the Justice Department's report on Ferguson, Missouri, illuminated the modern-day debtors' prisons that were plaguing that community's poor, African American residents, a national dialogue has emerged about how poverty is criminalized by the practice of imposing exorbitant fines for minor crimes and then jailing those who cannot pay. In
Not a Crime to be Poor, Edelman shows how these problems are not concentrated only in Ferguson, but in fact affect people's lives across the nation.
"Low-income people are arrested for minor violations that are only annoyances for people with means but are disastrous for the poor and near poor because of the high fines and fees we now routinely impose," Edelman writes in
Not a Crime to be Poor
before observing, "Many debtors will carry debts to their deaths, often hounded by bill collectors and new prosecutions."
The Public Policy Institute is cosponsoring Edelman's Milwaukee appearance with
Boswell Book Company, where he will discuss and sign
Not a Crime to be Poor on Wednesday, November 29, at 7 p.m. Boswell is located at 2559 N. Downer Avenue, Milwaukee. The event is free and open to the public.
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Community Advocates
Public Policy Institute
10th Anniversary Celebration
April 26, 2018
Special Guest Richard Rothstein, Author of The Color of Law
On April 26, 2018, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute will celebrate our 10th anniversary with a special night at the Milwaukee Public Museum featuring keynote speaker Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America,
a finalist for the National Book Award in nonfiction. Local historian Reggie Jackson, Head Griot of America's Black Holocaust Museum, will also address the audience.
Guests will also enjoy private, after-hours access to the Milwaukee Public Museum's recently renovated Streets of Old Milwaukee, one of our city's treasures.
In addition, Rothstein will sign his book, which will be available for sale, and meet special guests that evening.
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Trauma-Informed
Group Facilitation Training
November 8, November 18, November 28
Milwaukee Brighter Futures Initiative staff who facilitate groups are invited to participate in this new trauma-informed training to be offered on November 8 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), November 18 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and November 28 (3 p.m. to 8 p.m.). Participants will examine the role that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) play in group dynamics and the facilitator's style; improve their message delivery; generate dynamic discussion and sharing; use storytelling and testimony to synthesize and deepen ideas; and more. The sessions will be held in the second floor community room at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, 728 N. James Lovell Street, Milwaukee.
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Youth Justice Milwaukee Meeting
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Community Advocates Public Policy Institute is hosting additional Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) gatekeeper trainings for those interested in learning how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis. The 90-minute sessions will be led by a certified trainer from
Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee on:
- Wednesday, November 15: 10:30 a.m. to noon; 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 6: 10:30 a.m. to noon; 1 to 2:30 p.m.
This QPR training is offered without charge to PPI's Brighter Futures/PHAT grantees, MCSAP coalition members, 53206 Drug-Free Community Coalition, Partnership for Success partners, City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance members, and Prevention Journal readers.
The location will be announced soon. This training may be difficult for those who have recently lost a loved one to suicide.
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MCSAP Coalition Meeting
Thursday, November 16
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Revamped
TakeBackMyMeds.com
Launches
The Take Back My Meds MKE coalition has launched a new website, which includes a map of the prescription drug drop boxes throughout Milwaukee County. The coalition also is seeking sponsors for drop boxes to be located in additional pharmacies. (Cost: $3,500 to $5,000 annually.) Fixed-site drop boxes, especially those located in pharmacies, are the most effective method for collecting unused medicine and keeping it out of the hands of the wrong people.
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Social and Emotional Learning for Staff and Leadership
Thursday, November 9
This year, Anchorage Youth Development Coalition (AYDC) engaged executive directors, managers, and frontline staff in a 10-month social and emotional intelligence leadership experience. This webinar, scheduled for 1 p.m. Central on Thursday, November 9, will provide an opportunity to learn about this approach, and take back ideas for supporting yourself, peers, and staff.
You can register for this Forum for Youth Investment-sponsored webinar here.
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Marijuana and Our Health:
What We Do and Don't Know
Tuesday, November 14
This Dialogue4Health webinar kicks off a new web series, "Understanding Marijuana: A Look at the Scientific Findings, History and Community Impact, and Equitable Health Opportunities," and seeks to provide a full understanding of marijuana's health impacts and societal consequences. The first session will take place at 12:30 p.m. Central on Tuesday, November 14; subsequent webinars will be held on marijuana and communities and marijuana and public health. There is no charge to participate. Register here.
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Opiates, Gangs and Culture Conference
Thursday, November 9
Sponsored by Why Gangs LLC, this day-long conference will feature national and local experts addressing the treatment of opioid addiction, drug trends, gangs, and how culture influences interactions. There will be a special focus on self-care for those caring for the community. Featured speakers include President of the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine Matthew Felgus, M.D., Maurice Horton of Why Gangs LLC, Bryan Kastelic of the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Kenneth Osborne of the Therapeutic Justice Initiative, Harold Gates of the Midwest Center for Cultural Competence, and African American men's wellness advocate Aaron Gabriel Perry.
The conference will be held on Thursday, November 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Gateway Technical College-Racine Campus Conference Center, 901 Pershing Drive, Racine. Fee is $100. To register, email
Dekorra Oaks LLC.
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Prostate Health Educational Symposium
Saturday, November 11
One in five black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. This symposium will provide up-to-date information and materials for men at risk and those already diagnosed. Information for wives, caregivers, and loved ones will also be offered. Plus, free prostate cancer screenings will be available on site. Sponsored by Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, the Prostate Health Education Network, and the Milwaukee Bucks, the event will be held at Pilgrim Rest, 3456 N. 38th Street, Milwaukee, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and includes breakfast. It's free and open to the public. Register online at
prostatehealthed.org/symp.
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Learning to Live Without
Lead in Your Life
Saturday, November 18
Does your home have lead pipes or lead-based paint? If so, attend this helpful event sponsored by Safe & Sound and COA Goldin Center in partnership with Hunger Task Force, the Milwaukee Health Department, Home Depot, and Aurora Health Care. Stop by COA Goldin, 2370 W. Burleigh Street, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 18, and learn how to get the lead out!
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Visioning Sessions
Tuesday, November 21 &
Tuesday, December 12
The Milwaukee County Office of African American Affairs is hosting visioning sessions facilitated by the Zeidler Center for Public Discussion. The November 21 session, to be held at Dineen Park Pavilion (6601 W. Vienna Avenue), will focus on social justice. The December 12 session, located at McGovern Park Senior Center (4500 W. Custer Avenue), will focus on Youth (Re)Engagement. Both are scheduled to run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Space is limited so registration is required.
Click on this link to register and get more information.
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Family-Friendly Guide to Services for Milwaukee County Special Needs Children and Youth and their Families
DRW will provide printed copies of the guide at no charge to families and to community organizations that serve Milwaukee youth and families, schools, clinics, churches, etc. Requests can be made at
drwi.org/familyguide.
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Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division Community Access to Recovery Services Overview
This brochure from Milwaukee County BHD focuses on the scope of its Community Access to Recovery Services (CARS), the community-based mental health and substance abuse system for adults and families in Milwaukee County.
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Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division Crisis Intervention Services
This document provides phone numbers and resources for those experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis. The crisis line is available 24.7 at 414-257-7222 (hearing impaired: 9-711).
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A Child's Perspective of a Traumatic Experience
"In the hands of every caring adult is the power to help change the story."
That's the message conveyed by this video produced by Sesame Street, which illustrates how children view traumatic experiences and the powerful role that can be played by a caring adult. This video contains sensitive material so please be considerate before sharing.
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation's latest KIDS COUNT report explores the intersection of children, opportunity, race, and immigration.
The report features updated data for the Race for Results Index, which measures how children are progressing on key milestones by race and ethnicity at the national and state levels. The report also explores the significant barriers facing children in immigrant families, the majority of whom are also children of color, and offers recommendations for helping children in these families secure the stability, economic resources and opportunities all of the nation's children need to thrive.
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Family Engagement in Title V Programs
In 2014 and 2015, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs conducted a survey about family engagement policies and practices in Title V maternal and child health and children and youth with special health care needs programs. The findings provide a snapshot of strategies to support meaningful family engagement, effective and innovative practices, and areas of need for improvement and technical assistance. Topics include creating a culture of family engagement, levels of family engagement, roles of family staff or consultants, and more.
You'll find the report and case studies here.
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City of Milwaukee
Equal Rights Commission
Annual Equality Awards
The
City of Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission (ERC) is seeking nominations for the 2017 Annual Equality Awards recognizing a community organization, individual and business for their exemplary social and moral responsibility, dedicated leadership, and outstanding achievement in eliminating or eradicating discrimination while advancing human rights for all residents.
The awards will recognize honorees in three categories:
Equality Award for Community Organizations:
This award recognizes exemplary community organizations and programs that promote human and civil rights for all people and have made advancements in improving the lives of citizens in the City of Milwaukee.
Eq
uality Award for Individuals:
This award recognizes individuals whose leadership, community organizing and/or devotion has advanced the fight for equity in the City of Milwaukee.
Equality Award for Businesses:
This award recognizes Milwaukee businesses that go above and beyond in promoting fair and diverse hiring processes and creating open and affirming work environments for all employees.
Nominations should be emailed to
Jessica Langill no later than Monday, November 13. Please include the name and contact information of the nominee along with a description (500 words or less) of how they have contributed to advancing human rights for residents in the City of Milwaukee. Submissions will be narrowed down by the review committee and voted on by Commissioners at the next ERC meeting. Award recipients will be notified by Friday, November 24.
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Prevent Suicide Wisconsin
Prevent Suicide Wisconsin
is seeking applications for breakout sessions and a panel on lived experience for their 2018 suicide prevention conference, to be held at the Kalahari Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, on April 13, 2018.
Call for Presentations: Prevent Suicide Wisconsin and the Conference Planning Committee are accepting proposals for 75-minute workshops for the 2018 suicide prevention conference. Proposals that align with the track objectives, demonstrate evidenced-based practices, include resilience principles and practices, enhance practical skills, support recovery, as well as those that energize people, are invited to apply. Session proposal deadline: December 8, 2017.
Learn more here.
Lived Experience Panel: Mental Health America, on behalf of the Prevent Suicide Wisconsin Steering Committee and its conference planning sub-committee, is seeking individuals who have lived experience of suicidality who would be interested in sharing their stories at the Prevent Suicide Wisconsin annual conference on April 13, 2018. Organizers envision this being done at a plenary session (for all conference attendees), although the exact format is yet to be determined. Inclusion of the voices of those with lived experience is a high priority for the planning sub-committee. Individuals who respond to this request might be asked to take part in breakout sessions. Application deadline: December 8, 2017.
Learn more here.
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Sexual Assault Prevention Education Training and Technical Assistance Provider
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is requesting applications
for a statewide Sexual Assault Prevention Education Training and Technical Assistance Provider
to support local communities and college campuses who are implementing sexual assault prevention programs. This request is part of an effort to enhance the ability of local Wisconsin communities to work toward primary prevention and changing cultural norms around the known risks for violence. DHS will award one provider with $200,000 in annual funding available. Key dates: Letter of intent is required by November 15; application due date is December 15; anticipated project award date is January 8, 2018.
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2018 Block Build MKE
Revitalize Milwaukee is seeking a neighborhood to transform as part of its annual Block Build MKE initiative. During the weekend of May 18-19, 2018, hundreds of volunteers and community partners will beautify and landscape more than 30 homes, 15 to 20 of which will also receive repairs and/or accessibility modifications. Revitalize Milwaukee is currently looking for a neighborhood to adopt. You can find details here.
A Block Build Q&A session will be held at Revitalize Milwaukee's offices, 700 W. Virginia Street, Suite 306, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 8. Submissions are due by January 5, 2018. Winners will be chosen and announced by February 7, 2018.
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Our Partners & Allies Are Seeking...
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