September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month.

This year's monthly observance is different than the ones that have come before. This year, we are facing a global pandemic and civil unrest in response to racist police brutality and practices. These factors must be part of everyday conversations we have about suicide awareness and prevention, especially when we are engaging Black youth, who are experiencing these twin crises intensely while also losing their usual routines and social support. Black lives matter. And those of us who live with and work with young Black people must do better to support and appreciate them to reduce their risk of suicide.

Jeremy Triblett, Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, says caring adults and youth workers shouldn’t shy away from these tough conversations.

"Because of COVID-19 and civil unrest, our young people are in a very unique position," Triblett says. "They are being impacted at a young age by concepts, ideas, and reality that they were born into. This isn't a conversation that is too 'mature.' This is a conversation that is age appropriate. We want to help young people find the vocabulary to talk about issues like racism, segregation, civil unrest, and pandemics, along with mental health, anxiety, depression, and suicide. We want to give young people the space to use their voice around these issues."

Read more on our blog >> 

Commercial tobacco use continues to impact some communities harder, with 26% of Black adults and 37% of American Indian/Alaska Native adults in Wisconsin who smoke compared to just 16% of the overall population. A recent online article from the Truth Initiative highlights three reasons why racial disparities in tobacco use persist, including:

Read the full article at this link.

The Milwaukee County Mental Health Board, which oversees the provision of mental health functions and services in Milwaukee County, has an open board position for an individual to serve as "a representative of the community who is a consumer of mental health services." Get details here.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes stars in this new video reminder to dispose of medications safely, in a secure drop box or at a drug take-back event. Go to takebackmymeds.com for details.

The Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force is seeking nominations for the 2020 Karen Avery Award and the Marie C. Perry Award. This is a meaningful way to recognize the important advocacy work taking place in our community. Nominations are due by September 11. The awards will be presented on October 13 at the 2020 Karen Avery Forum, Housing: Opportunities, Rights and Resources. For more information, go to the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force’s website.

Near West Side Partners (NWSP)—in partnership with Safe and Sound, City of Milwaukee Alderwoman Chantia Lewis and Celia Jackson, city of Milwaukee resident, attorney, and WCS board member who started the "Slow Down Life Matters" campaign—are starting a discussion on the topic of reckless driving. Their webinar on reckless driving will be held on Wednesday, September 2, at noon. The event will be broadcast on Facebook Live. Attached are graphics for social media and other platforms. The discussion panel will include youth from the Milwaukee area as well as city of Milwaukee Alderwoman Chantia Lewis who is on the city of Milwaukee Taskforce for Reckless Driving.  

Mental Health America’s annual conference is virtual this year with the aim of bringing together MHA affiliates, community stakeholders, peers, caregivers, providers, government officials and more to discuss emerging mental health issues. It’ll be held on September 3 & 4, with a preconference day for affiliates on September 2. Get details and register here.

Prevent Suicide Wisconsin’s annual conference, "Reframing the Narrative," is scheduled to be held on Zoom on September 8 and 9. Breakout sessions include "Suicide Prevention and COVID-19," "You're Not Alone Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion," and "How Are Our US Military Children Doing?" For details, click on this link.

As part of CADCA’s webinar series, “Research into Action,” Dr. Cheryl King will discuss two prevention strategies for preventing adolescent suicide and the role prevention coalitions can play in preventing youth suicide. This free webinar will be held on Wednesday, September 9, from 1-2 p.m. Register here.

This series, brought by the MHTTC Network and the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health, will introduce key issues at the intersection of intimate partner violence and mental health, and prepare mental health providers to better respond to the needs of individuals and families affected by intimate partner violence.

One webinar in this three-part series remains: Intimate Partner Violence, Suicidality, and Disabling Psychiatric Conditions: Unique Risks, Needs, and Strategies on September 9. Register and get details here.

All sessions will be archived; you can find previous sessions on this page.

This introductory workshop to the Mindful Self-Compassion Program can help you increase your resilience when facing life’s challenge. This three-hour session from Prevent Suicide Wisconsin is presented by Dr. Barbara Moser and will be held from 1:15 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9. Cost is $40. Get details and register here.

The MHTTC Network is pleased to invite you to their two-part virtual learning series, Grief Sensitivity Virtual Learning Institute. This series is geared towards providing front-line workers (community mental health practitioners, social workers, psychologists, therapists, school mental health personnel, school counselors, educators, etc.) with tools and strategies that can be used when addressing the needs of individuals experiencing grief and loss during COVID-19 and beyond. Part 1, “Grounding Ourselves in the Basics (Frameworks, Definitions, and Foundational concepts)," will be held on September 10 and 11. Register here. Part 2, "Applying Concepts to Practice," will be held on November 12 and 13. Register here.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. 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. These online trainings are sponsored by RECAST MKE through the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention in partnership with Community Advocates Public Policy Institute. Register here for the September 10 training. RSVP here for the September 21 training.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point encourages consumers and family members, front-line workers and community professionals involved in crisis intervention to join this two-day conference to be held September 17 and 18 on Zoom. Keynote speakers are Dr. Tony Thrasher of the Medical College of Wisconsin; Dr. Jennifer J. Muehlenkamp of UW-Eau Claire; and Pardeep Singh Kaleka, Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee and Clinician. Click here for details and to register.

The 12th Annual Milwaukee Walk for Recovery will be held virtually this year. Grab a friend and walk (at a safe distance), then tag @MilwaukeeWalkForRecovery on Facebook in your selfie and share your stories. Donations are welcome at milwaukee4recovery.org. 

Experience Community Building, a unique form of self-care, and learn tools to listen with greater depth and empathy. Click here for more information and to register.

Wisconsin Community Services is offering this no-cost three-day training on Community Building, a deeper and more authentic way of interpersonal communication, for members of the helping professions. To get more details and to register, click here.

The theme of the online American Public Health Association’s 2020 annual meeting and expo is "Creating the Healthiest Nation: Preventing Violence." Attendees will have 24/7 access to all meeting sessions during or beyond the dates of the meeting. Get details and register here.

Aurora Health’s four-week smoking cessation program, Freshstart, is offered at no cost and teaches participants how quit smoking and not be dependent on nicotine, from the comfort of their own home. Sessions will be held on Wednesdays, 3 to 4 p.m., from October 28 through November 18 on Zoom and are sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Register by emailing Laurie.dlouhy@aah.org.

A traumatic event such last week’s violence and civil unrest in Kenosha and often brings out strong emotions that need attention. We’ve collected some resources for coping with the aftermath of community trauma and stress, and understanding the special needs of children during traumatic events.

This webinar from the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance highlights key issues related to e-cigarette use among Wisconsin youth. It provides an overview of what the products look like and the Tobacco Is Changing campaign, Youth Tobacco Survey data among Wisconsin middle and high school students, the acute impact on lung health from the EVALI outbreak, and differences in product regulation. Featured speakers include Spencer Straub, Luke Witkowski, and Mike Metcalf from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Dr. Michael Gutzeit from Children’s Wisconsin.  

This webinar from the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance highlights key concepts related to health equity, with a focus on racial equity resources and frameworks. Topics covered include the Garden Analogy by Dr. Camara Jones, past APHA president, key terms, unpacking white privilege and white supremacy, the connection between zip codes and health, and resources for ongoing learning. The featured speaker is Alexandria Kohn, Master of Public Health candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Zilber School of Public Health.

If you are sick of cigarette litter fouling up your living area, get some help from Hold On To Your Butt MKE. They’re offering do it yourself cigarette butt receptacles and clean up kits for your use. Click here for details and to order.

Data You Can Use (DYCU) seeks applications for the Data Dream Award. Winners will realize their "data dream" through the professional services of DYCU and expertise of our partners valued at $5,000. Milwaukee-area nonprofits will be selected through a competitive process and awarded at Data Day on October 21, 2020. The Data Dream competition is an opportunity for an organization to move beyond limitations due to a lack of information, the capacity to interpret data already collected, or some combination of both. Applicants share what would be different if nonprofit leaders had a certain piece of data—how their planning, service provision, results, or funding might be improved with assistance in securing, analyzing, visualizing or presenting data. Applications are screened and the top candidates will compete in the "shark tank" at Data Day on October 21, 2020. Following a five-minute pitch, celebrity judges will select the winners. Click here to apply.

Check out the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s FAQs on preventing COVID-19, the new mask ordinance, and more at this link.

The City of Milwaukee Health Department launched "Ask MHD" to respond to questions about COVID-19. Email askmhdcovid19@milwaukee.gov to ask your question.

If you are looking for where to get food right now, visit 211 Wisconsin, dial 211, or text your ZIP code to 898211. FoodShare is another great way to get the food you need for your family! If you are interested in applying to receive EBT benefits, please visit Wisconsin's Access website. Find more information from Hunger Task Force.

Community Advocates' COVID-19 Resource Pages:

We update these pages frequently. If you have a resource you'd like us to share, please email lkaiser@communityadvocates.net.

Home To Stay is a new website full of resources for people returning from incarceration developed by the Milwaukee County Community Justice Council’s Milwaukee Reentry Council and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. New entries are being added, so check this site often.

The 2020 Census is underway and the most important thing you can do is respond when you receive your invitation. Responding now will minimize the need for the Census Bureau to send census takers out into communities to follow up. Go to my2020census.gov to be counted.