The Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention coalition has launched a series of virtual resource fairs focused on mental health and wellness. MCSAP’s Mental Health and Wellness Virtual Fairs connect mental health professionals and alternative health practitioners with marginalized communities of Milwaukee County because MCSAP believes that holistic health is a basic right and works to break systemic barriers that create access disparities for all people.

The sessions are available live on Zoom and on MCSAP’s Facebook page, and we’ll also archive them on Facebook so that you can watch them anytime. The next session will address youth mental health and wellness and is targeted to youth work professionals, parents, and caregivers. Keynote speaker Brooks Griffin will be joined by Sheryl Dean, Dr. Alhaji Camara, and Mickell Daniels. MCSAP’s Youth Mental Health Virtual Resource Fair will be held from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26. Register here for the Zoom session.

You can also watch MCSAP’s first virtual resource fair, "Taking Care of Our Minds" with Octavia Manuel-Wright, Lauren M. Todd, and Scott Thomas, on MCSAP's Facebook page.

We're happy to announce that Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention coalition is now on Facebook! We're aiming to share prevention-related information and activities and help our partners connect easily. Like MCSAP at facebook.com/MCSAPMilwaukee.

Community Advocates Public Policy Institute and the Wisconsin Medical Society are pleased to present this free, two-hour on-demand training on alternatives to opioids. Presented by Dr. Michael McNett, this session covers when and why opioids should be used, as well as non-opioid medications and techniques for treating acute and chronic pain. This free training is targeted to health care professionals but all community members will learn helpful information. Meets the requirements for the two-hour continuing education course on responsible opioid prescribing per Med 13.03(3) of the Wisconsin Administrative Code. To register, email education@wismed.org. Questions? Contact John Eshun at jeshun@communityadvocates.net.

MHA of Wisconsin seeks 6 individuals who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community to undergo training and professional development to become a Wisconsin-Certified Peer Specialist. A peer specialist is someone who has been trained to support, mentor, and advocate for others of similar lived experience who struggle with mental health and/or substance use challenges. This part-time position (15-18 hours/week) pays $15/hour. Please note that this position is grant funded through the end of September 2020 and continuation of employment is contingent on the funds available. Please download this document for details.

The Urban Ecology Center’s Washington Park Branch (1859 N. 40th St., Milwaukee) and Milwaukee Center for Independence are serving breakfast and lunch packs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, through August 28.

The Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network is sponsoring free Zoom workshops for network members, partners and community members. Whether you are using a smartphone, laptop, tablet, iPad, or desktop, this class is for you. This workshop is offered through WAATPN’s partnership with Milwaukee Area Health Education Center. An advanced Zoom training will be offered soon. It will be facilitated by Justin Angles, MD Candidate, UW-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health Class of 2022, from 1 to 2 p.m. on Friday, August 21. RSVP here by August 19.

Register now for buprenorphine x-waiver training webinars sponsored by the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. These webinars are part of an effort to increase treatment capacity for opioid use disorder through expanded prescribing of buprenorphine. MDs, DOs, NPs, and PAs are encouraged to participate. There is no registration fee for these webinars.

Additional sessions will be held on Mondays. Get details 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 training will be held on Zoom from 3 to 5 p.m. on Monday, August 24, and is provided at no cost thanks to a ReCast MKE grant from the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention and Community Advocates Public Policy Institute. Registration is required at this link.

Staying Connected, Staying Healthy: Virtual Prevention in Action is the theme for the 2020 National Prevention Network conference to be held online on August 25 and 26. Get details and register here.

Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. This four-hour training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. This training will be held on Zoom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, August 28, and is provided at no cost thanks to a ReCast MKE grant from the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention and Community Advocates Public Policy Institute. Registration is required at this link.

2020 has not been an easy year for young people. Separation from friends, fear of illness, economic distress and insecurity in their families, and ongoing uncertainty about when they can return to school and normal routines—all of these are stressful, even traumatic conditions for teens. And with stress comes increased risk of substance abuse and other problem behaviors. Guided by the science of adolescent brain development and by established Best Practices in prevention, this webinar presented by Nigel Wrangham will be helpful to any adult who is concerned about the wellbeing of our youth during these times of change, uncertainty and anxiety. This webinar will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 1. Cost is $40. Register here.

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.

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.

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.

Officer Jermaine Galloway, the Tall Cop, is hosting a series of nationwide webinars on today's various, evolving drug trend topics. This training will highlight: Popular drug items, over the counter drugs used by youth (and some adults), drugs to get around drug tests, how Covid-19 has changed some of the illegal drugs, new vape trends, marijuana concentrates, products found in recent community scans, and more. This webinar will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 27. Cost is $39. Register 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.

Applications are currently available for the next cohort of Bloomberg Fellows. The Bloomberg American Health Initiative is supporting a new generation of leaders in organizations across the country. They seek to work and engage with Fellows and Collaborating Organizations in five focus areas: Addiction and Overdose, Environmental Challenges, Obesity and the Food System, Adolescent Health and Violence. The Bloomberg Fellows Program offers a full scholarship and $10,000 stipend for the Master of Public Health (MPH). Applications are due December 1, 2020.

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.

Facilitators can take the on-line, on-demand training on the American Lung Association's new e-learning platform at their own pace.

INDEPTH Facilitator Training Course is free, includes three-year certification, school policy guidance and downloadable curriculum and materials.

N-O-T Facilitator Training Course is $400 per facilitator, includes three-year certification and INDEPTH Facilitator training also.

These programs support comprehensive tobacco control policies in school or community settings and support the American Lung Association’s measures to eliminate tobacco use by youth and to reduce the youth e-cigarette prevalence rate to 15% by 2025.

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.