Friends and partners --

As we turn the page on 2020, the Prevention Team at Community Advocates wishes you a safe, healthy, happy, and exceptional holiday season. We're looking forward to connecting with you in 2021!

Cheers!

Small talks about underage drinking can make a difference in a kid’s choices. That’s because kids really do listen. Research shows having frequent, casual conversations about alcohol, starting around age 8, can be a lot more effective—and a lot less intimidating—than one super serious discussion. So, start talking. Keep listening. Help give a kid the confidence to grow up alcohol-free. Visit SmallTalksWI.org for talk tips, facts, and more. This campaign is sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

The Wisconsin Public Health Association (WPHA) and Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards (WALHDAB) announced that their 2021 Public Health Conference will be held virtually May 25-27 with the theme “Advocating for Wisconsin’s Health, Striving for Justice Through Systems Change.” Registration will open in March 2021. Interested in presenting? Click here for the call for presentations. Deadline is January 15, 2021.

Pieces: In My Own Voice by Brenda Wesley depicts the lives of people living with a mental Illness through vignettes and monologues that cover a wide range of mental health diagnoses. Live theater and video will inter-weave entertainment and educational messages, using music and dance as the driving force when telling these compelling stories. Join Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division for the Pieces Virtual Theater Premiere on December 21 at 7 p.m. Register at this link.

Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, AMRI Counseling Services, and U R It Movement are sponsoring a webinar focused on suicide prevention. Register for the Sunday, December 27, session at this link.

Families Thrive brings together the latest research on child development, brain biology, and the impact of trauma on development to help young people, parents, caregivers, and professionals understand and respond to youth and their caretakers in ways that increase engagement and the likelihood of healthy developmental outcomes. And integrated curriculum combining CSSP’s Strengthening Families ™ and Youth Thrive ™, Families Thrive devotes a module to each of the protective and promotive factors and teaches practical techniques for applying the framework in programs, practices, and communities. Click here for details.

This two-day professional development opportunity from Share Collaborative will begin your journey of learning Motivational Interviewing (MI) from a trauma-informed, culturally reverent lens. This workshop is designed for all human service professionals and leaders. The event is led by Shawn Smith, member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MIINT), MINT Certified Trainer, and Founder of Share Collaborative. CEUs are available. Cost is $135. Register here.

Mental Health America (MHA) and 11 other national organizations joined together to call on the need for collective action to advance mental health and substance use disorder care in the United States. MHA played a key role in bringing together this unprecedented collaboration to craft a shared vision for mental health to achieve a common goal – improving lives. Read the vision statement at this link.

Children and youth can be effective advocates and help their peers who may be suffering from child abuse or neglect. This video and factsheet from Child Welfare Information Gateway support youth so they can help each other—or even get help for themselves.

The state Office of Children’s Mental Health released a new fact sheet about supporting youth by eliminating stigma and what our communities, schools, and providers can do to make a difference. Download the new and previous fact sheets at this link.

The Opioid Response Network hosted a three-part webinar series addressing youth substance use prevention and resilience during this difficult time of remote and hybrid learning. Click here to view session recordings and related resources.

SAMHSA has released the "Behavioral Health Workforce Report," which documents effective mental and substance use disorder treatment models and pertinent staffing needs – as part of the agency’s goal to increase access to evidence-based mental and substance use disorder care.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published “Crisis Services: Meeting Needs, Saving Lives,” a compendium detailing crisis intervention services, best practices and related components of crisis services, for use by a wide array of community leaders and health care providers to work toward better outcomes for Americans in crisis.

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. Since the forecast looks good for a while, why not put your time outdoors to good use? Click here for details and to order.

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.