Friends –

It's been a busy summer! Our PPI staff has been doing outreach and engagement in the community, including appearing at Juneteenth, Reality Check, health fairs, International Overdose Awareness Day, and more. Now we're turning our attention to our big celebration this autumn. It's difficult to believe, but PPI is turning 15 this year. We remain committed to preventing and reducing the issues causing poverty and poor quality of life, including housing instability, substance misuse, and unaddressed mental health issues.

To further our understanding of substance misuse and the terrible threat posed by synthetic drugs, we have invited Ben Westhoff, author of Fentanyl Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Created the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic, to speak at our anniversary celebration. This is a rare opportunity to meet with and hear from an expert who can shed light on both the global reach of the synthetic drug epidemic and its personal toll. We hope you can join us on November 2 to hear from and meet with Ben and be part of the multifaceted effort to protect our community from this ever-increasing threat.

In this newsletter you'll learn more about our anniversary event as well as the many projects that are keeping PPI staff so busy!



In partnership,

Kari Southern

Deputy Director

Community Advocates Public Policy Institute

As we mark our 15th anniversary, we at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute are recommitting to enhancing our community members’ health, mental health, and wellness to by addressing the harms posed by opioids and other drugs to individuals, families, and communities.

To help us understand how various forms of opioids and other deadly substances find their way into our community and what we can do about it, on November 2, we will host a special night with investigative reporter Ben Westhoff, author of Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Created the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic.

Guests will gather at the Grace Center in Downtown Milwaukee, featuring presentations by local leaders, a book signing with Westhoff, appetizers and desserts, nonalcoholic "mocktails" specifically developed for our guests, a silent auction, and free Narcan and training. Our event sponsors, PPI Members, and special guests will be able to meet Westhoff in an intimate gathering before the program begins and may receive a complimentary copy of his book.



PPI Network Members will receive free admission to the pre-event meet-and-greet with Ben Westhoff and a complimentary copy of his book with their ticket purchases—another reason to consider becoming an individual or organizational member of the PPI Network.

Event sponsorships are available and gratefully accepted. 

Community Advocates Public Policy Institute is pleased to announce that De'Shawn Ewing has joined our team as our Community Engagement and Outreach Manager. You may have already seen him out and about at events to share our information and resources with the community. De'Shawn has built a long career serving youth and families at various nonprofits, including The Parenting Network and Next Door. Most recently, De'Shawn was the Family Injury and Violence Prevention Coordinator at the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention. We’re grateful to be working with De'Shawn to build a healthier Milwaukee. 

Diverse groups from across Milwaukee County are inviting individuals and families to Alice's Garden on Friday, September 22, for activities and resources that can improve their health and wellness. Now in its second year, “Discover Wellness” will feature free healthy snacks, prizes, wellness activities, and a chance to win a bike and other prizes.

From 5 to 7 p.m. on September 22, “Discover Wellness” will encompass the eight dimensions of wellness—emotional, physical, occupational, intellectual, financial, social, environmental, and spiritual—to provide visitors with a broad range of activities and resources that can help to enhance their health and well-being.

Highlights include: healthy activities, raffles and giveaways, a book library, yoga and Reiki, tools for emotional wellness, and free healthy snacks from Neu-Life Community Development’s Farmfork, an urban agriculture and culinary arts program for youth.



Then, at sunset, guests can enjoy a free screening of "The Little Mermaid."

“Discover Wellness” will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, September 22, at Alice's Garden, 2136 N. 21st St., Milwaukee. All are invited to attend this free, family-friendly community event.



“Discover Wellness” partners include Alice's Garden, Cudahy Health Department, Goal Chasers 2000, The House of Kings and Priests, Neu-Life Community Development, Oak Creek Health Department, The Parenting Network, RISE Drug Free MKE, Wauwatosa Health Department, and Community Advocates Public Policy Institute.

Hundreds of loved ones and allies of those impacted by overdose gathered during three community events on Thursday, August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day.

The events featured resources, Narcan training and supplies, fentanyl test strips, healing activities, prayers, kids’ activities, a memorial lantern lighting, and a march to end overdose. A Memorial Tree decorated with purple ribbons was on display at City Hall. In addition, the Hoan Bridge lit up purple on August 30 and 31, thanks to Light the Hoan, to show support for those living with a substance use disorder and their friends and family.

The events, presented by RISE Drug Free MKE, which is overseen by Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, were hosted and organized by Samad’s House, UMOS Inc., Team HAVOC, and RISE Drug Free MKE. Partnering organizations were: City of Milwaukee Health Department, CleanSlate Medical Group, Community Medical Services, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services, Milwaukee Fire Department, Milwaukee Women’s Center, Nar-Anon, Onepillkills, Samad’s House, Street Angels, Team HAVOC, UMOS Inc., Vivent Health, and Wauwatosa Health Department.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who attended and welcomed visitors on this meaningful day. The turnout from the community and commitment from local organizations prove that the will to tackle substance misuse and overdose is mighty. 

We’re pleased to announce that Community Advocates’ downtown offices, located at 728 N. James Lovell St., now hosts a Harm Reduction Vending Machine thanks to funding CA-PPI received from Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services. The vending machine offers Narcan, fentanyl test strips, safe disposal kits, medication lock pouches, gun locks, and information and resources. All supplies are free to the public during regular business hours. 

PPI is happy to offer the monthly meetings of the Empowerment Coalition of Milwaukee to bring together social services providers, advocates, and consumers around matters concerning their work. In October, the topic is Utility Services and Energy Assistance. It’ll be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on October 18. Cost is $5 for light refreshments. 

Concerned about providing culturally informed, inclusive services to your LGBTQ+ clients? PPI’s new Improving Behavioral Health Services and Care for Your Sexual and Gender Diverse Clients: A Series of LGBTQ+ Educational Opportunities for Health Providers is a six-part monthly convening to promote greater awareness of the experiences of sexually and gender diverse individuals in the behavioral health care system to improve services. 

Sessions are provided free of charge thanks to generous support from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services. Save the date for the next session on October 26.

A benefit concert at Shank Hall on September 10 honored two Nicolet High School classmates and Grammy Award winners—the late Howie Epstein, who played bass for 20 years for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Brian Lynch, a jazz trumpeter. This unique concert, which raised support for RISE Drug Free MKE, featured Petty Union, a Tom Petty tribute band, and Lynch, who covered some jazz greats and played a few songs from his albums. We're grateful for all who contributed to this great evening.

We’re looking for outstanding advocates to fill these positions:

• Bilingual Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator
• Social Media and Communications Coordinator

PPI offers a range of mental health and wellness workshops, including Mental Health First Aid for adults and adults who work with youth, suicide prevention, trauma and the brain, and verbal de-escalation techniques. All are welcome to attend; workshops are free for those who live or work in Milwaukee County. Take a look at our calendar and reserve your space now. You can also find our Mental Health and Wellness Resource Guide at this link. Want to host a workshop for your organization? Contact Rita at rliesiefsky@communityadvocates.net.

Bookmark our online calendar to keep up with our events this fall:

• September 22: Discover Wellness in Alice’s Garden
• September 25: QPR Question Persuade Refer Suicide Prevention Workshop
• October 16: Adult Mental Health First Aid
• October 17: Verbal De-escalation Techniques Workshop
• October 18: ECOM Workshop: Utility Services/Energy Assistance
• October 18: PPI Members Lunch & Learn: David Riemer, "What Works to Radically Reduce Poverty?"
• October 26: LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Series Part 4: Letters of Readiness
• November 2: PPI 15th Anniversary Celebration with Ben Westhoff

Kari Southern | Community Advocates Public Policy Institute | 414-270-2950 | ksouthern@communityadvocates.net | ppi.communityadvocates.net