Willa Tsao

The Mental Health Task Force Steering Committee is seeking nominees for two open positions: for an advocate and an at-large member.  Service on the Steering committee is a leadership role and an opportunity to contribute to the planning and priorities for the Task Force.  It requires some previous participation in the Mental Health Task Force.  You may nominate someone else (with their permission!) or self-nominate.  This is a great opportunity to contribute to the Mental Health Task programming and advocacy – we would love to hear from you!

Submit nominations by end of business day, August 30th to Barbara Beckert, MHTF Coordinator.

Questions?  Contact Barbara at barbara.beckert@drwi.org, or contact our Co-chairs Mary Neubauer and Christine Apple.

To submit a nomination:

• Steering Committee Openings and Nomination Form (Word form)
• Steering Committee Expectations (accessible pdf)

Please support the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force annual membership drive. We need your support to sustain our important work – please join or renew your membership. Your membership will support our work as a positive force for systems change, cover a portion of staff costs to coordinate the task force, and ensure our programs are open to all. We welcome organizational members as well as “community supporters” – individuals who want to support the task force. Please return the membership form with your check by August 30th.

• View the Membership Letter here (accessible pdf).
• Download the Membership Form here (Word document).
• If you’d like to be added to the Membership Directory, please fill out the Directory Information Form here (Word document).

Questions? Contact Barbara Beckert at barbara.beckert@drwi.org or 414-292-2724.

The MHTF is seeking nominations for our 2021 awards.  This is a meaningful way to honor the work of someone who is making a positive difference for people with mental illness in Milwaukee County.  Please consider submitting a nomination.  All nominations are due by noon on Monday, August 9th. The awards will be presented on Tuesday, September 14th, at the Karen Avery Forum. The forum theme is Celebrating Recovery, Ending Stigma, Embracing Possibilities. Learn more about the event via the Save the Date flyer here (accessible pdf).

Learning more about the awards, the nominating process, and past recipients by viewing the 2021 Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Award Nominations (pdf) document here.

• The Karen Avery Award recognizes an individual whose work and values align with the legacy of Karen Avery, who was a respected leader in the mental health consumer/survivor movement, working to advance the rights of people with mental illness and to ensure a strong consumer voice.
  • Submit a nomination via SurveyMonkey here.
• Inspired by the dedication of our inaugural recipient, the Marie C. Perry Rising Leader Award honors Marie’s memory and recognizes visionary leadership by an individual who is a rising and/or young leader in the Milwaukee area mental health community. The recipient receives an $800 scholarship for continuing education.
  • Submit a nomination via SurveyMonkey here.

You may also fill out the Word version of the form here (Word document) and email it to barbara.beckert@drwi.org.

• Save the Date:  2021 Karen Avery Forum: Celebrating Recovery, Ending Stigma, Embracing Possibilities – view event information flyer here (pdf).

Please join us for the July 13th meeting of the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force which will include some informative updates about the new Granite Hills Behavioral Health hospital which will be opening in West Allis this fall. The meeting will be from 3-5 PM on Zoom. To request the Zoom meeting link, complete the form at the bottom of this page. Meeting materials will be posted on this page as they become available.

Meeting Agenda

View the July 2021 meeting agenda here (accessible pdf).

The meeting recording is available via Youtube here.

• Welcome and Opening Remarks: (3:00 – 3:10pm)
  • September 14th Karen Avery forum and call for award nominations
    • View the event information for the Karen Avery forum here (accessible pdf).
    • 2021 Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Award Nominations Information (pdf)
      • Karen Avery Award: Submit a nomination via SurveyMonkey here.
      • Marie C. Perry Rising Leader Award: Submit a nomination via SurveyMonkey here.
      • A fillable nomination form for print and/or email is available here (Word document).
  • 2021 MHTF membership campaign
    • MHTF Membership Letter (accessible pdf)
    • Membership Form (Word form)
    • Member Directory Information Form (Word form)
  • Openings on the Steering Committee
    • Steering Committee Openings and Nomination Form (Word form)
    • Steering Committee Expectations (accessible pdf)
• Opening remarks from the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board Member and Immediate Past Chair: Tom Lutzow, PhD, MBA  (3:10 – 3:25 PM)
• Granite Hills Hospital Update: Jennifer Bergersen, CEO. (3:25 – 4:05pm)
  • Granite Hills is the new behavioral health hospital expected to open in late September. It will include provide care for patients referred from the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, as the Mental Health Complex closes.
  • Granite Hill Hospital website
  • UHS Overview – Granite Hill Presentation (pdf)
• BHD Inpatient / PCS Transition Update: Mike Lappen, Administrator, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division. (4:05 – 4:25pm)
• Proposed Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Merger: Rachel Kaehny-Frank, Aging Resource Center Manager, and Karin Bachman, Disability Resource Center Manager. (4:25 – 4:45pm)
  • View the Stakeholder Input for the ADRC of Milwaukee County presentation here (pdf).
• Policy and Budget Updates: Barbara Beckert, DRW, and Mary Neubauer, MHTF Representative on Mental Health Board. (4:45 – 5:00pm)
  • State budget
    • MHTF Overview of 2021 – 2023 Biennial Budget Provisions (pdf)
  • BHD budget
    • BHD Budget Survey Results (pdf)
  • Milwaukee County Mental Health Board
    • Milwaukee County Mental Health Board Testimony (pdf)

Save the Date

• August 10th: Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Annual County Budget Briefing, including remarks from County Executive David Crowley
• September 14: Celebrating Recovery, Ending Stigma, Embracing Possibilities – 2021 Karen Avery Forum
  • View the event information flyer here (accessible pdf).

Meeting Registration

If you don’t have the link to join the meeting, please fill out the form below.  The meeting link will be sent to your email.

 

Please join us for the June 8th meeting of the Mental Health Task Force which will include some exciting updates about peer support. The meeting will be from 3-5pm on Zoom. Meeting materials will be posted on this page as they become available.

Agenda

View the full MHTF June 8th Meeting Agenda here.

Our agenda will include:

• Update on Peer Support in Wisconsin; Kenya Bright, Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services – Section Chief, Integrated Services Section, Bureau of Prevention, Treatment & Recovery Division of Care and Treatment Services.
• Peer Support Update from Our Space, including Peer Run Respite and other peer delivered services; Jennifer Zuelke (Peer-run Respite) and Melissa Wisniewski (Executive Assistant).
  • Our Space Brochure
  • Parachute House: Peer-run Respite Brochure
  • Peer Support Brochure
  • Parachute House – Presentation
  • Our Space – Presentation
• Mental Health America national staff will provide a policy update; Caren Howard, Director of Policy and Advocacy; Kelly Davis, Associate Vice President of Peer and Youth Advocacy.
  • PEERS in Medicare – Statement
• Policy Updates: Milwaukee County BHD budget
  • Take the 2022 BHD Budget Priorities Survey here.
  • 2022 BHD Budget Timeline
  • Preliminary budget priorities survey results
  • Upcoming public input opportunities:
    • June 15th, 4:30pm: Mental Health Board Finance Committee meeting
    • June 24th, 1:30pm: Mental Health Board Finance Committee meeting
• State Updates: state budget and voting bills
  • Act Now on Voting Bills That Will Make It Harder for People with Disabilities to Vote: Post Link

Save the date for our annual Karen Avery Forum, Tuesday September 14^th.  The forum topic will relate to best practices for treatment of substance use disorders, and harm reduction.

Meeting Registration

If you don’t have the link to join the meeting, please fill out the form below.  The meeting link will be sent to your email.