Willa Tsao

Join the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force and County Executive David Crowley to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month and share a message about the need to invest in mental health in the state budget. Our speakers will address the benefits of proposed mental health and substance use disorder initiatives including community-based services, peer delivered services, and mental health services for people with hearing loss.

Investing in mental health is the right thing for people and the right thing for the budget. Limited access to community-based mental health care has resulted in people with mental illness being placed in costly out of home and institutional settings or confined in jails or prisons. Increasing access to treatment and services will promote recovery and resilience and reduce overutilization of emergency, hospital, and justice system resources.

• View the video of Support Mental Health in the State Budget event on our Facebook page.
• Read the event coverage in Wisconsin Health News here.

Join Us on May 8th to Support Mental Health

Space is limited and registration is required. Register below.

When: Monday, May 8, 2023, at 11 AM

Where: Independence First, 540 S. 1st St.

Speakers

• Milwaukee County Executive, David Crowley
• Kathy Acevedo, Independence First Chief Operating Officer
• Mary Neubauer, Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force co-chair
• Maria Gonzalez-Edwards, Meta House Board member
• Katy Schmidt Hagmeyer, LCSW, Deaf Mental Health Advocate and Therapist in private practice with Deaf Inspire, LLC
• Maria Perez, PhD, Licensed psychologist, Vice president of Behavioral Health Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, Milwaukee County Mental Health Board Chairwoman
• Call to Action:  Montreal Cain, MERA Cares Executive Director, Mental Health Task Force Steering Committee

Facilitated by Barbara Beckert, Disability Rights Wisconsin, Director of External Advocacy

Cosponsors

• Community Advocates
• Disability Rights Wisconsin
• Grand Avenue Club
• Independence First
• Jewish Family Services, Inc.
• Mental Health America of Wisconsin
• Meta House, Inc.
• NAMI Southeast Wisconsin
• People First Wisconsin
• Wisconsin Community Services
• Our Space
• AMRI Counseling Services, LLC / AMRI Counseling & Family Services, Inc.
• Wellpoint Care Network

State Budget Resources

• Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Public Comments on the State Budget April 2023 (PDF)
• Full Funding for Community Support Programs Letter to Joint Finance (PDF)
• Funding for Room and Board for Medicaid members seeking residential substance use disorder treatment (PDF)
• Speak Out for Mental Health in the State Budget – May 2023 (PDF)
• Mental Health Professional Shortage Area in Wisconsin, by County, 2022
• CRISIS: Lack of Accessible Mental Health Services for People with Hearing Loss (PDF)
• Proposed Budget: Improving Mental Health and Crisis Services, Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Reasonable Accommodations

ASL interpreters will be available. To request other accommodations, please email barbara.beckert@drwi.org as soon as possible.

Environmental Chemical Sensitivities

For the safety and comfort of those with chemical and environmental sensitivities, IndependenceFirst requests that when attending agency-sponsored events, please refrain from using any perfumed products such as scented soaps, deodorants, perfumes, colognes and heavily scented fabric softeners. To maintain a smoke-free environment, please also refrain from smoking in paths of travel and doorways.

Join us for the May Mental Health Task Force meeting on Tuesday, May 9, from 3 – 5 PM via Zoom. Children’s Mental Health Week is May 7 – 13 and our speakers will share perspectives on youth mental health.

Meeting Agenda

View the May 9, 2023 MMHTF Meeting Agenda (PDF).

View the May 9, 2023 MHTF Meeting recording via Youtube.

Our agenda will include:

1. Welcome, Mary Neubauer & Christine Apple, co-chairs (3 -3:05)
   • Meeting ground rules
   • Thank you to our speakers and co-sponsors for our May 8th event celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month and supporting mental health in the state budget.
     • View the event on Facebook with Thanks to Montreal Cain and Mera!
     • Coverage in WI Health News
   • Reminder: MHTF annual membership drive
   • Membership Drive Letter
   • Children’s Mental Health Week May 7 – 13
2. Children, Youth and Family Services – Milwaukee County, Kelly Pethke, Administrator. Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services, Children, Youth & Family Services (3:10 – 3:55p)
   • Administrator Pethke will address Milwaukee County’s role in supporting youth; what programming, services, and treatment are provided; and the status of programs in Milwaukee County for justice-involved youth, as well as plans to bring youth home from Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake.
   • View Administrator Pethke’s presentation here (PDF).
   • Resources on this topic:
     • Children and Young Adults Services (Milwaukee County Health and Human Services)
     • Children’s Long-Term Support: Program Overview (WI Department of Health Services)
     • Comprehensive Community Services (WI Department of Health Services)
     • Coordinated Services Teams Initiatives (WI Department of Health Services)
     • Children’s System of Care (WI Department of Health Services)
3. Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health Update, Linda A. Hall, Director, Office of Children’s Mental Health (4:00 – 4:45p)
   • Director Hall will share a message for Children’s Mental Health Week including an update on the status of youth mental health in Wisconsin.
   • View the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health Update presentation (PDF).
   • Resources on this topic:
     • Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health
     • Children’s Mental Health Week 2023
4. Policy Updates – State Budget and Milwaukee County Mental Health Board, Barbara Beckert & Mary Neubauer (4:45 – 5:00p)
   • We will discuss plans for actions to support mental health in the state budget.
   • State Budget Resources
     • Proposed Budget: Improving Mental Health and Crisis Services, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
     • Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Public Comments on the State Budget April 2023 (PDF)
     • Full Funding for Community Support Programs Letter to Joint Finance (PDF)
     • Funding for Room and Board for Medicaid members seeking residential substance use disorder treatment (PDF)
     • Speak Out for Mental Health in the State Budget – May 2023 (PDF)
     • Mental Health Professional Shortage Area in Wisconsin, by County, 2022
     • CRISIS: Lack of Accessible Mental Health Services for People with Hearing Loss (PDF)

Meeting Registration

Our meetings are open to all. ASL interpreters will be available at the meeting. To request other disability accommodations, please email barbara.beckert@drwi.org as soon as possible. We will do our best to respond to all requests.

 

 

Join us for the April Mental Health Task Force meeting on Tuesday, April 11, from 3 – 5 PM via Zoom.

Our speakers will address:

• DHHS Opioid Settlement: Projects funded and how they align with recommendations
• Alcohol Awareness Month and what you can do
• Preparing for the Unwinding of the Public Health Emergency and Why It Matters

Meeting Agenda

View the April 11, 2023 Meeting Agenda (PDF).

View the April 11, 2023 meeting recording via Youtube.

1. Welcome, Mary Neubauer and Christine Apple, co-chairs (3 – 3:05)
   • Meeting ground rules
   • State Budget Advocacy Reminder: How to Share Your Priorities for the State Budget
   • Complete the MHTF 2023 Programs Survey: https://forms.gle/NHCtKjZmvK5boTvz6
   • Reminder:
     • MHTF annual membership drive
     • Membership Drive Letter
2. DHHS Opioid Settlement Update (3:05 – 3: 50)
   Our speakers will brief us on the projects being funded by the Opioid Settlement dollars and how those align with recommendations in a Wisconsin Policy Forum Report.
   • Speakers
     • Steve Gorodetskiy, Strategic Initiatives Director, Milwaukee Co. Dept of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
     • Jen Wittwer, Director, Community Access to Recovery Services, Behavioral Health Services (BHS)
     • Mike Lappen, Administrator, Behavioral Health Services (BHS)
   • Opioid Settlement Projects Presentation (PDF)
   • Resources on this topic:
     • Road to Recovery: Improving substance use disorder services in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Policy Forum
       • Link to Full Report
       • Link to Executive Summary
3. Alcohol Awareness Month and what you can do!, Maureen Busalacchi, Director of the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project at the Comprehensive Injury Center at Medical College of Wisconsin (3:50 – 4:20)
   • About Our Speaker (PDF)
   • View the Alcohol Awareness Month presentation (PDF).
   • Resources on this topic:
     • Moving Forward: Policies and Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Excessive Alcohol Use in Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (PDF)
     • Letter on Moving Forward and Recommendations from the Alcohol Prevention Ad Hoc Committee, Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (PDF)
4. Preparing for the Unwinding of the Public Health Emergency and Why It Matters, Cheryl Isabell, Milwaukee Community Engagement Lead, Covering Wisconsin (4:20 – 4:55)
   • View the Covering Wisconsin’s Unwinding presentation (PDF).
   • Resources on this topic:
     • Covering Wisconsin
     • Unwinding Partner Toolkit, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
5. Closing Remarks (4:55 – 5 PM)

Meeting Registration

Our meetings are open to all. ASL interpreters will be available at the meeting. To request other disability accommodations, please email barbara.beckert@drwi.org as soon as possible. We will do our best to respond to all requests.

Join us for the February Mental Health Task Force meeting on Tuesday, February 14th, from 3 – 5 PM via Zoom.

Our agenda include an update on Harm Reduction and Prevention from Jeremy Triblett, Prevention Services Coordinator, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services.

We will learn about Supporting and Empowering Milwaukee Youth from:

• Audra O’Connell, Executive Director, Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center
• DeShanda Clark, Sr. Vice President of Programs & Services, Pathfinders

Montrèal Cain of MERA WI will speak about “Black Pioneers” in recognition of Black History Month.

Meeting materials will be posted on this page as they become available. Complete the form below to request the Zoom link.

Meeting Agenda

View the February 14, 2023 Meeting Agenda (PDF).

View the February 14, 2023 meeting recording via Youtube.

1. Welcome, Mary Neubauer & Christine Apple, co-chairs (3 – 3:05)
   • Meeting logistics
   • Complete the MHTF 2023 Programs Survey.
   • Reminder: MHTF annual membership drive
   • Membership Drive Letter
2. Harm Reduction and Prevention Vending Machines, Jeremy Triblett, Prevention Services Coordinator, Milwaukee County (3:05 – 3:40)
   According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), harm reduction is critical to keeping people who use drugs alive and as healthy as possible. Behavioral Health Services of Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services has partnered with Vivent Health’s Lifepoint program and HRI Vending to increase Milwaukee County residents’ access to harm reduction and prevention supplies via vending machines located in agencies across Milwaukee County.
   • Harm Reduction and Prevention Vending Machines Presentation (PDF).
3. Supporting and Empowering Milwaukee Youth (3:40 – 4:30)
   • Audra O’Connell, Executive Director, Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center
     • Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center Presentation (PDF).
   • DeShanda Clark, Sr. Vice President of Programs & Services, Pathfinders
     • Pathfinders Overview (PDF).
4. Black Pioneers, Montrèal Cain, MERA WI (4:30 – 5)

Remember to vote on February 21st!

Election Resources

Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline: 844-347-8683 or email info@disabilityvote.org

• MyVote Wisconsin
• Voter Toolkit – 2023 Elections – Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition
• Make Your Plan to Vote 2023 – English version (accessible PDF)
• Vote 411 Wisconsin: Voter information from the League of Women Voters, including candidate information
• Wisconsin Supreme Court Fact Sheet
• 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Non-partisan Voters Guide

Meeting Registration

Our meetings are open to all. ASL interpreters will be available at the meeting. To request other disability accommodations, please email barbara.beckert@drwi.org as soon as possible. We will do our best to respond to all requests.