Willa Tsao

The Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Steering Committee wants to thank all of you for attending the June Mental Health Task Force meeting and providing valuable comment on the Milwaukee Mental Health Board’s proposed budget.

For the month of July, we will be taking a much-needed break from the monthly meeting, as the Steering Committee works to diligently to continue our collaboration with community partners and identify additional advocacy opportunities. We hope that you have a restful and safe month of July.

We look forward to seeing you at our August meeting on Tuesday, August 13th at Independence First, where we will have our annual budget briefing meeting to discuss the proposed 2025 Milwaukee County department budget requests with county legislators and department staff. See you in August!

Event Information

The June 11th, 2024 Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force meeting will be held at the Washington Park Senior Center (4420 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee 53208) to align with the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board (MCMHB) Finance Committee Budget Public Comment Meeting occurring the same day and time frame. Not only will this month’s meeting feature guest speakers, there will also be a “Meet and Greet” with the MCMHB members, followed by their finance meeting and public comment. Special Guests have been invited to join our meeting including:

• Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
• Council on Aging
• Combined Community Service Board
• Aging and Disability Resource Center Governing Board
• Criminal Justice Counsel Executive Committee
• MC3 Steering Committee
• City of Milwaukee Health Department

Both virtual and in-person attendance is available. We know that in-person attendance can be challenging, however, we encourage folks to attend in-person for this very special meeting, as we look to strengthen our relationships with our community partners, legislators, and governing bodies. This is an opportunity to see advocacy in action and have your voice heard!

Meeting Agenda

Watch the June 2024 meeting recording via Youtube.

• Doors Open at 2:30 p.m.
• Welcome – 3:00 p.m. – 3:07 p.m.
• Community Forensic Peer Specialists Presentation: The Opportunity to Utilize Peer Specialists in the Areas of Probation and Parole, Department of Corrections – 3:07 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.
  • Speaker: Kristen Serchen, MSW, LCW, CSAC – Psychological Associate, Certified Peer Specialist Oversight Committee Co-chair, Taycheedah Institution
• Hub and Spoke Presentation, Wisconsin Community Services – 3:40 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Speaker: Startina White, Certified Peer Specialist and Recovery Coach, Assistant Director Community Based Peer Programs and Hub and Spoke; Eric Diamond, MSW, LCSW, Project Specialist
• Meet and Greet, Milwaukee County Mental Health Board – 4:05 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Finance Committee Budget Public Comment, Milwaukee County Mental Health Board – 4:30 p.m. (Limit comments to 3 Minutes)
  • Upon conclusion of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board’s Finance Committee Budget Public Comment, there will be an opportunity to socialize for 1 hour until 6:45 p.m. between all attendees and the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board, Support Staff, Behavioral Health Services Staff, Department of Health and Human Services Staff.

Beverages and snacks will be provided by the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force.

Meeting Registration

Our meetings are open to all.

• To register for the meeting, complete the form below.
• Indicate if you plan to participate in-person at the Washington Park Senior Center or virtually by Zoom. You will receive an email response with the Zoom link.

Please Note: To save on printing costs and materials, we will no longer be providing printed material unless requested prior to the in-person meeting. Please email lisah@drwi.org to request a packet of the any presenter materials.

Join us for the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force meeting on Tuesday, May 14 from 3 – 5 PM. The meeting will be held at Independence First, 540 S. 1st Street. We will also offer a virtual option via Zoom – but encourage you to attend in person for community and networking.

Meeting Agenda

View the May 14, 2024 meeting recording via Youtube.

Our May presenters include:

• Nicole Damiano, Co-Chair of the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force and mental health peer advocate holds a Master’s in School Counseling. She will describe the role of School Counselors in K-12 schools today in providing support to students, schools, and families.
• Amy Wilbourne, Licensed School Counselor for Milwaukee Public Schools with 10 years of experience as a K-8 School Counselor will be facilitating a lesson plan from the social emotional learning curriculum that she provides within the classroom.
• Montréal Cain, Co-Chair of the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force and Founder and CEO of MERA (Monitor, Engage, Recommend, Advocate) Response Team will lead a panel of young adults to discuss the mental health challenges facing youth today.

Meeting Registration

Our meetings are open to all.

• To register for the meeting, complete the form below.
• Indicate if you plan to participate in-person at Independence First or virtually by Zoom. You will receive an email response with the Zoom link.

Please Note: To save on printing costs and materials, we will no longer be providing printed material unless requested prior to the in-person meeting. Please email lisah@drwi.org to request a packet of the any presenter materials.

Chemical Sensitivity Policy

For the safety and comfort of all those with chemical and environmental sensitivities, Independence First requests that attendees please refrain from using any perfumed products such as scented soaps, deodorants, perfumes, colognes, and heavily scented fabric softeners.

Reasonable Accommodations

ASL interpreters will be provided. To request other disability related accommodations, please email lisah@drwi.org as soon as possible. We will do our best to respond to all requests.

Join us for the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force meeting on Tuesday, April 9 from 3 – 5 PM. The meeting will be held at Independence First, 540 S. 1^st Street. We will also offer a virtual option via Zoom – but encourage you to attend in person for community and networking.

Meeting Agenda

View the April 9, 2024 meeting recording here via Youtube.

• We are fortunate to have Tarsha Wiggins as our April presenter. Tarsha Wiggins is a Milwaukee based licensed clinical social worker and has more than a decade of experience in behavioral health. She is a certified alcohol and drug counselor and is the founder of Speak Wellness Behavioral Health Consulting. Tarsha created a form of therapy she coined as TRAP Therapy. The group sessions she leads use energy, music, and evidence-based practices to educate and empower individuals to engage in their emotional wellness.
  • “Trap Therapy: A Solution to the Emerging Mental Health Needs” presentation (PDF). 
  • Videos
    • Trap Therapy Engagement – Video 1
    • Trap Therapy Engagement – Video 2
    • Trap Therapy – CBT Video
• We are also looking forward to hearing presentations from Mike Lappen, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services Division Administrator and Dr. Kenneth Cole, Licensed Psychologist, who will be updating us on outpatient and crisis services offered by Milwaukee County.

Meeting Registration

Our meetings are open to all. To register for the meeting, complete the form on our website. Indicate if you plan to participate in person at Independence First or by Zoom. You will receive an email response with the Zoom link.

Please Note: To save on printing costs and materials, we will no longer be providing printed material unless requested prior to the in-person meeting. Please email sallys@drwi.org to request a packet of the any presenter materials.

Chemical Sensitivity Policy

For the safety and comfort of all those with chemical and environmental sensitivities, Independence First requests that attendees please refrain from using any perfumed products such as scented soaps, deodorants, perfumes, colognes, and heavily scented fabric softeners.

Reasonable Accommodations

ASL interpreters will be provided. To request other disability related accommodations, please email sallys@drwi.org as soon as possible. We will do our best to respond to all requests.

Join us for the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force meeting on Tuesday, March 12 from 3 – 5 PM. The meeting will be held at Independence First, 540 S. 1st Street. We will also offer a virtual option via Zoom – but encourage you to attend in person for community and networking.

Meeting Agenda

View the March 12, 2024 meeting recording via Youtube.

Our agenda will focus on Milwaukee County Mental Health and will feature a panel discussion with the new executive board of the Mental Health Board. Presenters for the panel include:

• Mary Neubauer – Chair, Mental Health Board; first chair of the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Steering Committee
• Kathie Eilers – Vice Chair, Mental Health Board; former administrator of Behavioral Health Division and registered nurse.
• Shirley Drake – Secretary, Mental Health Board; Certified Peer Specialist

View the Mental Health Board Overview presentation here (PDF).

Following the panel discussion will be a presentation from Kenneth Ginlack, LCSW, CSAC, ICS – Chief Executive Officer CEO at Serenity Inns Inc. Ken is in recovery from a substance use disorder. His experience drove him to become a professional in the field helping others take steps towards recovery.

Meeting Registration

Our meetings are open to all. To register for the meeting, complete the form on our website. Indicate if you plan to participate in person at Independence First or by Zoom. You will receive an email response with the Zoom link.

Please Note: To save on printing costs and materials, we will no longer be providing printed material unless requested prior to the in-person meeting. Please email sallys@drwi.org to request a packet of the any presenter materials.

Chemical Sensitivity Policy

For the safety and comfort of all those with chemical and environmental sensitivities, Independence First requests that attendees please refrain from using any perfumed products such as scented soaps, deodorants, perfumes, colognes, and heavily scented fabric softeners.

Reasonable Accommodations

ASL interpreters will be provided. To request other disability related accommodations, please email sallys@drwi.org as soon as possible. We will do our best to respond to all requests.