Events & Meetings

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

Meeting registration is currently closed for the July 13th, 2021 MHTF meeting.

 

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

Meeting registration is now closed for this meeting.

The next MMHTF meeting will be on Tuesday, May 11th, and will be from 3 – 5 PM via Zoom. Registration is required; the form is below.

May 11th Meeting Agenda

View the May 11th Meeting Agenda here.

1. Opening remarks, Mary Neubauer & Christine Apple, MHTF co-chairs.
2. Listening to Youth & Outreaching to Diverse Voices to Build a New Normal, Linda Hall, Director of the Wisconsin DHS Office of Children’s Mental Health and Tiffany Meredith, OCMH Outreach Specialist.
   • View the “Listening to Youth” presentation here.
   • In recognition of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, we will view a segment from the Wisconsin Youth Virtual Art gallery
3. “We Asked. You Answered. We Listened: No Wrong Door,” Presentation regarding community input on crisis redesign in Milwaukee County by Kimberly Kane and Carole Pfeil of Perceptivity Solutions.
   • View the “Community Conversation Report Out” presentation here.
   • Questions about BHD Operations will be answered by Milwaukee County Mental Board members.
   • View the Psychiatric Crisis Redesign Community Engagement Project Report here.
4. Policy updates, Mary Neubauer and Barbara Beckert, Disability Rights Wisconsin.
   • Let us know about your thoughts on the 2022 BHD County Budget by filling out our survey here.

Meeting materials will be posted as they become available.

ASL interpreters will be available.  To request other disability related accommodations, please contact barbara.beckert@drwi.org as soon as possible.  We will do our best to fill all requests.

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 note on your calendar that the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force April meeting date will be Thursday, April 15^th rather than our usual second Tuesday of the month (April 13^th).  The date was changed to allow for speaker availability.

Meeting Agenda

Join us for our April 15^th meeting which will focus on the future of crisis services in Milwaukee County.  This will include the following:

• Presentation about the Joint Venture Mental Health Emergency Center, Pete Carlson of Advocate Aurora Behavioral Health Services.
  • View the presentation here (PDF).
• Milwaukee County’s role with the Joint Venture Emergency Center, and the continuum of crisis services, Behavioral Health Division Administrator, Mike Lappen.
  • Read the Mental Health Emergency Center overview here.
  • Read the MHEC Media Coverage List here.
    • Excel version
    • PDF version (accessible PDF).
  • For additional information, see the Mental Health Board April 22 Meeting Packet – Administrators Report and attachments here.
• Policy Updates: State Budget, MH Board, County Budget, Mary Neubauer, MHTF representative on Mental Health Board, and Barbara Beckert, Disability Rights WI
  • View the State Budget Updates – April 2021 presentation here.

Meeting Materials

• Read the April 2021 Meeting Agenda here.
• Read the Mental Health Emergency Center announcement here.
• Read the MMHTF’s Mental Health ER Center Questions here.
• Read the Letter of Intent for Psych ED here.
• View the Exterior and Floor Plan Draft for the New MHEC here.
• Read the MMHTF State Budget Update (rev. 04-13-2021) here.

To submit a question in advance, email Barbara Beckert at barbara.beckert@drwi.org and put “April MHTF Question” in the email subject.

To request disability related accommodations, please email barbara.beckert@drwi.org by April 2^nd.  We will do our best to respond to any requests received after that date.

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.