Resources

• Milwaukee County is holding 2024 Budget Town Halls.
  • Attend a Town Hall and Share your budget priorities. Information is posted on the county website.
• Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
  • Learn about the Board of Supervisors.
  • Search for your County Supervisor via this look-up
  • Milwaukee County Executive & County board Contact Information

The City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission (FPC) is reviewing review proposed updates to the policy, Standard Operating Procedures 160 – Persons with Mental Illness. 

• View the Standard Operating Procedures 160 policy here.

The Mental Health Task Force submitted public comments on the policy and recommended formation of a Mental Health Advisory committee to advise the Commission, given the major changes occurring with the Milwaukee County mental health system. The comments we submitted sparked discussion and will be shared with the full Fire and Police Commission.

• View the March 24, 2022 Public Comments to the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission regarding Standard Operating Procedures 160 – Persons with Mental Illness here (pdf).

The Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force was a sponsor of the January 31st Milwaukee Mayoral Candidate Forum. We partnered with Milwaukee Turners, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, Disability Rights Wisconsin, MICAH, Rid Racism, and the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition to host the forum.

Watch the 2022 Milwaukee Mayoral Candidate Forum recording on Youtube.

The resources on this list were suggested by forum speakers and committee members. Thanks to all who contributed.

 Note: This is not a comprehensive resource list and inclusion on the list does not indicate an endorsement from the Mental Health Task Force. 

Forum Materials

• 2021 Karen Avery Forum Recording (Youtube)
• Forum Agenda (pdf)
• Forum Speakers (pdf)
• 2021 Mental Health Task Force Award Recipients (pdf)
• 2021 MHTF Awards Presentation (pdf)
• Forum Planning Committee (pdf)
• Recovery Month – Purple Zoom Background (image)

Presentations

• Donald McDonald, MSW, LCAS, RCP, Chief Recovery Officer with All Sober
  • View McDonald’s presentation here.
  • Mutual Support Meetings All Sober (pdf)
  • Mutual Aid & Informed Consent
    Blog: We often recommend that our participants attend mutual aid meetings. We may even require it. Mutual aid organizations provide peer-based, non-clinical, non-professional support meetings to people in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). They focus on socially supportive communication and the exchange of skills through shared experience. Which mutual aid organization is right for your participant?
  • Identifying & Embracing Recovery Pathway Bias
    Webinar: We all have biases, and they are not inherently bad. If we keep characterizing biases as bad, nobody will acknowledge having them. However, when our biases impact the quality of care we provide, that is by everyone’s definition a bad thing. This field must urge its professionals to identify and embrace their recovery pathway biases before they become barriers.
  • Addressing Stigma
    Learning Module: Stigma surrounding SUD inhibits help-seeking, impacts access to appropriate supports, and creates significant barriers to employment, safe housing, family reunification, education, and so on. The JBS Learning Management System (LMS) provides a collection of self-paced, interactive online training modules for continuous improvement in health and health care. To get started, log in or register for a free account.
    This guidance module:
    • Defines stigma and internalized stigma.
    • Explores a framework to measure stigma and select target populations and tactics.
    • Offers a menu of evidence-based anti-stigma activities.
    • Connects learners to national organizations that offer free and open-source resource.

 

• Robert Childs, MPH, Technical Expert Lead at JBS International
  • View Childs’ presentation here.
  • 50-State Survey: Harm Reduction Laws in the United States
    Drug overdose is a continuing epidemic that claimed the lives of over 67,000 Americans in 2018. Opioids, either alone or in combination with other substances, were responsible for approximately 70 percent of these deaths. Unfortunately, state laws and local rules can make it difficult for people who inject drugs to access lifesaving treatments and supplies, and variations in laws among states can create confusion between both people who inject drugs and people and organizations working to ensure that they have the supplies they need to protect themselves and others. This survey of state laws outlines how the legal landscape in each state may affect access to harm reduction services and supplies.
  • FDA statement on continued efforts to increase availability of all forms of naloxone to help reduce opioid overdose deaths
    FDA’s Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) team wanted to share with you the following statement from Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D., regarding the three FDA-approved forms of naloxone, and the various ways that the Agency is continuing to work to expand access to all forms of naloxone to help reduce opioid overdose deaths. If you have questions related to this or other drug-related issues, please contact me at christopher.campbell@fda.hhs.gov.
    • Keane Study on needs based naloxone: Study on the encouragement of secondary distro to PWUD/SSP participants, which is the most effective and least expensive option
  • Naloxone Resources
    • Stability of Naloxone After Expiration
    • OD Rates and Implementation of OD Education and Nasal Naloxone Distribution
    • No Drug Increase Post-Naloxone
    • Cost Effectiveness of Naloxone Distribution
  • Bunny and Wolf Fight Overdose (5 minutes short video)
  • Studies on Environment and OD Risk
    • Sutter et al. – 2019 – Public Drug Use in Eight U.S. Cities – Health risks
    • Donnelly et al. – 2020 – Opioids, Race, and Drug Enforcement

 

Breakout Sessions

• Breakout Session Directions and Roles – for Subject Experts and Facilitators (pdf)
• Breakout Session Notes Form (Word document)

About the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force

• 2021 Steering Committee Members (pdf)
• 2021 Supporting Members (pdf)
• Membership Information

Advocacy Resources

• Milwaukee County Mental Health Board
  • Scroll down the page to see dates for committee meeting and hearing dates.
  • Email board members at MHB@milwaukeecountywi.gov
• Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
• Wisconsin State Legislature Search: To find your legislator, enter your home address in the Who Are My Legislators? field on this page.
• Find your US Representative
• Find your US Senator

Voting Resources

• Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition
• Voter Registration Resources Toolkit
• Register and check your voter status at MyVote.gov here.
• For more voter registration resources, view the National Disability Voter Registration Week Events and Resources page here.
• Join the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition and our partners for our National Disability Voter Registration Week webinar for service providers.

Other Resources

• Peer Support Center of Excellence
• Addictionary
• Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division
  • CARS Substance Abuse Disorder Contracted Providers Directory
• IMPACT Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services
• Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline
  • Call: 211 or 833-944-4673
  • Text: Your ZIP code to 898211
  • Online Search: Addiction Helpline page (external link)
  • Online Chatroom: Enter the chatroom here (external link)
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services Substance Use Disorders
• Resilient Wisconsin via the WI DHS
• Wisconsin Hub and Spoke Health Home Pilot Program
  • The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is collaborating with three sites in different areas of the state to pilot a new model to treat eligible BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid members who have substance use disorders and at least one other health condition. This includes Wisconsin Community Services, Inc., a non-profit community based organization, which will provide services in Milwaukee County.
  • WCS Hub and Spoke Brochure (pdf)
  • WCS Health Home (pdf)
• WI DHS Plan for American Rescue Plan Act: Funds Allocated for Mental Health and Substance Use Services
• Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center: Peer Support Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO)
• Wisconsin NARCAN Direct Program
  • Opioids: NARCAN® Direct Program
  • Opioids: Find Pharmacies Dispensing Naloxone
  • Opioids: Naloxone FAQ
  • NARCAN Direct Milwaukee Providers (pdf)
• List of Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Centers in Milwaukee

The 2021 – 2023 State Budget has been released. To learn more about it, read the following resources below:

• View the presentation for the State Budget Training for Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force here (rev. March 9, 2021).
• View the 2021-2023 Executive Budget in Brief here.
• View the full Budget Bill (SB 111) here.
• Register and attend Governor Evers Budget Bounceback Sessions here.  Registration is required.

Joint Finance Committee Budget Hearings

The Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee will be holding in-person public hearings on the 2021-23 state budget as well as one virtual hearing.

The hearing schedule includes:

• Friday, April 9, 2021: UW-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI
• Wednesday, April 21, 2021: The Hodag Dome, Rhinelander, WI
• Thursday, April 22, 2021: UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI
• Wednesday, April 28, 2021: Virtual

The public hearings will begin at 10 am and conclude at 5 pm.  The format will be similar to past hearings. Management at each of the venues will monitor capacity. Those wishing to testify at the virtual hearing will be required to register in advance, details to come on the registration process.

A portal is available for individuals to provide input on the Joint Finance Committee Budget Comment website as well as an email address: budget.comments@legis.wisconsin.gov.

The Mental Health Task Force will continue to post budget resources on our website and will provide suggestions for preparing your testimony.

Share your budget priorities with state legislators:

To get contact information for your state Senator and Representative:

• “Who Are My Legislators?” on Wisconsin State Legislature Home Page
• Call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-362-9472

To contact members of the state budget committee, find their information on the Joint Committee on Finance website here.