Last week, Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Services convened its newest Better Ways to Cope grantees, all of whom will tackle opioid misuse in their communities. The grantees cover a wide spectrum of opioid misuse prevention and harm reduction services and programming. The 18-month awards were provided by opioid settlement dollars and represents a significant investment in Milwaukee County’s community-based organizations.
Community Advocates Public Policy Institute is grateful to receive our second round of Better Ways to Cope prevention funding to expand the Escucha Tus Emociones initiative. In 2022, CA-PPI partnered with this bilingual Spanish/English multimedia initiative, led by trainer and therapist Ana Paula Soares, to add culturally affirming substance misuse prevention and mental wellness community workshops that prioritize our county’s Latinx residents. More than 40 trained facilitators have reached 1,500 community members with prevention education opportunities and resources.
With this new round of funding, Escucha Tus Emociones facilitators will deepen their understanding of the opioid crisis on Latinx individuals and communities and learn how to integrate this knowledge into the Escucha Tus Emociones workshops. Mentoring, peer support, and alternative and ancestral healing modalities will also be explored.
Additional 2024-2025 funded agencies are Benedict Center, Changing Hands Mentoring Inc., City of Cudahy Health Department, Hmong American Friendship Association, Mental Health America of Wisconsin-Community Mental Health and Wellness Alliance, Outreach Community Health Centers, Safe and Sound, Samad’s House, Serenity Inns, and Vivent Health.
