Community Advocates Public Policy Institute supports workshops in English and Spanish to improve community members’ mental health and wellness
In honor of Mental Health Month, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute (CA-PPI) is pleased to announce no-cost community-based resources to help Milwaukee County residents learn more about mental health and wellness.
To provide new resources to Milwaukee County’s Hispanic/Latinx residents, CA-PPI is formally launching its support of the Escucha Tus Emociones / Listen to Your Emotions campaign with a new no-cost Spanish-language “Mental Health Community Talks” (Pláticas) on mental health awareness and substance use prevention. The Escucha Tus Emociones Talks (Pláticas), developed by local bilingual licensed psychotherapist and trainer Ana Paula Soares, consists of one- to two-hour workshops in the heart of the community that intentionally focus on common mental health issues experienced by Milwaukee’s Latinx residents.
The workshop is based on the four psychoeducational videos developed and produced locally by the campaign and is facilitated by well-trained bilingual Promotores de Salud / Community Health Workers and community leaders.
The Promotores and community leaders will begin offering the workshops (Pláticas) in June at community organizations, churches, and public spaces.
Grant support from Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services and US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) made this project possible.
For more information, to host a facilitated workshop, or to register for a workshop, please contact the campaign’s Clinical Director and Coordinator Ana Paula Soares at [email protected].
Informational graphics featuring the Escucha Tus Emociones campaign are on nine bus shelters on the Near South Side to encourage community members to listen to their emotions and to reach out for information and resources. In addition, the campaign’s psychoeducational videos will be featured on Telemundo WI during May in light of Mental Health Month.
Hispanic/Latinx people are the second largest and fastest growing racial and ethnic group in Wisconsin and are less likely to have access to culturally competent behavioral health services compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Hispanic/Latinx residents also have the highest uninsured rate of any racial and ethnic group in the U.S. In addition to that, the current pandemic has aggravated an already existing mental and emotional health crisis.
“It’s extremely important to continue creating and supporting community-based programs that deliver cultural and linguistically appropriate mental health information and services in the heart of the community,” said Soares.
“The Escucha tus Emociones Campaign has chosen to train and support local health promoters and leaders who are already champions and trusted community members.
They will deliver important information about mental health and provide a safe space for sharing, healing and reflection.”
In addition, CA-PPI is offering a special in-person community Mental Health and Wellness Resource Fair on Tuesday, May 23, at Community Advocates, 728 N. James Lovell St., Milwaukee.
All are welcome to attend the mini-resource fair from 3 to 5 p.m. featuring free resources for parents and kids.
After the resource fair, a Mindful Gratitude session, led by author Christel Wendelberger, will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. at Community Advocates; registration is required here.
The one-hour English-language workshop offers a safe and supportive environment for attendees to relax, recharge, and reconnect with their joy and purpose.
Participants will learn skills to see the unique beauty in their lives and stay calm and centered.
They’ll also receive a free gift bag to help them put mindfulness and gratitude to work in their daily lives.
Additional English-language Zoom workshops from CA-PPI in May include:
Trauma and the Brain, May 22, 10 a.m.
10 Tips to Reduce Conflict: Practical Verbal De-escalation Techniques, May 25, 10 a.m.
“Community Advocates offers a variety of mental health and wellness workshops every month to allow family members and community stakeholders to learn about common mental health issues and how they can be identified, worked through, and managed,” said Kari Southern, CA-PPI’s Deputy Director.
“We encourage everyone to take time out to improve their mental health and well-being and support those who may be struggling.”