Wraparound Milwaukee to Host Free ‘Wellness Together’ Event May 4

MILWAUKEE–Milwaukee County’s Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), Children’s Community Mental Health Services and Wraparound Milwaukee will be hosting “Wellness Together,” a free event open to Milwaukee County families focused around the themes of mental health awareness and positive communication. The event will take place on Saturday, May 4 in Diercks Hall (1025 N. Milwaukee St.) on the MSOE campus in downtown Milwaukee. Doors open at 8:30 a.m., with the event running from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. While the event is free, registration is required and can be completed online www.mkewellnesstogether.com.

“Wellness Together” will serve as a kickoff to Youth Mental Health Awareness Week and feature a variety of activities to help youth and families explore healthy outlets and safe coping mechanisms for navigating mental health issues and building stronger and healthier lines of communication between parents or caregivers and youth. The event will begin with presentations from Wraparound Milwaukee and the Lad Lake Masana Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility (YCSF) before participants will separate into breakout sessions to engage in healthy activities such as yoga, plant therapy, guided journaling, breath work, art therapy, and more.

“This innovative event is an extension of our ongoing efforts to drive awareness and prevention around mental health issues impacting Milwaukee’s youth,” said Brian McBride, Director of Children’s Community Mental Health Services and Wraparound Milwaukee. “We are in the midst of a community outreach campaign to support our Masana Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility in partnership with Lad Lake. This event will be a fantastic resource to introduce families and youth to prevention strategies to promote positive mental health, while also highlighting the tremendous resource we have at Lad Lake for when a safe, short-term intervention is warranted to help put families back on healthier footing.”

The “Wellness Together” event will build upon Wraparound Milwaukee’s ongoing efforts to foster education, awareness, and conversation around the mental health issues many youth in our community struggle with. Earlier this spring, Wraparound launched a multimedia outreach campaign to create dialogue around the many stressors teen girls in particular are facing while also highlighting the critical services provided by the Lad Lake Masana YCSF as an alternative to care in a more restrictive setting such as a hospital or detention center. The campaign features digital and transit advertising showcasing real girls from the community opening up about their struggles. For more on the campaign, visit www.youthcrisiscentersmke.com.

About the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services
The Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) empowers safe, healthy, meaningful lives by ensuring that no one in need goes unserved. Whether it be experiencing homelessness, a mental health crisis, incarceration as a youth or caring for a child with disabilities, DHHS connects individuals and families to resources that can help. Using best practices from the social service sector, DHHS collaborates within its service areas and with community partners to provide personalized services that are integrated, trauma-informed, and evidence-based and drive positive outcomes. Committed to performance excellence, DHHS is dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to the resources they need to overcome challenges and create opportunities to become self-sufficient, strengthen their families and create a healthy, stable and safe community, working toward the vision of “Together, creating healthy communities.” DHHS is comprised of the following areas: Aging & Disabilities Services, Behavioral Health Services, Children, Youth & Family Services, Child Support Services, Housing Services, Management Services, and Veterans’ Services.

For more information visit www.county.milwaukee.gov/DHHS.

About Children’s Community Mental Health Services and Wraparound Milwaukee
Children’s Community Services and Wraparound Milwaukee is a unique system of care for children with serious emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs and their families. Wraparound’s mission is to help build healthy and strong communities by enhancing children and families’ ability to meet life’s challenges and to foster resiliency and hope for a better future. For more information visit https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/DHHS/BHD/Childrens-Community-Mental-Health-Services.

About Lad Lake Masana Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility
The Masana Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility is certified through the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services to provide services for female youth, ages 13 to 17 years old, who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Lad Lake, in partnership with Wraparound Milwaukee, provides short-term crisis stabilization and treatment services so youth can return to the community with new wellbeing skills and a plan for success.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.