Stay Strong

About

Community Advocates provides funding for public or private, not-for-profit organizations or government entities located in Milwaukee County to provide programming and services directed toward the prevention of alcohol and other drug use and abuse.

Funding is made available through the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division. AODA (Alcohol and Drug Abuse) issues have broad and significant impacts on the overall health and well-being of all Milwaukee County residents. The economic and health costs of substance abuse are substantial, as are the related costs of arrests and criminal offenses to the community. This only validates the need for strategic prevention services.

Community Advocates allocates approximately $250,000 in AODA (Alcohol and Drug Abuse) funding each year based on a Request for Proposal’s competitive bidding process.

Stay Strong Milwaukee Purpose
Community Advocates has functioned as administrator of Stay Strong Milwaukee beginning in 2013. In this role, Community Advocates is responsible for contract administration, program monitoring and coordination, financial and program reporting, and evaluation.

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Aims

Prevention programming is intended to reduce the consequences of substance abuse in communities as well as prevent the onset and/or reduce progression of substance abuse in individuals. In addition, it promotes individual, family and community health, prevents mental health disorders, supports resilience and recovery, and prevents relapse.

The major goals of Stay Strong Milwaukee are:

1. The promotion and enhancement of health and well-being.
2. The prevention of the development of substance use problems.
3. The prevention of the development of substance use problems into substance use disorders.
4. Support the effective use of evidence-based programs and/or practices that encourage and sustain continued AODA prevention.
5. Facilitate cross-system coordination at multiple levels, e.g. resources, personnel, service location that involves public, private and faith-based institutions.
   
6. Set and meet high standards for accountability 

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Expected Outcomes

Stay Strong Milwaukee funding is devoted to reducing alcohol and other drug use and abuse. Projects in this category could include a variety of services aimed at preventing and reducing incidence of alcohol and drug use and abuse in Milwaukee County while achieving the following outcomes:

1. Decrease the proportion of youth who report using alcohol.
2. Decrease proportion of participants who report using illegal drugs.
3. Increase the proportion of participants who report the efficacy to abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs despite external pressures.
4. Increase the proportion of participants who report the efficacy to manage negative emotions that lead to alcohol or drug use.

Partners

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Team

Kaija Zusevics, PhD
Michelle Buyner, MA​