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Comprehensive Injury Center (CIC)

MCW Comprehensive Injury Center – Division of Alcohol Policy, Prevention, and Research

The Division of Alcohol Policy, Prevention, and Research in the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is the statewide leader and academic home for alcohol policy and primary prevention, and research. Within the Division, the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project (WisAPP) supports prevention work around reducing excessive alcohol use with training, tools, and technical assistance.
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Through a cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional approach, the Division seeks to work with other departments at MCW and other institutions and coalitions across Wisconsin to prevent and reduce excessive alcohol use in the state, determine the effectiveness of current alcohol policies, recommend prevention-focused policies for implementation at the local level, and ultimately change the alcohol environment in the state.
Wisconsin is known nationally for its high rate of excessive alcohol use. Excessive alcohol use is a significant threat to the health, safety, and prosperity of Wisconsin’s residents, making it one of the top public health challenges in Wisconsin. Each year, alcohol contributes to preventable deaths from motor vehicle crashes, falls, violence, suicide, alcohol poisoning, cancer, and chronic disease, among others.

Mission

The mission of the Comprehensive Injury Center’s Division of Alcohol Policy, Prevention, and Research is to support policy, systems, and environmental change that prevents and reduces excessive alcohol use and its associated harms in Wisconsin.

Overarching Goals

  • Serve as a technical assistance and training resource to communities and organizations striving to make change around alcohol use at the local level.

  • Provide data around alcohol policies and their effectiveness to help local communities make informed decisions when implementing new alcohol policies.

  • Identify new data collection that is needed to further understand the alcohol landscape in Wisconsin.

  • Convene organizations working on preventing and reducing excessive alcohol use to encourage statewide and cross-sector collaboration leading to change.

Collaborators

Collaboration with stakeholders is a key part of the Division of Alcohol Policy, Prevention, and Research’s work. The best way to make progress in reducing harms from excessive alcohol use is by including people from all sectors who are invested in making change.
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Advisory Committee

An advisory committee comprised of 12-18 members representing various interests and demographics provides input and feedback to guide the division's work. The advisory committee meets at least three times a year. Members of the committee are listed below:

  • Noelle LoConte – University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
  • Cecilia Hillard – Medical College of Wisconsin
  • John Mantsch – Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Julia Dickson-Gomez – Medical College of Wisconsin
  • George MacKinnon III – Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Lisa Berger – University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
  • Veronica Loy – Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Ritu Bhatnagar – Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine
  • Chris Olsen – Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Ben Case – University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
  • Sarah Davis – University of Wisconsin Law School
  • Will Funmaker – Great Lakes Intertribal Epidemiology Center (GLITC)
  • Michael Schwendau – Wisconsin Department of Transportation
  • Emily Thompson – Wisconsin Department of Justice
  • Tara Jenswold – Wisconsin Department of Justice
  • Bernestine Jeffers – University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
  • Valerie Payne – Wisconsin Department of Transportation
  • Mrunalini Kulkarni – Parent/Community Member
  • Jodie Sorenson – Northeast Wisconsin Area Health Education Center
Partners

The Division’s focus on collaboration through community engagement means that partnerships are critical to accomplishing its work. Its current partners include:

  • Alliance for Wisconsin Youth (AWY) – Organization that enhances and supports the capacity of a group of over 100 substance use prevention coalitions in their work.
  • MCW researchers – Researchers housed at MCW focused on areas related to alcohol use and its effects on health.
  • Tribal Nations of Wisconsin – Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized Tribal nations, in addition to other non-federally recognized Tribes. The Division collaborates with Wisconsin’s Tribes through the Great Lakes Intertribal Council (GLITC) and the Great Lakes Intertribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC).
  • University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute – Institute at the University of Wisconsin – Madison dedicated to providing evidence-informed strategies, actionable data, compelling narratives and stories, and high-quality training to equip people with the best possible tools and resources to build equitable systems, structures, and policies.
  • University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health – The University of Wisconsin – Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health.
  • Wisconsin Department of Health Services – Wisconsin’s state level health services department that oversees the state’s public health and mental health and substance use prevention, care, and treatment services.
  • Wisconsin Department of Transportation – Wisconsin’s state level department overseeing the state’s transportation data and policy related to alcohol and motor vehicle crashes.
  • Wisconsin Department of Justice – Wisconsin’s state level department overseeing the state’s data and policy on crimes related to alcohol use and misuse.
  • Wisconsin Department of Revenue – Wisconsin’s state level department focused on alcohol outlet licensing and revenue.
  • Wisconsin Public Health Association – Professional organization for public health professionals in Wisconsin.

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