414-270-2940 Cell: 414-333-7393 Email - Community Advocates

FOR NOVEMBER 1, 2012 RELEASE Contact: Joe Volk Telephone: 414-270-2940 Cell: 414-333-7393 Email: [email protected]

COMMUNITY ADVOCATES NAMES NEW DIRECTOR Robert Cherry Will Direct Public Policy Institute Community Advocates has named Robert “Rob” Cherry as the new Director of the Public Policy Institute. Mr. Cherry joined CA in 2009, serving as Systems Design Coordinator for the Milwaukee Addiction Treatment Initiative, and helped promote legislated access for Wisconsin individuals to a high-quality healthcare delivery system integrating addiction treatment, mental health, physical health and supportive services to improve the likelihood of recovery. Mr. Cherry then was appointed to the position of Prevention Services Manager and his responsibilities were expanded to include management of the Milwaukee Brighter Futures Initiative, a state funded multi-million dollar program that provides prevention services for Milwaukee County youth and families. This included the implementation of the Carrera model Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program in cooperation with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and the Center for Self-sufficiency with the Darryl Hynes Academy. Through Mr. Cherry’s leadership, Community Advocates was awarded the role of coordinator of the Milwaukee Multi- Jurisdictional Tobacco Coalition which is funded by the State Tobacco Prevention Control program. In contrast to other policy groups, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute focuses its efforts on issues that directly link to the concerns of agency clients. Mr. Cherry believes that by helping to create or change public policy, coupled with active engagement, we can alleviate the root causes of poverty. In addition to working for mental health and addiction treatment reform, the Institute is involved in designing effective and affordable healthcare options, promoting the creation of transitional jobs and youth transitional jobs, and advocating for community justice system integration reform. —more—

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Prior to his service with Community Advocates, Mr. Cherry served as an Outreach Specialist for UW Milwaukee’s School of Public Health Center for Urban Population Health, Lead Assessment Counselor for M&S Clinical Services, and as a Prevention Specialist for Aurora Sinai, where he provided support to the State of Wisconsin's initiative to enhance the delivery of substance abuse screening, brief screening, referral and treatment (SBIRT) services in a primary healthcare setting. Established in 1976, Community Advocates, Inc. is the largest human needs advocacy agency in Wisconsin and one of the few remaining community-based organizations of any kind that welcomes walk-in clients five days a week. Community Advocates provides skilled and resultsfocused advocacy and services to low-income individuals and families, including health care, utilities and housing assistance; and disabilities and public policy advocacy. Administrative offices are located at 728 N. James Lovell Street in downtown Milwaukee. For more information about Community Advocates, visit www.communityadvocates.net.

### If you would like to schedule an interview with Joe Volk or Rob Cherry please call Cynthia Johnson 414-270-2946 or email Cynthia at [email protected]