SPECIAL FEATURE #6: PROMOTING POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES – Stigma Free San Mateo County
Stigma Free San Mateo County (SFSMC) is an initiative of the Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) to eliminate stigma and end the discrimination against people with mental illness and substance use issues. One in four people have a mental health condition yet, less than 50% are getting the help they need because of the stigma and fear of being judged.
“…it’s all about raising awareness about mental health, talking about mental health and normalizing mental health so that it’s an every day conversation and people can get the help that they need just like any other medical condition,” says Katy Davis, Workforce Education and Training Coordinator.
SFSMC includes the Lived Experience Academy, Lived Experience Advocacy Academy, Skyline Community College Images of Stigma Series and the Be the One Campaign, an effort to get everyone involved in eliminating stigma by getting informed about mental illness and signing a pledge (www.smchealth.org/takethepledge) to end stigma.
Once a week I shared BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) prevention programs through a series of short video clips created by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), funded by the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). This was the last of the videos, hope you enjoyed them!