Monthly Archives: December 2015

Investing in California College Students’ Mental Health Yields High Returns

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According to a RAND Corporation study released this month, the California’s Student Mental Health Initiative, a California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) program funded by the Mental Health Services Act,  led to a 13 percent increase in public university and community college students receiving mental health treatment and, as a result, will lead to:

  • 329 more students graduating with higher education degrees.
  • $56 million return for every year (or $6.49 return for every dollar) invested in the California Student Mental Health Initiative.

These results reinforce how important it is for San Mateo County to continue investing in prevention and early intervention for our students, particularly for our three community colleges: Cañada College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College.  The BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity offers prevention and early intervention programs to San Mateo County students and residents, including free community education courses, stigma discrimination reduction campaign and storytelling series.

The overall goal of the statewide Student Mental Health Initiative is “to improve the capacity of each campus to more quickly identify, support, and intervene with students at risk of mental health problems and to raise student and campus staff awareness of the importance of mental health well-being for successful completion of higher education.” About one-fifth to one-third of undergraduates have a mental health problem. Of those college students with a mental health disorder, only 20-40% seek treatment (the rate is even lower among public institutions).

SMHWordCloud

Images created at https://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/.

Free NAMI Basics Education Program For Parents and Family Caregivers

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NAMI Basics is a free six week education course for parents and other family caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illness. This course is taught by trained teachers who are also parents/caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to age 13 years.

  • Fundamental information necessary to be an effective caregiver.
  • Coping with the impact that mental illness has on child and family.
  • Tools for parent/caregiver to help make the best possible decisions for your child.
  • Self-care for parent/caregiver and family.

Classes begin: January 13, 2016 – 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
1650 Borel Place, Suite 130, San Mateo, CA 94402
Contact us to register for this NAMI Basics Class!
Claudia Saggese: 650 573-2189 or
NAMI Office: 650 638-0800 or Education@namisanmateo.org
Download the flyer.

Request for Proposals: Multi-Cultural Center Services, East Palo Alto

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BHRS is soliciting proposals from qualified and interested providers for the provision of Multi-Cultural Center Services in East Palo Alto. The Request for Proposals for these services can be viewed at and downloaded by going to www.smchealth.org/bhrs/rfp. If unable to download, paper copies of the RFP may be requested from Mary Vozikes via email mvozikes@smcgov.org.

All interested parties are invited to attend the non-mandatory proposers’ conference to be held on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 1:30 P.M. in Conference Room 300.11 (Third Floor) of the Health Services building, 225 37th Avenue, San Mateo, California. The deadline for submitting a proposal is 4:00 P.M. PST on Friday, January 22, 2016.

Know The Signs Campaign

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In June, 22 community members were trained to facilitate a 1-hour training on the topic of suicide in Spanish called “Know The Signs.” This training teaches community members about the possible warning signs of suicide, how to start the conversation about suicide with someone, and where one can find resources and help if needed. Check out four of the graduates giving presentations to our San Mateo High School graduates on December 8, 2015!

Ines and Amada
Eva and Rosa

En junio, 22 miembros de la comunidad fueron entrenados para facilitar un entrenamiento de 1 hora sobre el tema del suicidio en español llamada “Reconozca las señales.” Este entrenamiento enseña a los miembros de la comunidad acerca de las posibles señales de advertencia de suicidio, cómo iniciar la conversación sobre el suicidio con alguien, y donde se pueden encontrar recursos y ayudar si es necesario. Mira 4 de esos graduados dando presentaciones a nuestros graduados de San Mateo High School el 08 de diciembre 2015!

We Can and Must Be Better

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With 2015 coming to an end and the days of 2016 yet to unfold I wonder what lies ahead. We have much to look forward to and I am cognizant of how fortunate we are in San Mateo County with the resources we have and the support from our elected officials, sister county departments, providers, and the general community. However, despite these advantages, I am greatly concerned about the seemingly endless string of senseless acts of mass murder that unthinkably is becoming our “new normal” that struck again in Paris and a few short weeks ago in San Bernardino. What differentiates the San Bernardino tragedy from the others is that the victims were our colleagues…fellow County employees, public servants. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go to their families, friends and to their co-workers who will return to work with pain in their hearts but who will continue to devote themselves to helping others. I have extended our support to my counterpart and our colleagues in San Bernardino on behalf of our BHRS staff.

If the carnage and loss of life were not enough, these tragic events and horrific killings has precipitated a storm of vitriolic declarations, whipped up simmering prejudices and initiated calls for drastic measures in clear violation of our country’s constitutional principles and guarantees. Scapegoating, targeting, isolating, and demonizing a single group of people, in this case people of Muslim faith regardless of whether they are an American citizen or not is reprehensible. Throughout history there are countless examples, Nazi Germany, South African apartheid, slavery in this country to name a few, of how this type of overt hostility travels a dangerous and slippery slope. It is appalling and disheartening that this is happening now in this country when tolerance and understanding is what is needed.

I send this message to you, my BHRS colleagues and to our stakeholders that as an organization and as individuals committed to public service and to the public good, we need to and will uphold our values honoring and respecting everyone regardless of their religious beliefs. We have an ethical responsibility that we will uphold to be vigilant against any erosion of these values as we continue our work in these troublesome times. We will ensure that each and every one of our BHRS colleagues feels welcome and supportive in the workplace. And we must apply the same sensitivity and support to our clients and family members, as this might be a particularly difficult and confusing time for them.

I have great regard for you my BHRS colleagues and our providers and the ethics and values you bring to work every day. I am confident that individually and collectively we will demonstrate humility, inclusion and commitment to social justice for everyone.

– Steve Kaplan, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Director

Request for Proposals: Health Ambassador Program-Youth

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BHRS is soliciting proposals from qualified and interested providers for the provision of Health Ambassador Program – Youth. The Request for Proposals for these services can be viewed at: www.smhealth.org/bhrs/rfp. If unable to download, paper copies of the RFP may be requested from Martha Ugarte-Ortiz via email – mugarte-ortiz@smcgov.org.

All interested parties are invited to attend the non-mandatory proposers’ conference to be held on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. in the BHRS Conference Room of the Health Services Building, 225 37th Avenue, 3rd Floor. San Mateo, California.

The deadline for submitting a proposal is 4:00 P.M. PST on Monday, January 25, 2016.

Lived Experience Academy Graduates

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On November 17th, members of the Lived Experience Academy graduated after spending six weeks learning the ins and outs of San Mateo County’s BHRS division and building their own confidence with public speaking and advocacy techniques. These graduates will now venture forth and serve on the  various boards and commissions associated with BHRS: Quality Improvement Committee, Suicide Prevention Committee, Mental Health Substance Abuse Recovery Commission, CSA Advisory Boards, Workforce Development and Education Committee, Housing operations Program, etc.
The members of the Lived Experience Academy, in addition to serving on these boards and commissions, will also be giving presentations to provide a needed link to creating a team approach in reaching all those working within BHRS. These presentations will inform the providers, both clinical and administrative, in knowing how important their work is and they see first hand how their duties definitely improve the lives of those who seek help from BHRS.
I have enjoyed working with the SMC Lived Experience Academy. I was given a six-month contract with SMC to assist with their training of the Lived Experience Academy and have enjoyed working along with such wonderful speakers and facilitating at the various venues. I began a speaker’s bureau in 1990 and have helped many speakers to tell their story in over 2600 public presentations to date with the Stamp Out Stigma program.

Carmen Lee

Health System’s Website: Tell Us What You Think

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The San Mateo County Health System is redesigning the Health System website in 2016 and want to hear your feedback on our current site. Tell us what you think by completing this brief survey by 12/18.

HS website

County continues rehab contracts: Six providers to receive nearly $10.8 million for substance use treatment

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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is set Tuesday to approve contracts totaling about $10.8 million to six nonprofit agencies that provide substance abuse treatment.

Although the county has a continuing resolution with the agencies to fund their services, approval of the contracts was on hold as officials have awaited word on a waiver that would give nonprofits the ability to draw upon federal funds to provide expanded substance abuse treatment.

The nonprofits had no disruption in payments, however, and the county just submitted a plan to the state Department of Health Care Services Nov. 30 on how local agencies would use Medicaid and Medi-Cal dollars to provide substance abuse treatment to a “larger eligibility pool,” Steve Kaplan, director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, said Monday.

Currently, Medi-Cal restricts the types of services that may be provided to claim federal participation, Kaplan said.

Once the waiver is approved, Medi-Cal eligible individuals will have access to a rich array of services, he said.

It will also increase the eligibility pool to access services, he said.

Read the full story in The Daily Journal.

BHRS Training Update

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Trainings This Month

There is still room in the DSM 5 Trainings on 12/9 and 12/15 with Stan Taubman, PhD, LCSW.  This training is recommended for any staff who diagnose clients or who need to understand diagnoses in your work.  The trainings are from 9am to 4pm at 699 Serramonte Blvd. in Daly City in the Galleria room.  The training on each date is the same, so you only need to sign up for one date. Registration Details:  If you are a BHRS employee or a contractor with an LMS account, you can sign up on LMS. (If you have questions regarding LMS, contact Kim Westrick at kwestrick@smcgov.org.)  If you are a contractor without an LMS account, please email Kim Westrick at kwestrick@smcgov.org to register.  Please note: Registration for the 12/9 training will close on 12/8 at 12:00 noon, and registration for the 12/15 training will close on 12/14 at 12 noon (if the trainings have not filled before then).

Reminder to everyone who signed up for the Harm-Reduction Coaching Sessions with Jeannie Little, LCSW—the second session is coming up on 12/16 from 2pm-4pm in Education Classroom 2 in the San Mateo Medical Center.

Trainings in the New Year—Save the Dates!

Friday, January 8, 2016 (9am-4pm) Transgender 102:  Julie Graham, MFT, the Director of Transgender Services in San Francisco, will be providing a training for direct services providers to enhance your clinical competency in working with transgender clients.  This training will build on the Transgender 101 training that was presented last year by OUTlet, and will mostly focus on effective and culturally sensitive clinical interventions with transgender clients including providing therapy, working with co-occurring conditions, and conducting assessments for surgery.  Staff persons who attend this system-wide training will then be eligible to attend a monthly 2-hour seminar with Julie Graham to deepen your clinical skill and engage in case consultation.  A follow-up email and flier will be sent when registration is open.

Thursday and Friday, January 14th and 15th, 2016 (9am-4:30pm) Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST): Toni Demarco, MFT and Mary Taylor Fullerton, MFT will facilitate this in depth 2-day intensive training on suicide prevention. The workshop is for all caregivers (any person in a position of trust). This includes professionals, paraprofessionals and lay people. It is suitable for mental health professionals, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, teachers, counselors, youth workers, police and correctional staff, school support staff, clergy, and community volunteers.  Space in this training is limited and interested folks will need to complete an application. A follow-up email with the application will be sent in 2 weeks.

Friday, January 29th (9am-12:30pm) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi): Lisa Talbot, PhD will be presenting this effective intervention to help clients suffering from insomnia.  A follow-up email and flier will be sent when registration is open.

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