Monthly Archives: April 2018

May 1: Parent Education Night – Westmoor High School

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On Tuesday May 1st, Westmoor High School in Daly City will be hosting a Parent Education night for May Mental Health Awareness Month. This will occur between 6:30-8:30 p.m. Panelists will talk about different concerns that students may face such as student stress, mental health concerns, and suicide. This is a great opportunity for parents to gain additional information and support. A FREE dinner will be served, and there will be Spanish interpretation services available as well. RSVP Links Below!

Please let your community and networks know of this free event!

English RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Ezg_0C4ozLFxiAyNRmAquHlUEwt5Sw7ojv6brTmOWJU/viewform?edit_requested=true

Spanish RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KKBNMC07j4VzsGDwzVYtU_hZ6xEn7z-0-W-IGuU6eFI/viewform?edit_requested=true

May 8 – Join a Community Conversation on Cannabis

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Join Supervisor Warren Slocum on May 8 for a conversation on marijuana, featuring local experts.

Lived Experience Academy Participants Graduate

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Apr 10 2018 LEA GraduationThe Office of Consumer and Family Affairs recently completed a Lived Experience Academy session. The Lived Experience Academy teaches clients and family members with lived experience to share their stories to empower themselves, further the healing process, reduce stigma and educate others about behavioral health conditions.

“I loved LEA,” said one graduate. “It taught me how to tell my story and made think and feel deeply. I loved this group.” Read more

Talking to Your Child About Cannabis

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Group of three happy teenagers studyingYoung people have an incredible capacity to learn, grow and experience new things. Cannabis use can negatively impact a young person’s development. San Mateo County is hosting free cannabis education workshops for parents. Join local experts to learn how marijuana use can affect your child’s health, safety and educational outcomes. Find out what you can do to prevent underage use. See dates, locations and additional information below. Read more

Are Implicit Bias Trainings Enough to Actually Stop Incidents Like Philadelphia Starbucks?

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On 4/12, two black men were sitting at a table at Starbucks without making a purchase and were arrested when declining a store manager’s demand to leave.

Since then, Starbucks’ CEO Kevin Johnson has announced changes to its policy including mandatory implicit bias tests, shutting down all US Starbucks stores on May 29th. This opens larger conversations about what is implicit bias, how it can be harmful, and whether Starbucks’ implicit bias test can actually make a difference.

Implicit bias refers to the automatic associations people have in their minds about a group of people, including stereotypes. They are formed subconsciously and unintentionally, but result in the prejudiced behaviors, attitudes, and actions for or against a person or group of people.

According to CNN, studies have shown that implicit bias contributes to “shooter bias”, the tendency for the police to shoot unarmed black suspects more often than white ones

Starbucks’ Implicit Bias training intends to combat the issue of implicit bias. However according to Cornell professor, Michelle Duguid’s research, sometimes implicit bias trainings have a negative effect on its audience; by explaining to people that stereotyping is common, people are sometimes actually more likely to express those biases.

Read more

San Mateo County Proclaims May Mental Health Awareness Month

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Left to right: Jairo Wilches (BHRS Office of Consumer Family Affairs), Suzanne Aubrey (BHRS Office of Consumer Family Affairs), Helene Zimmerman (National Alliance for Mental Illness San Mateo County), Candice Hawley, David Young, John Butler, Sylvia Tang (BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity), Christopher Jump (Heart & Soul, Inc.), Yoshie Hill (Heart & Soul, Inc.).

This morning, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors (BoS) recommitted to raising awareness and reducing stigma around mental health and substance use issues in the 2018 Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) Proclamation. Supervisors Dave Pine and Don Horsley made opening remarks highlighting their ongoing commitment to behavioral health in their respective districts and throughout the County.

After receiving the proclamation, our new Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS) Director David A. Young, PhD, MPH presented an introduction to MHAM and illustrated the importance of raising awareness about mental health and substance use conditions. Dr. Young underscored the prevalence of behavioral health conditions and barriers to receiving help – including stigma – which need to be addressed.

Two Lived Experience Academy graduates, Candice Hawley and John Butler, continued to educate the audience with their personal stories living with a mental health condition. Their stories beautifully illustrated adversity, hope and recovery. Their stories enhance our understanding and empathy for those who live with mental health conditions.

The recording of this Proclamation and other parts of the BoS meeting are located at bos.smcgov.org.

To continue the dialogue about mental health and substance use issues, please wear a lime green ribbon or attend a MHAM events in San Mateo County. More information can be found at smchealth.org/mentalhealthmonth.

Written By Sylvia Tang, Community Health Planner
Office of Diversity and Equity, San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services

Tomorrow, 4/24 – Mental Health Awareness Month Proclamation

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Tomorrow at 9 a.m. the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will proclaim May as Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM). Stop by 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA  94063 to watch the proclamation and hear from inspiring speakers.

BHRS is partnering with local organizations throughout the month of May to raise awareness about mental health and substance use issues and the importance of getting help. This year’s MHAM theme is “Bridging Communities to Wellness,” where all San Mateo County residents can connect to resources that support their well-being, regardless of who they are or where they live in the county.

Help us kick off Mental Health Awareness Month with the Art of Wellness Festival and see the MHAM Calendar for other events throughout the month.

Saturday, May 5- SMC Gun Buyback Event

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On Saturday, May 5, there will be a gun buyback in Redwood City where individuals can surrender firearms with no questions asked, and receive cash in return. This program was initiated by a group of citizens from San Carlos, deemed the Citizens for a San Mateo County Gun Buyback. See the press release for more information.

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Today, 4/18 – Behavioral Health Planning Council Meeting

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The Behavioral Health Planning Council is hosting its quarterly meeting this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the Pullman Hotel in Redwood City. The meeting will cover Workforce Education and Training funds, cultural and implicit bias, the Mental Health Block Grant and more. Stop by if you are interested in getting involved in statewide behavioral health advocacy. The meeting is open to the public.

Meeting Times:
April 18 & 19, 1:30 to 5 p.m.
April 20, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Agendas and additional information

Arab American Heritage Month

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April marks National Arab American Heritage Month. Included in the California Senate Resolution are the acknowledgements that Arab Americans have been making valuable contributions to every aspect of American Society, set fine examples of model citizens, bring resilient family values, strong work ethic, dedication to education, and more. Read about the resolution here.

Here at the Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE), we are working to also recognize and support the Arab and Arab American communities.

In collaboration with ODE, BHRS, and the Arab Workgroup, students in the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) at Jefferson High School shared their stories. The students shared their stories in response to the framing question, “What does mental wellness look like in you community?”.

The students shared that they feel “othered”, that they are challenged with balancing expectations from two cultures, and that they are hopeful with their faith in Allah.

Sharing these stories is important for many reasons, including building visibility and recognizing the lived experiences of a community who’s stories are marginalized. As you read these stories, think about how you show up for our Arab and Arab American colleagues and consumers.

Similarly related, the U.S. government classified people of Middle Eastern descent as “white” since 1970. This has made it challenging to get an accurate count of Arab Americans in the U.S. and to determine how members of this population are succeeding financially, academically, etc. ODE is challenging this in our own health system by working with the Arab Work Group to add an option to the race/ethnicity demographic form that distinguishing Arab and Arab Americans from Middle Easterns. With this, we will be able to keep better track of the services we provide to ensure that we provide equitable care to all communities!

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