Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Blog

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In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, San Mateo County’s 4th annual Interfaith Day of Prayer will be hosted on Thursday, September 5th from 12pm to 1pm at 400 County Center Courtyard in Redwood City 

 At the Interfaith Day of Prayer for Faith, Hope and Life, faith and secular leaders will join together to share their faith perspective on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.

Faith leaders play a key role in supporting mental health and preventing suicide. These leaders are important sources of hope and strength for their congregants, counsel for those in crisis, and provide comfort and support in the aftermath of a suicide attempt or death. It is the faith leader who, at a memorial service or funeral, has a platform to encourage help-seeking by those at risk and remind all to be alert to the risk of suicide in their community.

According to Mental Health: A Guide for Faith Leaders published by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation and the Mental Health and Faith Community Partnership Steering Committee, “Because religion and spirituality often play a vital role in healing, people experiencing mental health concerns often turn first to a faith leader. From a public health perspective, faith community leaders are gatekeepers or “first responders” when individuals and families face mental health or substance use problems.”  

List of presenters for the event include:

• Rabbi Lisa Delson, Peninsula Temple Sholom
• Fr. Lawrence Goode, St Francis of Assisi Church (EPA)
• Scott Gilman, Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) 
• BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) – Native Indigenous Peoples Initiative and Pacific Islander Initiative
• Wesley Mukoyama, Volunteer Buddhist Chaplain at Santa Clara County Jail
• Akshat Sharma, Sanatan Mandir Hindu Temple
• Rev. Mary Frazier, Bread of Life Evangelistic Outreach
• Pamela Ward, Lived Experience Academy
• Helene Zimmerman,  Executive Director of NAMI SMC
• Ishaq Pathan, Islamic Network Group
• & more! 

Get involved in the National Weekend of Prayer on September 6th and 7th by joining in a world wide prayer event in your faith gathering place. Learn more here.  

 For more information about this event, visit https://www.smchealth.org/spirituality-initiative or contact BHRS ODE Spirituality Initiative co-chair Melinda Riccosa at (650) 372 – 8573 or MAParker@smcgov.org and Bill Kruse at (510) 506- 3815 or bkruse@churchfortoday.net. 

To learn more about September Suicide Prevention Month, resources and for a full list of events, visit www.smchealth.org/SuicidePrevention. 

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please reach out to these 24/7 crisis hotlines: StarVista Crisis Hotline (San Mateo County) – 650-579-0350, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and/or Crisis Text Line – Text “Home” to 741741.

If you or someone you know is in need of mental health or substance use services and you have MediCal, Health Plan San Mateo (HPSM), or are uninsured, please contact BHRS ACCESS at (806) 686- 0101 or TDD at (800) 943- 2833. If you have private insurance please reach out to your insurance company and request support. 

#BetheOneSMC #ImHereForYou