Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Blog

Mon, 5/10- 6:30pm-7:30pm | Museum of Mental Health
Location: Zoom (Registration Form) 
Details: Visit museum, located on the site of the 130-year-old hospital used as the filming location for the Academy Award-winning movie “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and now dedicated to education and fostering understanding of the many issues of mental illness, and helping to remove stigma.
Language: English
Contact: John Weaver | jnweaver@menlopark.org

Wed, 5/12- 1pm-2:30pm | Photovoice Panel Presentation by LEEW & Co
Location: Zoom Link or Dial 669-900-6833 (Meeting ID: 934 8070 2047 | Passcode: 207173)
Details: The Photovoice ‘Hope for Change’ project theme will encourage participants to frame their Photovoice stories around Hope, Resilience, Community Inclusion and mental health wellness. Their stories will share recovery and wellness journeys and processes in ways that will be clear, concise and connecting journals of human experience that will touch and engage members of the public.
Language: English
Contact: Jairo Wilches | JWilches@smcgov.org or Lee Harrison | LEHarrison@smcgov.org 

Wed, 5/12- 6pm-7pm | Meditation as an Approach to Handle Anxiety Uncertainty
Location: Via Zoom (Registration Form) 
Details: We’re living in a time that often feels confusing and stressful. People are more anxious and many experience a struggle to stay positive and true to our inner core. Through regular meditation, we can experience profound peace, bliss, and happiness.
Umesh Bhatia, a long-time meditator, will share the scientific research around meditation and offer a simple meditation technique you can use every day. We look forward to seeing you at this informative and centering experience.
Language: English
Contact: Jessic Ormonde | Ormonde@smcl.org

Wed, 5/12 – 6pm-7:30pm | Book Discussion on Emergent Strategy
Location: Zoom (Registration link)
Details: Join us for a book discussion on Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown, with a look to how to cultivate a culture of care and wellness in our community, with moderation from Nethra Samarawickrema & Yuri Zaitsev of the Listening Lab. You can find more about Nethra & Yuri’s workshops at https://www.listenuplab.com/workshops. This is part of our Burlingame Reads 2021 program focusing on environmental justice, equity, and community care, featuring Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown. You can find more information on the series here. 
Language: English
Flyer: TBA
Contact: Elaine Tai | tai@plsinfo.org | 650-558-7400

Thurs, 5/13- 11:30am-12:30pm | Vinyasa Yoga
Location: Virtual (Registration Form) 
Details: The vinyasa flow workshops involve more physically demanding work and options will be offered to make them accessible for all. Classes typically begin with grounding breathing techniques to tap into your parasympathetic (rest & digest) response. From there, you’ll enjoy a gentle warm up before getting into a moving meditation as you flow from one pose to another with your breath. Sessions will focus on relieving stress and rejuvenating your body.
Language: English
Contact: Darren Heiber | heiber@smcl.org

Thurs, 5/13- 6:30pm-7:45pm | Live & Aloud – Gaby Castro, Musician
Location: Zoom (Registration Form) 
Details: Gaby Castro is a San Francisco Bay Area-based singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, model, actress, and activist. She has released three studio albums and one EP of original music, performed nationally and internationally, including as a regional semi-finalist in one of the biggest battle of the bands in the world Hard Rock Rising. Gaby plays guitar, piano/keyboards, ukulele, mandolin, and hand percussion. She has studied contemporary voice under Angela Arana since July 2009, and holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition – Songwriting and a Master of Arts in Music Business through Berklee Online and Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.  Strongly an advocate for mental illness awareness, Gaby often writes songs that touch on her personal struggles and the struggles of those around her. She hopes as a songwriter and musician to create a positive change regarding the way mental illness is treated in today’s society by initiating conversations on the difficult topic.
Language: English
Contact: Roz Kutler | 650-780-7059 | rkutler@redwoodcity.org

Thurs, 5/13- 7pm-8pm | SafeSpace: screening Many Generations, One Conversation 
Location: Zoom Link
Details: Has batallado para conversar con tu familia sobre la salud mental? Te preguntas si esto SOLO te esta sucediendo a ti? Tu NO estas solo(a). En SafeSpace te invitamos a unirte a nosotros en una discusión sobre la salud mental y los adolescentes, algunas percepciones erróneas al respecto, y ver un video que resaltara la reducción de la brecha generacional y cultura mientras aborda los desafíos en torno al estigma. SafeSpace es una organización dirigida por jóvenes y centrada en la salud mental que permite a los jóvenes participar abiertamente en sus escuelas y comunidades. Crean e implementan iniciativas para cambiar la conversación sobre la salud mental educando y animando a sus compañeros a hablar, apoyar a otros y buscar ayuda cuando sea necesario.  
Language: Spanish
Contact: Annie Kim | Annie@safespace.org

Thurs, 5/13- 8pm-9pm | SafeSpace: screening Many Generations, One Conversation 
Location: Zoom Link
Details: Have you struggled with having conversations with your family about mental health? Do you find yourself questioning if this is ONLY happening to you? You are NOT alone. We at SafeSpace invite you to join us in a rich discussion about teen mental health, some misperceptions about it, and watch a video that will highlight bridging the generational and cultural gap while addressing the challenges around stigma. SafeSpace is a youth-led, mental health-focused organization that empowers young people to engage openly with their local schools and communities. They create and implement initiatives to change the conversation around mental health by educating and encouraging their peers to speak up, support others, and seek help when needed.   
Language: English
Contact: Annie Kim | Annie@safespace.org

Fri, 5/14- 4pm-5pm | Music for Mental Health: Kimberlye Gold
Location: Zoom (Registration Link)
Details: Bay Area singer/songwriter Kimberlye Gold will join us to share pop/rock/R&B/country originals and covers. Kimberlye says that music has always been the medicine for the highest peaks and dark nights of her soul, inspiring her every step on her lifelong journey to create and reach out to touch others.
Language: English
Contact: John Weaver | jnweaver@menlopark.org

Fri, 5/14- 6pm-8pm | “This is Crazy: Criminalizing Mental Health” A Film By: Brave New Films
Location: Zoom Webinar ID: 939 9524 2833
Details: A short documentary which highlights stories of individuals with mental illnesses who have found themselves in a dysfunctional prison system rather than getting proper care. Followed by a panel discussion focusing on advocacy and the importance of decriminalizing Mental Health through lived experience.
Language: English
Flyer: Here
Contact: Yraes Guerrero and Greg Thompson | info@vorsmc.org

For more information about Mental Health Month, visit SMCHealth.org/MHM.