Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Blog

On February 7th, 2024, Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Office of Diversity & Equity‘s Health Ambassadors welcomed 13 new graduates of the Health Ambassador Program. This is the first in-person graduation since 2019, and it was a spectacular evening filled with joy, community, and connection. The evening consisted of the awards ceremony, a slideshow highlighting the successes of the program over the past few years, and guest speakers/ presenters including Dr. Maria Lorente Foresti, Scott Gruendl, Clara Boyden and more.

Some of the successes highlighted from Fiscal Year 21-22 and Fiscal Year 22-23 include:
– 119 unduplicated clients served
– 21,000 individuals served
– 45 resource tables
– 10 trainings to support/advocate for behavioral health wellness
– 4 Focus groups: retired Congresswoman foundation, MHSA 3-Year plan, Youth Commission Roadmap, State Suicide Prevention campaign.

The Health Ambassadors also played a key role in COVID-19 support and outreach including:

• Production of 4 Facebook Live community events to support San Mateo County COVID Response
• Creation of PSAs -in English, Zapotec, Tongan, Tagalog, and Spanish to promote vaccination.
• Distribution of mental health support and masks in laundromats, grocery stores, and food bank sites.

About the Health Ambassador Program:
Health Ambassadors are individuals who are committed to helping to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals in their community and complete the Health Ambassador Program. San Mateo County’s Behavioral Health and
Recovery Services (BHRS) Health Ambassador Program was created in recognition of the important role that community members serve in effectively reaching out to others.

As a community member with knowledge and experience, you can make a difference in the lives of families, friends, neighbors, and other members in your community who may be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness and/or a substance use problem.

Learn more at SMCHealth.org/HAP.