Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Blog

ICYMI: On Saturday, May 11, 2024, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity partnered with the Spirituality Initiative and Voices of Recovery to host “Healing Connections” Open Mic event to honor May Mental Health Month, promoting mental and spiritual wellness. This event was sponsored by Supervisor David Canepa.

The wellness open mic event celebrates healing community connections through the sharing of collective creative expressions. As a signature event for May Mental Health Month, the event served to combat the loneliness crisis/epidemic in San Mateo County. To take action against the loneliness crisis/epidemic, our Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in January declaring loneliness a public health crisis, pledging to promote social connection in our communities. According to the 2023 San Mateo County Health and Quality of Life Survey, 45% of residents in San Mateo County residents were experiencing difficulty with loneliness and isolation. Now more than ever it is important to find ways to connect with one another and the “Healing Connections” Open Mic was a means to foster further connection within the community. Through the volunteering of San Mateo County Health Ambassadors and Voices of Recovery tabling resources to share with the community, the wellness event was able to create a welcoming and positive atmosphere.  

Healing Connections was pleased to bring together artists of various backgrounds and provide a safe space for their performances. Pam Ward Pious, Spirituality Co-Chair, graciously kicked off the event with her poetry. The event was honored to have San Mateo County Health Ambassadors John Butler and Yrene Orue share their stories and their poetry. Cinthia Castro and Lourdes Briseno, who are also San Mateo County Health Ambassadors, shared their stories and performed their pieces in Spanish. The “Healing Connections” Open Mic was also honored by the appearance and performance of San Mateo County Supervisor, Noelia Corzo, during the event. Lastly, BHRS ODE would like to provide a special thank you to Dr. Jei Africa, Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, and San Mateo County Behavioral Health Commissioners Michael Lim and Leticia Bido. 

BHRS ODE, San Mateo County Spirituality Initiative and Voice of Recovery would like to thank everyone who attended the “Healing Connections” Open Mic event. The sharing of stories and performances helped to further de-stigmatize mental health and spread awareness of May Mental Health Month, while inspiring others to share their stories; therefore, aligning with BHRS ODE’s values: 

• Utilizing sharing stories (in this case: poems, stories, etc.) and lived experiences to reduce stigma against mental health and substance use conditions 
• Amplify the voices of our underserved or underrepresented community members 
• Raise awareness about how our performers shared their personal journeys to receiving Behavioral Health support. Their stories help us improve our behavioral health outcomes, making them more equitable and inclusive for all SMC community members 

BHRS ODE aspires to host a similar event in the future to be of service and to cultivate a more equitable and inclusive community for all.  

Written by Ayanna Wade, BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity Intern