Suicide Prevention Committee Newsletter – February 2025

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The Suicide Prevention Committee (SPC) provides oversight and direction to suicide prevention efforts in San Mateo County. Led by the Office of Diversity and Equity at San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the committee is comprised of suicide attempt survivors, suicide loss survivors, behavioral health providers, social service providers, local transportation agency staff, and other community members passionate about preventing suicide in our community.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Latest Updates

  •  Suicide Prevention Committee are proposing new projects, including a new resource flyer, data visualization and video series. More details to be shared in upcoming meetings.

Monthly Meetings

  • Upcoming Meeting: Tuesday, 02/04/2025 1:30pm – 3pm
    • Topic: Resource Flyer & Suicide Data Visualization Project
  • Prior Meeting: Tuesday, 01/07/2025 1:30pm – 3pm
    • Topic: Review Priorities 2025 & Key Partners Matrix
  • 2025 Meeting Schedule

UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (In-Person)

ASIST is a two-day in person interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may be at risk for suicide and work with them to create a plan to support their immediate safety. Skills learned in one environment are transferable to others, creating a life-saving impact across the community.

This course is offered by San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity:

Mental Health First Aid and Be Sensitive Be Brave Trainings

Dedicated to empowering youth and families in underserved communities through evidence-based mental health training, Kingdom Love LLC focus is on strengthening family and community connections by providing accessible, skill-based education that fosters a shared understanding for prevention and early intervention.

To learn more and register for upcoming trainings, visit: https://www.kingdomlove.live/trainings

Virtual “Be Sensitive, Be Brave for Suicide Prevention”

Infusing culture and diversity throughout a foundational workshop on suicide prevention, this workshop teaches community members to act as eyes and ears for suicidal distress and to connect individuals to help

Registration is required: bit.ly/SMCOUNTY-BSBB

Thursday, January 30th, 2025

5:30pm – 7:30pm

Zoom

Blended In-Person Adult Mental Health First Aid

This training course focuses on adults supporting adults 18 years old and older.

This is a blended in-person training course where registrants will need to complete a 2-hour self-paced course,

prior to attending in-person on the scheduled date.

Registration is required to attend: bit.ly/SMCOUNTY

901 Civic Campus Way South San Francisco

Friday, February 28th, 2025

8:30am – 3:30pm

Never a Bother (neverabother.org) Webinar

Never a Bother is California’s groundbreaking youth suicide prevention campaign–designed with, for, and by youth and their caregivers.

Join Civilian, the agency behind the work, along with campaign youth advisors and guest speakers from the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Suicide Prevention and the California Health and Human Services Agency in an interactive webinar sharing key learnings about the campaign’s design, creative, messaging, implementation, engagement, and more.

They’ll also discuss the benefits of co-creation with diverse audiences and youth, the ins-and-outs of how to do it, and how unconventional partnerships can deliver results.

Register to secure your spot today!

Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LFl4myYdS5io3mDs0Ft4vw#/registration

When: 02/05/25 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm

IN THE NEWS

This section includes news that intersects with our local suicide prevention work:

Native Youth Open Up About Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Live Panel Discussion
This past November for Native American Heritage Month, Native youth and community partners from the CDPH Office of Suicide Prevention’s Never a Bother campaign came together for a timely and crucial conversation on mental health and suicide prevention. The panel discussion was broadcast live from FNX | First Nations Experience/KVCR studios and featured youth leaders from:

Two Feathers Native American Family Services (McKinleyville, CA)
Native American Health Center (San Francisco, CA)
Sierra Native Alliance (Auburn, CA).

During the conversation, participants shared powerful perspectives that highlight the Never a Bother campaign’s youth-led efforts to address suicide prevention in ways that resonate with Native communities across California.

A recording of the program will air on PBS TV Stations in California on the following dates:

Tuesday, 01/14/25 at 10:30 PM & Sunday, 02/09/25 at 9:30 PM
KPJK Channel 60.5 (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose)
KVCR Channel 24.2 (Los Angeles)
KEET Channel 13.4 (Eureka)

Friday, 01/31/25 at 5:30 PM 
KPJK Channel 60.5 (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose)
KVCR Channel 24.2 (Los Angeles)
KEET Channel 13.4 (Eureka)
KIXE Channel 9.3 (Chico-Redding)

You can also watch the livestream, here!

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESOURCES

CRISIS RESOURCES

NON-CRISIS RESOURCES

BE SENSITIVE, BE BRAVE

This is a two-hour foundational workshop that infuses culture and diversity throughout. The County offers a Mental Health version and a Suicide Prevention version.MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID

This is an eight-hour skills-based training course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health or substance uses signs or crises. The County offers a youth and adult version of this workshop.

For more information about both trainings above, please contact: Sylvia Tang stang@smcgov.org

CALL TO ACTION!

We have the power to make a difference.
By spreading awareness, providing support, and advocate for change, we can help people create aa world where they feel seen, heard, and supported. Here are ways you can help:

Actively participate in the next SPC meeting:

Tuesday, February 4th, 2025, 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Web Browser: https://zoom.us/j/410362485 
(Meeting ID: 410 362 485)
One-Tap Phone: +16699006833,,410362485#
Phone (dial-in): +1 669 900 6833 US
(San Jose) Meeting ID: 410 362 485

Invite Someone New!

Ask new stakeholder, partner, agency, organization, community member to join the SPC mailing list.

Announcements?
Have an important commission meeting?
Upcoming event you would like to highlight?
Send an email by the second Tuesday of each month for co-chairs review to: walter.ng@star-vista.org

QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK?
READY TO GET INVOLVED?
CONTACT US!

Martha Cervantes, LMFT #129448 (She/Her)
Director of StarVista Crisis Services
martha.cervantes@star-vista.org
(650) 208 – 3057

Sylvia Tang, MPP (She/Her)
Community Health Planner
San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS) Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE)
stang@smcgov.org
(650) 208 – 5799

Walter Ng (He/Him)
Program Coordinator of StarVista Crisis Services
walter.ng@star-vista.org
(650) 722 – 7652

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