Category Archives: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

Mental Health Month Photovoice Gallery Viewing Uplifts Community Voices

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On Friday, May 1st, we launched our May Mental Health Month celebration with a Photovoice Gallery Viewing event. In celebration of Mental Health Month, this Photovoice gallery centered community voices, fostered connection, and created a space for reflection, healing, and learning across our system of behavioral healthcare. Hosted on the BHRS Alameda patio, the public gallery showcased Spanish and English Photovoices created by clients and community members over the course of FY 25-26, and one series from FY 24-25. The Photovoices on display included our Housing, Wellness, Health Ambassador Youth, Hispanic Heritage, and Health Ambassador Program Photovoices. In an effort to ensure our attendees could engage with each story, all Spanish Photovoices were translated to English. The intention was to create an event that honored lived experience, meaning, purpose, and belonging—reminding attendees that sharing stories not only destigmatizes behavioral health but also contributes to equity, dignity, and recovery. Upon reading all 93 photovoice stories, participants completed a viewer evaluation survey and then received a free ice cream ticket for participation. We had attendees from various backgrounds: clients, community members, county staff, including our SMC County Health Chief, Colleen Chawla, and our SMC County Executive Office, Mike Callagy.

Consultants from the RDA Consulting team, currently contracted with BHRS to support with program analysis, attended the event which provided an opportunity for them to learn about the participants and stories behind the data. Overall, we were thrilled to have over 100 people attend the event. Many participants of the Photovoice Program also came to see their photovoices on display, attendees be inspired by their own stories. See insights from event below.

Thank you to all of you who were able to join us for this event! Be sure to join us for our next Photovoice Pop-Up booth at the Pride 2026 Health Equity Initiative event!  

Written by Nica Kelleher, BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity

5/26- Understanding Trauma in the Latiné Community

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Hello,

Please see this training opportunity provided by the Latino/a/x Collaborative (LC) in honor of May Mental Health Month. See information below. Thank you:

Latino/a/x Collaborative Training: “Understanding Trauma in the Latiné Community” provided by Lorena Avitea, LCSW

  • Learn how trauma impacts Latiné communities, including immigration experiences and barriers to care, and explore culturally responsive, equity-centered resources
  • Tuesday, May 26, 2026 3:30-5:00 PM (During the monthly LC Meeting)
  • This training will be provided in Spanish with English interpretation
  • For more information: Gaby Perez (Gaperez@smcgov.org) & Pati Ramirez (Patti@alasdreams.com)

2026 May Mental Health Month: Mental Health Is Ours

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Hello,  

This 2026 Mental Health Month theme is “Mental Health Is Ours” This theme highlights that mental health belongs to all of us. It is shaped by families, communities, relationships, culture, and lived experience. This theme invites everyone to take ownership of their well-being; while also recognizing the shared responsibility we have to support one another. 

Join us in commemorating Mental Health Month whether it’s attending a free mental health related event throughout the month, getting involved through advocacy, or finding support for yourself and others.  

Some events to look forward to this May:  

💚 Fri, 5/1- Photovoice Gallery Viewing @ 2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo 

💚 Tues, 5/5- Mental Health Month Kick Off @ allcove, San Mateo 

💚 Sat, 5/9- Move 4 Mind 5K @ Seal Point Park, San Mateo 

💚 Wed, 5/27- Mental Health Month Open Mic @ Café Zoë, Menlo Park 

Full list of events at www.smchealth.org/attend-events. 

About Mental Health Month: 

Each May, San Mateo County joins the state and nation in celebrating Mental Health Month (MHM). This month is an opportunity to increase awareness and reduce stigma by inspiring action and sparking meaningful conversation around mental health and substance use conditions. Each year we partner with local agencies and community members to promote events free and open to the public throughout the county.    

5/26 – Comprendiendo el Trauma en la Comunidad Latiné | Understanding Trauma in the Latiné Community

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Hola,

Aprenda cómo el trauma impacta a las comunidades latiné, incluyendo experiencias relacionadas con la inmigración y las barreras para acceder a servicios, y explore recursos culturalmente sensibles y centrados en la equidad.

Presentadora invitada: Lorena Avitea, LCSW
Fecha: Martez, 5/26/26
Tiempo: 3:30PM-5PM (Durante la reunión mensual de Latino/a/x Collaborative)

Este entrenamiento se ofrecerá en español con interpretación al inglés

Más información: Gaby Perez (Gaperez@smcgov.org) | Pati Ramirez (Patti@alasdreams.com)

Hello,

Learn how trauma impacts Latiné communities, including immigration experiences and barriers to care, and explore culturally responsive, equity-centered resources.

Guest Presenter: Lorena Avitea, LCSW
Date: Tues, 5/26/26
Time: 3:30PM-5PM (During the monthly Latino/a/x Collaborative Meeting)

This training will be provided in Spanish with English interpretation.

More information: Gaby Perez (Gaperez@smcgov.org) | Pati Ramirez (Patti@alasdreams.com)

5/21 – Providing Therapy to Our Native & Indigenous Communities

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Hello,

Join us for an informative workshop on how to support Mayan Communities, what a focus on understand their unique challenges, barriers to behavioral health access, and the factors that influence their well-being.

Workshop will be led by Hildeberto Ruiz-Jarquin. Speakers will be Maestra Lydia Candila Chan and Lazaro Lorenzo.

RSVP at this link or use QR code from flyer: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CSIPNIPI

Be Sensitive, Be Brave: Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Training for the Black Community -Interest Form

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BACHAC in partnership with Community Connections Psychological Associates, Inc. and San Mateo County Health – Behavioral Health & Recovery Services are offering, Be Sensitive, Be Brave: Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Training for the Black Community. 

Join a powerful, culturally-infused training series designed for the Black/African American community in San Mateo County. This FREE workshop equips participants with tools to recognize signs of emotional distress, have courageous conversations about suicide, connect individuals to support, and build resilience within our communities.

Participants will also have the opportunity to share their voice through a follow-up focus group to help shape a curriculum that truly reflects and serves the Black community. Trainings will be held in May 2026 (in-person and virtual options available), and participants will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, with refreshments provided for in-person sessions.

High school students and adults can sign up to express their interest in creating a more responsive, stigma-free approach to mental health care. Trainings will be held in May.  

BSBB for Black African American Flier Interest formDownload

3/27 – Name Change to Farmworker Appreciation Day

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In solidarity with victims and survivors, ALAS and partners have updated this Friday’s event name to Farmworker’s Appreciation Day.

See more from Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga’s letter to the community.

Event details:
Date: Friday, March 27th, 2026
Time: 5:00PM-8:30PM
Location: Ted Adcock Community Center, Half Moon Bay

Event info:
We stand in solidarity with our local farmworkers – the backbone of our food system and our community. Join us for an evening of reflection, recognition, and collective commitment as we uplift Coastside campesinos and honor their lasting impact and continued role as agents of change.

Rsvp with Sandra@ALASDreams.com

Looking for Volunteers for the 2026 SMC Pride Celebration!

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As the months get warmer, we get closer to San Mateo County’s annual PRIDE celebration! This year’s theme is Unite, Empower, Resist, PRIDE 2026, and the celebration will be held on Saturday, June 13th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at San Mateo Central Park.

San Mateo County provides this family-friendly event to uplift our goal of unity and inclusion and show the resilience of the queer community. If you would like to share your time please consider volunteering to support the event. 

Any questions can be directed to Kai Thornton at Kthornton1@smcgov.org.

Chinese Health Initiative Rings In the Year of the Horse!

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The Chinese Health Initiative (CHI) hosted its annual Chinese New Year celebratory in-person meeting on Friday, February 13, 2026 honoring the Year of the Horse. Community members, CHI participants, and partners came together to celebrate the holiday in a space that uplifted culture, community connection, and shared learning. Participants were invited to share their lived experiences and family traditions for observing Chinese New Year, creating opportunities for storytelling, reflection, and cultural exchange. The event also introduced CHI members to Stephanie Chen, a professional Chinese movement dancer, who performed traditional dances and shared insights into the cultural significance of the art form, and facilitated a group activity inviting participants to learn and practice simple movements together.

The celebration provided space for community members to connect, learn from one another, and honor cultural traditions. Events like this help foster belonging, strengthen community partnerships, and support culturally responsive engagement.

Written by Tia Bell, BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity, Health Equity Initiative Coordinator

Pacific Islander Initiative Hosts Free Teen Mental Health First Aid

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The Pacific Islander Initiative of San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, in partnership with community collaborators, recently hosted a three-day Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) Certification Training for youth ages 14–18, creating a space that felt not only educational but deeply meaningful, culturally grounded, and connected. This free, three-part certification series held between February 25th and February 27th equips teens with the knowledge and skills to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their peers. The energy in the room was inspiring, full of curiosity, courage, and a strong commitment to caring for one another. One moment captured the heart of the evening when a youth participant shared that he attended because his senior passion project focuses on youth mental health, and he was excited to see how the certification would shape both his project and his future goals. Moments like this remind us that when young people are given tools, language, and support, they step into leadership with purpose.

This work is especially important within Pacific Islander communities, where behavioral health disparities, including stigma, underutilization of services, cultural barriers, and delayed access to care, continue to impact families. By increasing mental health literacy and building peer-to-peer support networks, Teen Mental Health First Aid helps ensure youth can recognize concerns early and connect to trusted adults and culturally responsive services, getting care when it is needed, not only when a crisis occurs. More than certification, this training strengthens prevention, reduces stigma, promotes healing, and fosters wellness rooted in community care. It is an investment in a generation that leads with empathy, cultural pride, and the confidence to seek and support mental health care, helping our youth and families live longer, healthier, and more connected lives.

Written by Tia Bell, BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity

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