Hello,
We invite you to join Supervisor Corzo and Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity & Equity‘s Native and Indigenous Peoples Initiative for our first San Mateo County Native American Heritage Month gathering on Wednesday 11/22/23 in Redwood City at 9am. Please see the flyer for additional information.
To learn more about Native Indigenous People’s Initiative, visit SMCHealth.org/NIPI.
The County of San Mateo announced the release of Measure K funding opportunities to provide services for residents in three priority areas: children, families and seniors; emergency preparedness; and housing and homelessness.
“The Board of Supervisors is looking for bold, innovative ideas,” said County Executive Mike Callagy. “This is not about business as usual. This is a great opportunity to make a real difference, to boost equity and to improve lives here in San Mateo County.”
Applicants can be nonprofit organizations, private businesses or joint ventures (individuals are not eligible to apply). Entities of any size are encouraged to apply.
The County anticipates approximately $35 million will be available.
Learn more at our November 10th Pre-Proposal Meeting and Technical Support Session:
November 10, 2023, 10:00am | Agenda | Meeting Link: https://smcgov.zoom.us/j/9404686015
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), we invite the community to join us at San Mateo Public Library on Monday, November 20, from 4:30-6:30pm.
TDOR has traditionally been about honoring the trans people who have been murdered simply by being themselves (the highest number are Black Transgender women). We want to honor victims’ lives with dignity and end the stigma that trans and gender diverse people face. Ultimately, we want to live in a world where transgender people are protected and safe from transphobia and violence.
This year’s event includes an Altar, Reading of the Names, and a Call to Action. Creating change is difficult; especially when we mourn those who have lost their lives simply for being themselves. We want to honor those who have died and also create ways for our community to learn and take action to eliminate the murder of transgender people. Transgender Day of Remembrance is adjacent to United Against Hate Week 2023. Learn more on the County’s website about how you can take part in other activities throughout the week from November 12-19.
Register for the event here.
About:
The Transgender Day of Remembrance event is a collaboration between several community organizations around San Mateo County. Please visit each group’s website to learn more about how they support the LGBTQIA+ community. This is where “ally” becomes a verb and we all take part in creating inclusive spaces at home, at work, and at school.
Join us for the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office Annual Presentation! Throughout the year, the Coroner’s Office investigates circumstances of sudden, unexplained, violent, and unnatural deaths, including suicide deaths, in San Mateo County.
The Coroner’s Office is presenting to the San Mateo County Suicide Prevention Committee, covering topics including introduction to the Coroner’s Office, death investigation process, death review teams, recent data and shared resources with descendants.
Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Time: 1:30-3:30pm Pacific Time
Virtual Location: zoom.us/j/410362485
Please help us spread the word, as everyone is welcome to attend. Come grab a virtual seat and get informed!
If you or someone you know is struggling with an emotional distress or suicidal crisis, contact our 24/7 crisis hotlines:
Call 650-579-0350 or 988
Text “Bay” to 741-741 or 988
Visit SanMateoCrisis.org
If you want to learn more about suicide prevention resources, visit SMCHealth.org/SuicidePrevention.
On behalf of the Native and Indigenous Peoples Initiative (NIPI) we express gratitude to be able to represent alongside the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC). On October 9, 2023, we honored and celebrated Indigenous People’s Day at the annual Sunrise Gathering on Alcatraz Island, Yelamu, Ohlone territory, respectively. The IITC has organized the annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Sunrise Gathering on Alcatraz Island to recognize the historic Alcatraz Occupation that began November 20, 1969 as a way to acknowledge and support the resistance and survival of the Indigenous Peoples of this land. 2023 marked the 44th Annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Sunrise Gathering as well as the 5th Annual Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. Both events featured Native and Indigenous performers and speakers as well as local vendors. It was an honor to see so many participants and attendants supporting the event and individual artists.
Upon sunset the Native and Indigenous Peoples Initiative (NIPI) received an Indigenous Peoples Day Proclamation from the city of Redwood City, CA.
NIPI is supported by San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Office of Diversity and Equity. It is one of the nine Health Equity Initiatives funded by the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63). For more info and our meeting schedule, visit www.smchealth.org/NIPI.
Written by Gloria Gutierrez (she/her), Co-Chair of NIPI
Implementing a racial equity, trauma-informed tool is a vital step to realizing our SMC Behavioral Health & Recovery Services goals. It is part of transforming our system & holding our values at our core. To do this we must normalize conversations about race, organize by building capacity and partnering with others, and operationalize by utilizing racial equity tools that are data driven. This lens can be utilized in many of our decision making capacities, including with clients, workforce or community members.
Print out this resource at your work place to create a more racial equity, trauma informed organization.
To learn more about BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity, visit SMCHealth.org/ODE.
For other community resources we offer, visit our resource page here.
Please join us for two upcoming virtual Be Sensitive, Be Brave Trainings focused towards the Filipino/a/x Community.
– Be Sensitive Be Brave for Suicide Prevention | Thursday, 10/26 from 11AM-12:30PM | Register here
– Be Sensitive Be Brave for Mental Health | Monday, 10/30 from 10AM-12PM | Register here
The Be Sensitive, Be Brave infuses culture and diversity throughout these two free foundational workshops on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention for community members.
Be Sensitive, Be Brave – For Mental Health
The mental health workshop prepares community members to help friends and loved ones during times of distress. Learn how to recognize mental health conditions, what to do when someone needs support, and tools for maintaining good mental health.
Learn how to:
The suicide prevention workshop teaches community members to act as eyes and ears for suicidal distress and to connect individuals to help.
Learn how to:
For more information about Be Sensitive, Be Brave, visit their website here.
Please join us Tuesday evening in Redwood City for a light dinner and a sharing of the findings of the Latino/a/e community assessment on mental health and substance abuse in youth and families. The event is tomorrow, Tuesday October 17, from 5:30 – 8pm at the Fair Oaks Community Center at 2600 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. In addition to hearing the responses of the community assessment, you can share your thoughts on our recommendations toward improving resources and support for our families and youth.
This will be our second event sharing the community assessment findings. To ensure we could cover more geography in our diverse community, we wanted to have an event on the coastside as well as Redwood City. The presentation of the data and recommendations will largely be the same as the event at ALAS in Half Moon Bay. We will also be gathering around tables for small group discussion to hear community feedback on what is most useful to prioritize in the Redwood City/North Fair Oaks community.
The event is co-hosted by El Concilio and Nuestra Casa, please reach out to Dr. Ana Avendaño at El Concilio (ana@el-concilio.org) or call (650) 402-7995 if you have any questions. The presentation will be in Spanish with English interpretation available. No RSVP is required!
Please see the flyer for more information, and we hope you can join us tomorrow evening.
Únase a nosotros el martes por la tarde en Redwood City para una cena ligera y para compartir los hallazgos de la evaluación de la comunidad latina sobre la salud mental y abuso de sustancias en jóvenes y familias. El evento será mañana, martes, 17 de octubre, de 5:30 pm a 8:00 pm en el Centro Comunitario Fair Oaks, en 2600 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. Además de escuchar las respuestas de la evaluación de la comunidad, puede compartir sus opiniones sobre nuestras recomendaciones para mejorar los recursos y el apoyo a nuestras familias y jóvenes.
Este será nuestro segundo evento en el que compartiremos los resultados de la evaluación comunitaria. Para asegurarnos de que pudiéramos cubrir más geografía en nuestra diversa comunidad, queríamos tener un evento en la costa, además de en Redwood City. La presentación de los datos y las recomendaciones, será en gran parte la misma que en el evento en ALAS en Half Moon Bay. También nos reuniremos alrededor de mesas para conversar en grupos pequeños, para escuchar los comentarios y opiniones de la comunidad sobre qué es más útil priorizar en la comunidad de Redwood City/North Fair Oaks.
El evento es coorganizado por El Concilio y Nuestra Casa; comuníquese con la Dra. Ana Avendaño en El Concilio (ana@el-concilio.org) o llame al (650) 402-7995 si tiene alguna pregunta. La presentación será en español con interpretación al inglés disponible. ¡No es necesario confirmar su asistencia!
Consulte el folleto para obtener más información y esperamos que pueda unirse a nosotros mañana por la tarde.
Virtual backgrounds are an easy way to spark conversation with others. Spark a conversation about a cause or community you care about at your next virtual meeting with one of BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity’s cultural or mental health related backgrounds!
Backgrounds we are offering include Mental Health Month, Black History Month, National BIPOC Mental Health Month, and more!
Check out our variety of cultural and mental health related backgrounds here.
In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity’s Chinese Health Initiative partnered with Belmont, Redwood Shore, San Carlos Chinese Community (BRSCC), and Star Vista’s Health Ambassador Youth Program to host the “What I Wish My Parents Knew” forum on Saturday, September 16, 2023.
The successful forum was led by San Mateo County youths Xin Xin Cai, Anthony Lee, and Anastasia Yang, with over 50 participants of parents, caregivers, and allies. As a way to ensure this forum was accessible to our communities, it was provided in English with Cantonese and Mandarin interpretation.
Youth leaders addressed mental health questions using their lens of the Chinese-American culture and provided insightful advice to parents and mental health clinicians in the audience. They identified the top reasons for not wanting to share about their mental health were stigma and not wanting to worry their parents. One piece of advice offered to address this challenge was for parents and caregivers to talk to teens about their mental health in ways that support teens as independent individuals such as giving them time and space.
To learn more about the Chinese Health Initiative, visit SMCHealth.org/CHI and follow them on Facebook.
Written by Alyson Suzuki, Chinese Health Initiative Co-Chair and Kayla Tolentino, BHRS’ Office of Diversity & Equity
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