In honor of Black History Month, the Health Equity Division at Alameda County Behavioral Health invites you to join the conversation “Black Don’t Crack? Dispelling the Myth, Uplifting Excellence, Mental Health and Wellness in the African American Community” via Zoom on February 24, at 10 a.m.
Join us for a lively panel discussion featuring Keynote Speaker: Dr. Wade Nobles, Psychologist/Educator/Author and panelists:
Dr. Karyn Tribble, Director ACBH
Kimi Watkins-Tartt, Director ACDPH
Dr. Angela Coombs, Psychiatrist, ACBH
Dr. Khalid White, Educator/ Entrepreneur
Ken Jones, PEER Mentor, San Mateo County
Shuja Johnson, Executive Director, Black Men Speak
Zoom link and more info about the event can be found here.
All but one of our meetings is scheduled to meet virtually. Please see above for details. You can find agenda, minutes and recordings at this website. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please let us know. We plan to share the meeting recordings and minutes in case anyone wants to catch up or review the meetings. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please let us know.
Please help us share this message or attached flyer on social media to help us spread the word.
Looking forward to collaborating with you! Sylvia & Kristie Co-Chairs, May Mental Health Month Planning Committee Meeting
Social Changery is looking for 6 youth from San Mateo County to be on a paid, online, youth council to advise mental health and substance use prevention social media campaigns. The deadline for Applications is Feb. 17th. Please share this with any youth in your SMC networks.
Join Heart & Soul in celebrating the Lunar New Year! Learn about their programs, meet their team member, and gather in community. Their Lunar New Year open house is Wednesday, January 18th from 3pm to 6pm at 1633 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 258, Burlingame.
Come hear from featured guest speaker, Erica Horn, Executive Director of California Clubhouse. The open house will also include a door prize raffle. Will the Year of the Rabbit bring you look? You may be a winner!
Please join San Mateo County’s African American Community Initiative (AACI) for their 2023 Black History Month Celebration. The event is on Saturday, February 11th, 2023 from 10am to 2pm. In-person location is at Cooley Landing Center (2100 Bay Rd, East Palo Alto, CA 94303).
This event will be hybrid with an in-person limited capacity of 75 people. Registration is first come first serve, and you don’t want to miss out!
Scheduled presentations and activities include Black Mental Health, COVID-19 and Health Care in the Black Community, raffle prizes, live musical performances and poetry.
If you are interested to volunteer for set up, clean up, ushering, door monitoring, etc, please email dpennix@smcgov.org.
The mission of the African American Community Initiative is to become a known resource for African American Community members facing challenges with finding and utilizing mental health services, while addressing inequalities faced by African Americans in our county. Our vision is to build a community driven support system for reducing mental health and substance use treatment disparities, and the stigma of mental illness. Learn more about AACI here.
Pictured left to right: Yolanda Ramirez, Claudia Saggese, Melissa Ibarra, Sylvia Tang, Gloria Gonzalez, Maria Lorente-Foresti, Kristie Lui, Yahaira Ortega, Twila Dependahl, Regina Moreno
Each year our San Mateo County Women in County Government recognizes exceptional women working in our government departments. This year numerous nominations were received to honor the outstanding dedication and service women have made to serve our communities.
We would like to congratulate Gloria Cahuich Gonzalez, Co-Chair of Behavioral Health & Recovery Services’ Latino Collaborative and Community Program Specialist II with SMC Public Health, Policy and Planning. Gloria has shown her passion, commitment and compassion to our Latinx community in her work to lead two Sana Sana Colita de Rana Events and provide resources and supports to our marginalized communities. The work she and other nominees below have done emphasizes the importance of creating a positive impact in San Mateo communities by implementing a racial equity lens in the work we do.
Congratulations to all other BHRS nominees: Rookie of the Year: Dori Bailey, MD., BHRS Adult Psychiatrist
Development Champion: Chummy Sevilla, BHRS Clinical Services Manager II
Public Service/Extra Mile: Barbara Weissman, MD, BHRS Adult Psychiatrist Linda Hildreth, BHRS Supervising Mental Health Clinician Maria Lorente-Foresti, Ph.D., BHRS Director Office of Diversity and Equity Tennille Tucker, BHRS Supervising Mental Health Clinician Yolanda Ramirez, BHRS Senior Community Program Specialist
Please join us in congratulating these amazing women that make a difference everyday for our workforce and those we serve.
Written by Kristie Lui and Maria Lorente-Foresti, Ph.D., BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity
2016 Recipient of the George Culores Hall of Fame Award, Yolanda Ramirez, receiving the award from MHSARC member, Rocio Cornejo
Every year the Behavioral Health Commission (BHC) honors individuals who have found their way to a path of wellness and recovery from mental illness and have been active in the consumer movement to better the lives of others in San Mateo County.
The George Culores Hall of Fame Award recognizes consumer/clients who have made contributions to better the lives of other consumer/clients; shown leadership in the consumer movement or have a personal journey of recovery that inspires and gives hope to others.
Deadline to submit nomination is on Tuesday, January 17th, 2023.
Learn more about the George Culores Hall of Fame Award here.
Serenity House is a 13-bed CRT program serving adults age 18+ with a diagnosis of mental illness, including those with co-occurring substance use disorders. In partnership with San Mateo County, the CRT will provide care to individuals aged 18 and above, 24-hours a day, 7 days per week.
The CRT will help people find relief from distress, maintain stability, and emphasize choice-making skills and harm-reduction techniques. Prior to arriving at the program, all referrals should call 650-539-0340 to access services.
Referrals may be generated through self-referral, local law enforcement, emergency responders, or being diverted from psychiatric emergency departments.
As we kick off the Holiday Season, I am reminded of the importance of community and how I was recently surrounded by the Pacific Islander community. As a member of the BHRS Office of Diversity & EquityPacific Islander Initiative, I did my first 5K at Samoan Solutions 12th Annual Turkey Trot for Charity at the Brisbane Marina in South San Francisco. Despite the bone chilling morning air, many made their health a priority by running and walking the 5K event.
This year’s beneficiary was Soup 4 the Soul which is a family led effort to provide for the needs of San Francisco’s homeless community. 2022 is Soup 4 the Soul’s 8th year of offering hot soup and necessities for those less fortunate during the Thanksgiving holiday. Samoan Solutions is giving a portion of this year’s proceeds to support this local effort of paying it forward.
To learn more about our Health Equity Initiative, visit here. To learn more about our Pacific Islander Initiative, visit here.
Written by Twila Dependahl (she/her), BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity
Join Heart & Soul in celebrating the holiday season! Learn about their programs, meet their team member, and gather in community. Their holiday open house is Wednesday, December 21st from 3pm to 6pm at 1633 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 258, Burlingame.
Heart & Soul is also offering an in-person Holiday Wellness Project: 2023 Vision Boards. How will you nurture your wellness in 2023? Vision boards are creative tools to hep you focus your awareness and intentions for the new year. Materials will be provided to create a 15 x 11 inch Vision Board. An image bank of hundreds of clippings, quotes and pictures will be available for you to use in your collage. If you have favorite imagery or meaningful wording to incorporate in your Vision Board, bring them with you!
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