Chinese Health Initiative is collaborating with CORA and Star Vista to host a domestic violence awareness workshop on this coming Wednesday, May 1st evening from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. via zoom. Please join if you can and share the flyers with your organization and community. We hope this workshop will bring awareness and foundation knowledge about the domestic violence to the Chinese community.
Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Office of Diversity & Equity‘s Latino/a/x Collaborative is partnering once again with Voices of Recovery for the 3rd Annual Cesar Chavez Celebration. This year the event will take place on Friday, March 29, 4:30-8 pm, at the East Palo Alto Academy!
Our San Mateo County community members and families will get to enjoy free food, entertainment, arts and crafts activities, resources, raffles, and speakers, including our very own Amazing Director and San Mateo County’s Women Hall of Famer, Dr. Maria Lorente-Foresti. 😊
See flyer for more information.
You’re invited to join the celebration at our epic 12th Annual San Mateo County Pride Celebration! Kick off the celebration with us at our 2nd Annual Pride Parade beginning at 2nd Street & B Street in San Mateo at 10am. The parade will make its way to the Pride Celebration at San Mateo Central Park from 11am to 5pm.
This event is free and sober. Come enjoy resource and vendor booths, entertainment, food trucks, live DJ, and more!
More info at https://www.smcpridecelebration.com
The Chinese Health Initiative (CHI) hosted a celebration gathering on Friday, February 5, 2024, with its members to honor the Lunar New Year and to build community. The meeting was filled with traditional Lunar New Year snacks and decorations. Over 20 members shared their favorite Lunar New Year memory growing up, learned more about Lunar New Year, played games, and practiced Laughing Yoga, led by Alysa Stanford from wellness program. The room was filled with laughter and joy. It was a successful celebration to welcome the Year of the Dragon with the community!
To learn more information about Chinese Health Initiative, visit SMCHealth.org/CHI.
Hello,
Islamophobia and antisemitism are on the rise locally due to international events. People in our community have lost loved ones, experienced increased hate and divisiveness, and some have lost a sense of belonging and community.
The County of San Mateo Office of Racial and Social Justice is partnering with the Islamic Networks Group (ING), County Health’s Office of Diversity and Equity, the Spirituality Initiative, and the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort to host a webinar to increase understanding and belonging as we acknowledge the experiences of many Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, Palestinian, and Arab communities, among others in San Mateo County, and strive towards connecting across our shared humanity.
Zoom Webinar Event: Honoring our Shared Humanity: Countering Islamophobia and Antisemitism
Date/Time: Thursday, February 29th, 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Register: http://bit.ly/smcsharedhumanity
Interpretation Available: Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish.
We would like to make this webinar accessible. If you have other language needs or methods that can help increase accessibility for you, please email us by 2/22: equitysmc@smcgov.org.
The live webinar will feature Maha Elgenaidi and Karen Stiller, Muslim and Jewish speakers from the ING Interfaith Speakers Bureau, in a facilitated conversation and Q&A with Pastor Bussey, co-chair of the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort. The webinar will address the following topics:
We hope you can join us in support of our shared humanity across all our diverse communities in San Mateo County.
**Please note, attached are outreach materials in Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish.**
In community,
Isaac Frederick & Pam Ward-Pious
Co-Chairs of BHRS Spirituality Initiative
Self-care has been increasing in popularity throughout the last few years, especially during the pandemic. Self-care is not just a luxury; it’s a fundamental necessity for maintaining overall well-being. It encompasses intentional actions and practices that prioritize your physical, mental, and emotional health. By dedicating time to self-care, you invest in yourself, fostering resilience and balance in the face of life’s challenges.
The benefits of regular self-care are profound. Physically, it can enhance your immune system, improve sleep, and boost energy levels. Emotionally, self-care provides a vital space for reflection and relaxation, helping to manage stress and prevent burnout. Additionally, it nurtures a positive mindset, enhancing emotional resilience and fostering a greater sense of self-worth.
Self-care encourages self-awareness and self-compassion. It empowers individuals to set boundaries, prioritize their needs, and cultivate a healthier relationship with themselves. Ultimately, practicing self-care is an investment in your long-term health and happiness, enabling you to navigate life’s complexities with greater ease and authenticity
Though self-care comes in several different forms; however, this series will focus on physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and workplace balance with a sneak peek into how I implement these practices, so come along with me as we embark on a journey to explore new self-care tips and tricks to build a stronger body, mind and soul. Let’s transform those Self Care Sundays into healing every day!
Written by Ayanna Wade (she/her), BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity Intern
Update: April 18 meeting moved to May 2. See info below.
We welcome you to join our 2024 May Mental Health Month Planning Committee meetings (schedule below and in attached flyer).
Please register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsfuqhqDgqGtRlg10zsFa3Aasvi2sayaqp.
| Day of the Week | Date | Time | Location | Focus |
| Thursday | Feb 15 | 3:30-5:00pm | Zoom | Introduction & Measures of Success |
| Thursday | March 7 | 3:30-5:00pm | Zoom | Events & Advocacy |
| Thursday | March 28 | 3:30-5:00pm | Zoom | Communication & Outreach |
| Thursday | May 2 | 3:30-5:00pm | In-person at 310 Harbor Blvd Bldg E, Belmont | Group Photo + Outreach Materials |
| Thursday | June 6 | 3:30-5:00pm | Zoom | Debrief and Appreciation |
All except 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. Contact us for questions, comments and suggestions.
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
Please join us in welcoming Tia Bell (she/her) as BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity’s new Health Equity Initiative (HEI) Coordinator!
Tia (she/her) is trained as a psychologist and spent the last 14 years providing culturally congruent and trauma-informed clinical care to marginalized folx in community-based organizations. In her quest for providing wellness from a culturally sound, affirming, and inclusive lens, Tia is earnestly passionate about developing relationships and motivated to make lasting community connections grounded in safety and trust. In her free time, she enjoys painting by numbers, playing with her plants, and spending time with her husband and her dog, Domino.
Fun Fact: Tia has 8 siblings; She is number 7 out of 8.
About her work: The HEIs work collaboratively to bring together mental health professionals, residents, clinicians, organizations, community members, and stakeholders to provide outreach, programs, and advocacy for community-driven solutions that are rooted in cultural humility practices.
Learn more about the Health Equity Initiatives here.
Congratulations to our three BHRS Equity in Leadership Award winners, Delicia Pennix, Eri Tsujii and Gloria Gutierrez!
The BHRS Leadership in Equity Award was created to honor the workforce members who have shown passion, dedication, and action to bolster policy and practices that support equitable outcomes.
Through our MCOD work and before, we have witnessed individuals transform our system and elevate the voice of our workforce and communities.
The purpose of the award is to:
In 2021 ODE was proud to initiate the first Scott Gruendl Equity in Leadership Award. Our Workforce, Education and Training (WET) Director led this work after noticing one executive team member who consistently showed up willing to courageously engage in personal reflection and actively create system change.
In 2022 the program was expanded to honor and recognize Managers/Supervisors and Direct Care/Administrative team members who have shown exceptional work in leading our BHRS Equity work. This year, with your feedback, the category relating to positions (e.g.: Administrative staff/Direct Care, Supervisor/Manager, or Executive) is no longer part of the criteria.
About the Award Recipients:
Delicia “Dee” Pennix has exemplified the spirit of diversity, equity and inclusion while working for BHRS as a Patient Service Assistant for Service Connect and Pathways. Delicia has been the African American Community Initiative (AACI) co-chair for the last two years and in this position, she has demonstrated a commitment to serving all of San Mateo County as well as hosting annual events for Black History Month and Juneteenth. Dee has participated in the BHRS equity recruitment workgroup to advocate for workplace diversity and inclusion, GARE and the Recovery Happens committee. Since her start in San Mateo County, she has been committed to the County’s vision of diversity and equity and strived to be a leader who keeps this vision in the center of her various roles in our County.
Gloria Gutierrez is a co-chair of the Native and Indigenous Peoples Initiative (NIPI) and is one of the founding members of NIPI as well as other Health Equity Initiatives (HEI). She selflessly serves the community while advocating for the rights of Indigenous and Native American communities as well as other marginalized individuals. Gloria maintains the Phoenix Garden on her own time, which is a project that the initiative and other supporters have brought to fruition. We are also honored to have her provide the blessing and land acknowledgment at many of our county community events.
Lastly, Gloria is one of our Cultural Humility trainers, teaching our workforce about this important foundational training. Gloria approaches her services through a person and family-centered lens and is a health advocate who encompasses BHRS’ values.
Eri Tsujii is a great example of how a traditionally non-direct service/non-client facing staff can implement an equity lens in the work that they do as a colleague. Eri applies collaboration and an equity lens in the work that she does to improve our system of care. As a member of the Quality Assurance team, she works to ensure that data from our clients and community is represented and weaved into our work. By gathering the voices and perspectives of many she works to ensure information is being shared for efficiency and that the data and the voices of our stakeholders are incorporated into the work she leads with developing and evaluating Performance Improvement Projects (PIP).
We are grateful to our three awardees for their impactful work in ensuring that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are at the forefront of all we do. We also thank the many people in our workforce who are working alongside our current recipients to create change. Next year we look forward to your nominations of individuals who bring the DEIB lens into their work.
To learn more about BHRS’ Office of Diversity & Equity, visit SMCHealth.org/ODE.
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
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