Category Archives: Health Equity

Joint Health Equity Initiative Collaborative Meeting in Celebration of Juneteenth

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It gives us great pleasure to announce a wonderful collaboration!

The African American Community Initiative (AACI) and the Spirituality Initiative (SI) will hold a collaborative monthly meeting, in the community of East Palo Alto (in-person & via Zoom) on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 from 10:30am to 2pm.

The in-person location is at Ravenswood Family Health Network in the Juanita Duncan Conference Room (1842 Bay Road, E Palo Alto).

Lunch and refreshments will be served!

Please see the above flyer for more information and how to reserve your seat if you plan to attend in-person (seating is limited).

You will need to log in separately for each meeting if you plan to participate via Zoom. For Zoom Info, email Lee Harrison at leharrison@smcgov.org.

Both meetings will have brief presentations:

  • Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE)
  • African American Community Initiative (AAC) – Adult Protective Services Presentation (Cassie Villar) and AACI Introduction and Overview
  • Spirituality Initiative (SI) – Bishop, Dr. Cleveland Prince, Senior Pastor of True Light Missionary Baptist Church in East Palo Alto.  A discussion about “Spirituality in the African American Experience, Overcoming Struggles, Faith and Fatherhood.”

Please plan to join us, and please share this information widely in your networks!

Also join AACI and Voices of Recovery for their Juneteenth celebration on Friday, 6/16/23. More info here.

6/10 – SMC Pride Parade and Pride Celebration

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San Mateo County PRIDE Parade and Pride Celebration is 11 days away!

We hope you can join us on Saturday June 10th for the San Mateo County (SMC) Pride Parade, and after the parade come over to the SMC Pride celebration and celebrate Pride with us!! 

Friendly Reminder, if you are interested in having a contingent at the 1st Annual SMC Pride Parade, registration is currently open!! The SMC Pride Parade registration deadline is Friday June 2nd. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to be a part of history and participate in the San Mateo County 1st Annual Pride Parade!

The 1st Annual SMC Pride Parade will be Saturday June 10th from 10am-11am, starting on 2nd B street and ending at San Mateo Central Park! The SMC Pride Celebration will be Saturday June 10th from 11am-5pm at San Mateo Central Park.

Registration to the Pride Parade is currently OPEN but will close at the end of the day on June 2nd.
Register Your contingent today using the link below.

https://forms.gle/Nfe8wghLqn5LcRbJ7

Let’s show up and show support in the first San Mateo County Pride Parade!!

For more info visit www.smcpridecelebration.com

PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS!

1st-San-Mateo-County-Pride-Parade-FlyerDownload

6/16 – 2023 Juneteenth Celebration: Discovering- Recovering Our Roots

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The African American Community Initiative (AACI) and Voices of Recovery San Mateo County (VORSMC) are proud to co-host our second Juneteenth Celebration on Friday, June 16, 2023.

The theme of this year’s Celebration is: Discovering-Recovering Our Roots:  The Continued Journey of Black Struggle

The event will be held in-person and streamed via Facebook Live and Zoom.  Register for the event via the QR Code on the flyer or this link: AACI BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION (constantcontactpages.com) 

As our country’s newest National Holiday, Juneteenth acknowledges and celebrates the final end of institutional slavery in the United States.

This year’s event promises to be inspirational, fun and educational, with a program that includes presentations from San Mateo County Supervisor Noelia Corzo, a Proclamation presented by City of East Palo Alto Mayor Lisa Gauthier, African drumming and storytelling, a panel discussion, cultural performances, health checks (blood pressure and glucose), a photo booth, music and dinner.

Please share this event with your networks.

FINAL-Juneteenth-EventDownload

Extraordinary Everyday Heroes Look Like Me, and You

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The May 23, 2023’s Board of Supervisors meeting was full of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) representation, including multiple appearances by our Health Equity Initiatives (HEI’s) across the agenda to spotlight Proclamations for:

As a new Senior Community Program Specialist in the County, there were breath-taking moments that gave me hope in our democracy by seeing everyday heroes in action—and they look like me, and you!

Beginning with an act of solidarity, Supervisor Ray Mueller addressed a public comment that conflated COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” by holding accountability immediately and centering all of our humanity, including the community member who said it. As the meeting went on, HEI Chinese Health Initiative co-chair Alyson Suzuki, offered a concise, authentic message leveraging her perspective as an Asian American parent. Simply put, she said “words matter,” to further demonstrate the impact of the racist remark. It was a chilling moment.

Notably, another HEI Pride Initiative co-chair Dana Johnson (they/them), shared two public comments as someone who lives an intersectional life as a Black transgender non-binary activist. They called specifically for the Board to consider actions that would move beyond Proclamations.

Co-presenting with the BHRS Director Dr. Jei Africa, my teammate and Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator and Pacific Islander Initiative member Twila Dependahl stood in her power as she spoke of the hard work that HEI’s are doing in our communities. The preparation for this presentation took immense collaborative efforts with Community Health Planner Sylvia Tang generously sharing her wisdom, leadership, and support that was behind the scene yet still so critical.

On the other side of the room, there were beautiful exchanges of support and encouragement. For example, with genuine care and joy, Supervisor David Canepa elevated another HEI Filipino Mental Health Initiative co-chair Stephanie Balon, who embodies kapwa (Tagalog for “togetherness/shared self”). Throughout the meeting, Supervisor Noelia Corzo offered gratitude to community members for sharing their stories.

Shortly afterwards, I talked with another HEI African American Community Initiative co-chair, Delicia “Dee” Pennix who attended the meeting in person for the Juneteenth Proclamation and we shared mutual feelings of excitement for our work, for the connections we are making, and for what’s ahead in our communities.

We are all extraordinary, everyday heroes.

You can learn how you can get involved with our Health Equity Initiative Co-Chairs by visiting http://smchealth.org/hei.

Written by Kayla Tolentino (she/her), BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity

Understand Intersectionality and Mental Health | #Share4MH

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💭 Did you know? Communities of color with mental health conditions are less likely to receive mental health services than their white counterparts. Swipe through for some fast facts. 

When discussing mental health, we need to inform from an equity lens so that all our communities can thrive. Keep the conversation going, and share one of your cultural wellness practices.  

To access the graphics in English and Spanish visit our social media page here.

Visit SMCHealth.org/ODE to learn more and SMCHealth.org/HEI to get involved.

For our full list of free and public events and mental health resources, visit SMCHealth.org/MHM. 

It’s AANHPI Month! Here are Resources and Ways to Celebrate

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As we settle into this month of May, we recognize several celebrations that are important to us, our work, and our communities: Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month and Mental Health Month (MHM)!

At BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity, we are working hard to increase the visibility of our AANHPI communities and destigmatize mental health. Our AANHPI communities make up over 30% of our County, and have invaluably contributed to the vibrancy of neighborhoods. From being able to taste delicious food spreads of pancit and haupia, and practicing resilient wellness remedies passed on from generation to generation, it is a special time to lift up our AANHPI communities, friends, and family members.

In that spirit, we have two EVENTS where you can honor our diversity:

  • Sat, 5/20- A Wellness Gathering, hosted by Pacific Islander Initiative and the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center at Sneath Lane Cultural Center in San Bruno. Please consider joining us and sharing this opportunity with those we serve.  The event will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with our community, obtain resources, complete health screenings and COVID vaccines and boosters, and enjoy delicious food and fun raffles.
  • Tues, 5/23- AANHPI Month Proclamation, feel free to join us at the Board of Supervisors Meeting, starting at 9am. Zoom link will be available at County of San Mateo – Calendar (legistar.com)

You can also dig deeper into an abundance of RESOURCES to learn more at FAPAC – AAPI Resources and FYI: Weekly Health Resources for May 3, 2023 (govdelivery.com). And don’t forget to spread the word, or better yet, join us in of all our numerous SMC Mental Health Month activities which can be found at Mental Health Month – San Mateo County Health (smchealth.org)!

Beyond this month, we warmly invite you to join our Health Equity Initiatives that specifically lift up our AANHPI communities:

Chinese Health InitiativeFirst Friday of the month1:30-3pm
Pacific Islander InitiativeFirst Tuesday of the month11am-1pm
Filipino Mental Health InitiativeThird Thursday of the month5-6:30pm

Full schedule of our 9 Health Equity Initiatives can be found here!

We extend these opportunities as invitations for you to join us as we lift up our AANHPI communities and reduce the barriers to addressing mental health!

In community,

Your ODE Team

Co-written by Kayla Tolentino (she/her) & Maria Lorente-Foresti (she/her)

BHRS Bids Farewell to Alejandra Siroka and Wishes Success On Her Next Chapter

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On Thursday, April 27th, 2023, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS)hosted the all-staff mandatory Working Effectively with Limited English Proficient Clients & Interpreters in the Behavioral Health Setting training in person for the first time in 3 years! This learning opportunity is integral in engaging workforce members in the current utilization, needs, and importance of interpretation services offered by BHRS. Our language access services assist in reducing the risk of misunderstanding and misdiagnosis and supporting the building of a strong therapeutic alliance with those we serve.

This training was also the last training facilitated by our longtime partner and collaborator Alejandra Siroka of Language Alchemy. Alejandra has worked with BHRS since 2009 to advance language access services by supporting our staff in working with diverse clients and utilizing interpretation services appropriately with a focus on cultural humility. Her work has been essential in our advancement of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS), shaping our BHRS culture to always strive for more equitable services and practices. In addition to providing our staff with practical tools, scenarios, and a historical perspective on the use of interpreters, Alejandra helped us to look deeper into the meaning of culture and how it shapes our communication styles and thought patterns. Thanks to her collaboration with the BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE), this training was continuously tailored and focused on the specific needs and demographics of San Mateo County. Additionally, in 2018, she supported ODE with the creation of training videos that are the first of their kind nationally and exemplify the use of interpreters specifically in behavioral health settings. While we’re incredibly sad to lose Alejandra as a facilitator, we’re so excited for the next chapter in her journey. Alejandra is shifting to support broader communication needs via hosting a podcast and working on a book that will be published in 2024 focused on compassionate communication!

For BHRS, this training will continue to be offered twice a year and required as part of our cultural competence trainings. Our next training is expected to be offered in Fall 2023; more information will be shared as specifics are confirmed.

Please join us in wishing her much success in her future endeavors!

To learn more about Alejandra’s work and podcast, please visit www.languagealchemy.com

For more information on Language Access Services click here or contact Frances Lobos at flobos@smcgov.org.

Written by Frances Lobos, Community Health Planner at BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity

Jackie Speier Collaborates with BHRS ODE to Hear from Latinx Mothers

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On Wednesday, March 15th, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Office of Diversity of Equity (ODE) worked in collaboration with retired Congresswoman, Jackie Speier, and Louise Rogers, Director of San Mateo County (SMC) Health to host a virtual event for SMC Latinx mothers to identify their needs and experiences. Jackie Speier has just launched “The Jackie Speier Foundation,” therefore, this virtual event served as a means of better understanding how to better support this community. In an effort to hear the voice of San Mateo County (SMC) mothers, participants from the SMC Parent Project© and the BHRS ODE Health Ambassador Program were invited to attend.

This dialogue led to learning more about our SMC mothers’ concerns around access to services, behavioral health needs for children, economic and employment challenges, and the desire for youth support in different areas of their lives. Additionally, the participants shared thoughtful recommendations and hopes for mothers balancing many needs to provide the best life for their children. The resilience of our communities shined through, with mothers speaking about overcoming obstacles and advocating for their families. Throughout this conversation, Jackie Speier looked to better understand gaps and system barriers impacting mothers and children to access services and supports.

With much gratitude, we thank our community for joining us at this event and for sharing each of their stories with such heart and thoughtfulness. We also thank Jackie Speier for her persistence in identifying how our county can better accommodate the needs of Latinx mothers. We would also like to thank Louise Rogers for her support in making this event happen and her deep understanding of our communities and work throughout our system of care. BHRS ODE will continue to host similar events to ensure the voice of those we serve is represented in our work.

2023 Mental Health Month | #Share4MH

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Partners and community members,  

We are quickly approaching that lime green time of the year again! 💚 Every May is Mental Health Month and California’s theme this year is #Share4MH! To promote engagement across communities in California and San Mateo County, we are asking everyone to find opportunities to share throughout the month. Sharing for mental health can look like:  

  • Sharing how you practice self-care.  
  • Sharing how you practice mental wellness.  
  • Sharing how you get support for your mental health.  
  • Sharing how you overcame stigma.  
  • Sharing your journey towards wellness 
  • Sharing mental health resources 

Check out our attached flyer to spark some other ideas! Also use our virtual background at your next virtual meeting to spark conversation.  

For our full list of free and public events, ways to get involved, and mental health resources, visit SMCHealth.org/MHM. 

Please share this email with your clients/consumers, colleagues, friends and community! 

2023-MHM-General-Flyer-Eng&SPDownload

Socios y miembros de la comunidad, 

¡Nos acercamos rápidamente a esa época verde lima del año! ¡Cada mayo es el Mes de la Salud Mental y el tema de California este año es #Share4MH! Para promover la participación en las comunidades de California y el condado de San Mateo, les pedimos a todos que encuentren oportunidades para compartir durante todo el mes. Compartir para la salud mental puede verse como: 

  • Compartir cómo practica el autocuidado. 
  • Compartir cómo practica el bienestar mental. 
  • Compartir cómo obtiene apoyo para su salud mental. 
  • Compartir cómo superó el estigma. 
  • Compartiendo su experiencia hacia el bienestar 
  • Compartir recursos de salud mental 

¡Vea nuestro folleto adjunto para generar otras ideas! También use nuestro fondo virtual en su próxima reunión virtual para iniciar la conversación. 

Para ver nuestra lista completa de eventos públicos y gratuitos, formas de participar y recursos de salud mental, visite SMCHealth.org/MHM. 

¡Comparta este correo electrónico con sus clientes/consumidores, colegas, amigos y comunidad! 

2023-MHM-General-Flyer-Eng&SP

Caffeinate and Conversate with Canepa: A Discussion on Health Equity

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For a second time the San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) was honored to have the opportunity to support and participate in Supervisor, David Canepa’s “Caffeinate and Conversate with Canepa” series that was held on Saturday, March 25th in Daly City. 

On this occasion the discussion topic was centered on the advancement of health equity and addressing the gaps impeding some communities in attaining services. ODE Director, Dr. Maria Lorente-Foresti and Frances Lobos (ODE Community Health Planner) shared how ODE works to advance behavioral health equity in multiple ways; one is by creating space and opportunities for community members to engage, be active, and provide feedback about their needs via programs like the Health Ambassador Program, Health Equity Initiatives and Parent Project. Secondly, ODE supports BHRS to provide information & services in a culturally responsive ways, which may look like hosting trainings in our county threshold languages and working in collaboration with community partners to provide culturally responsive services and interventions. All participants were provided with information about how to obtain BHRS services and other important community resources.  

In addition to ODE, attendees of the event heard about broader efforts from Lisa Tealer, Executive Director of the Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council (BACHAC), Marmi Bermudez, Senior Manager for Health Coverage Unit and Jessica Ho, Government and Community Affairs Manager at North East Medical Services (NEMS, and even an impromptu testimonial from Health Ambassador, Michael Lim, on the impact of accessing support services. All exemplifying that, as Lisa put it, “it takes a village, to support a village.” 

 To learn more about David Canepa’s past and upcoming events, you can visit his social media pages…  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidCanepaCA/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidcanepa?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidcanepa/?hl=en 

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