Category Archives: Office of Diversity and Equity

Kapwa Kultural Center Officially Opens!

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The Kapwa Cultural Center (KKC), an important cultural resource to the Filipinx community, opened on October 25th, 2024, in Daly City. This space is dedicated to cultural connection, healing, and community engagement. KKC is funded by the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Innovation funds and supported by San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), the BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE), the Filipino Mental Health Initiative (FMHI) and Daly City Partnership. Together, these programs are committed to promoting behavioral health wellness, cultural awareness, and social inclusivity through this innovative new space.

Rooted in the Filipinx value of kapwa, which means “shared self” or “interconnectedness with others,” KKC aims to foster a strong sense of community, solidarity, and mutual care. KKC will serve as a dynamic cultural hub where community members can gather, learn, and celebrate Filipinx and diverse cultural traditions with a focus on wellness and healing. It will also open its social enterprise arm next year. With a boba milk tea menu inspired by Filipinx cuisine and flavors, as well as a space designed for events, art, and discussion, the Kapwa Cultural Center offers a warm and welcoming environment where people of all backgrounds can come together to exchange stories, ideas, support, and healing.

In addition to its role as a cultural space, KKC will be a dedicated venue for culturally focused behavioral health events, wellness workshops, art exhibits, and community discussions. Through these activities, KKC supports the well-being of individuals and strengthens cultural pride while addressing issues of stigma and barriers to mental health services. BHRS is proud to support the space and support the expertise in culturally responsive behavioral health practices and infusing these important components to KKC’s programming, creating a space that honors and centers Filipinx voices while welcoming diverse communities.

The space will also host a variety of community-led events, including cultural performances, storytelling nights, cooking classes, and wellness activities such as healing circles, all aimed at fostering cultural pride, cross-generational connections, and unity. With its commitment to celebrating diversity and promoting well-being, the Kapwa Cultural Center stands as a powerful example of how community, culture, and behavioral health can come together to create a more inclusive, compassionate society. It is not just a café but a vital resource for behavioral health, cultural connection, and shared identity that will serve as a vibrant gathering place for all.

For more information, please contact kapwasoul@gmail.com

12/3 – Queering the Season: Mental Health Tools for Holiday Peace Workshop

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Hi Community Partners and Collaborators,

I hope this email finds you all well. I am super excited to share with you an upcoming event that CORA’s LGBTQ+ Program and the San Mateo County Pride Center are collaborating on. Please share with your teams and within your circles as you see fit. I hope to see some of you there! All ages are welcome.

Join us on Tuesday, December 3rd from 6 – 7:30 pm for our Queering the Season: Mental Health Tools for Holiday Peace Workshop here at CORA in the Carelle Training Room (2205 Palm Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403). Are you concerned about preparing for and navigating the stress of the upcoming holidays? Are you hoping to generate a list of personalized coping tools for yourself to utilize during the holiday season and beyond? Join us for our upcoming holiday coping tool workshop to learn more about taking care of our internal and external being! We will take the time to create a list of our own coping tools and comforts and make bracelets/keychains as a token to remember. This event is created specifically for LGBTQIA+ identifying folks.

Please RSVP here https://forms.gle/qVai4c8fuSfxdd8m6

Celebrating 15 Incredible Years of Diversity & Equity

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On Friday, September 27, the Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS) Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) celebrated its 15th anniversary at the South San Francisco Public Library. The event brought together 150 community members, partners, and BHRS staff to commemorate ODE’s remarkable journey. 

The evening featured cultural performances, leadership reflections, and a tribute to ODE’s ongoing impact on behavioral health in San Mateo County. A candlelight ceremony symbolized the collective effort to ignite meaningful change and foster hope and healing for all. 

Key highlights included: 

  • Cultural Performances from the nine Health Equity Initiatives, including spoken word by Allen Bustos (Amulit), a Siva Samoa performance, and dances by Tulip Dance Studio. See our agenda for the full list of performances.
  • Leadership Remarks from Dr. Jei Africa, Scott Gruendl, Louise Rogers, and Dr. Lorente-Foresti emphasizing ODE’s contributions to advancing equity and access. 
  • Special Recognition of Mental Health Services Manager Doris Estremera for her dedicated service to the team. 

ODE’s work transcends services, focusing on breaking down barriers and amplifying marginalized voices. Over the years, ODE has driven initiatives like Health Equity Initiatives, the Mental Health Services Act, and culturally informed trainings that have reshaped behavioral health care in San Mateo County. 

Thank you to everyone—past and present—who contributed to ODE’s success. We look forward to many more years of progress and partnership! 

10/26 11th Annual Sana Sana Colita de Rana

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It is that wonderful time of year! 🐸 The LC is preparing to host their annual community event to support our very diverse Latino/a/x communities. This year our theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” The event will take place on Saturday, October 26th 12:30-3:30PM at the Mervin G. Morris Boys and Girls Club, 1109 Hilton Street RWC. It is a free, family event to promote behavioral health and reduce stigma, the event will be held in Spanish.

Please help us spread the word by sharing with your clients, friends and family. If you’d like to volunteer please contact Frances Lobos at FLobos@smcgov.org for more information.  🐸❤️

Carlmont High School Paper Features Suicide Prevention Efforts in San Mateo County

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Written by Addya Agarwal, Carlmont High School

National Suicide Prevention Month in September has inspired change throughout the community, from Carlmont High School to San Mateo County.

Multiple organizations, including the Carlmont Students Offering Support (SOS) program and the San Mateo County Suicide Prevention Committee, have been focusing their efforts on raising awareness and preventing suicides.

“Our goal is to reduce stigma around suicide and remove barriers that prevent access to resources. Some of the barriers include stigma and lack of information, so we really want to reduce those barriers for the community and increase residents’ connections to help,” San Mateo County Suicide Prevention Committee Co-Chair Sylvia Tang said.

Read the full article here: https://scotscoop.com/san-mateo-county-furthers-suicide-prevention-measures

Presenting on Culturally Infused Community Training for Suicide Prevention – Be Sensitive, Be Brave

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Last week in Morgan Hill (9/12/2024), I attended the Santa Clara County’s Suicide Prevention Conference and participated in a presentation titled, “Increasing the Accessibility of Suicide Prevention Community Trainings via Language Translation vs. Cultural Adaptation: Lessons Learned.” The presentation was led by Dr. Joyce Chu (co-creator of Be Sensitive Be Brave training for mental health and suicide prevention: https://www.smchealth.org/bsbb) and featured community partners for Vietnamese adaptation (Dr. Kathlyn Clementelli) and Tongan adaptation (Leafa Taumoepeau and Maata Misinale. I’m so grateful for each of them!

The lessons learned were so insightful and left the audience thinking about cultural adaptations for different communities, including food, storytelling and working with trusted institutions (community center, church).

Below are links with more suicide prevention information/resources: 

September Suicide Prevention Month: https://smcsuicideprevention.com/

Suicide Prevention Program/Committee: https://www.smchealth.org/suicide-prevention

Written by Sylvia Tang (she/her), BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity Community Health Planner and Suicide Prevention Committee Co-Chair

2024 September Suicide Prevention Month + Week

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It’s officially Suicide Prevention Month, and next week is Suicide Prevention Week! Let’s use this time to give people hope and the strategies we all need to prevent suicide. We want to help undo the stigma. Next week, we’ll be posting content and resources so you can know the signs and break the ice when you need to talk.

Also, check out San Mateo County’s free events throughout September for Suicide Prevention Month. They’re free and open to the public, a mix of virtual and in-person. We’d love to see you! Visit our website for more information: https://smcsuicideprevention.com

Upcoming event:
💜9/10: Communal Candle Decorating Workshop at Belmont Library

10/1 – Interfaith National Day of Prayer: You Are the Light in Loneliness & Healing

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Join us for Interfaith National Day of Prayer on Tues, 10/1/24, 12PM-2PM at 400 County Center, Redwood City! 

We are ALL touched by mental illness. Only with the guidance, prayers and actions from our faith and behavioral health networks working together, will our communities reach better mental health and well-being.

At the Day of Prayer for Behavioral Health and Understanding, faith and secular leaders will join hundreds of events around the country to publicly recommit ourselves to replace misinformation, blame, fear and prejudice with truth, inclusion and love in order to offer hope and support to those most in need.

Community members, consumers, family members, faith community and behavioral health providers all welcome!

The National Day of Prayer has been observed in San Mateo County since 2016.

For more information contact: Isaac Frederick at ifrederick@smcgov.org or Pam Ward Pious at wpam3238@gmail.com.

2024 Fall Parent Project Classes

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Hi, all,

Our Parent Project® Fall 2024 semester is finally here! Please help spread the word about our Fall 2024 semester by sharing the flyers attached below with your networks and referring folks to our classes. This semester will feature one virtual English class, beginning on Tuesday, September 10th, and one virtual Spanish class beginning on Wednesday, September 11th.

Community members can refer to the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity’s Parent Project® webpage for more information on our upcoming classes, the all-class flyer, and more. If community members prefer other Parent Project® class options, they can refer to the main Parent Project® website to find virtual or in-person classes in their area.  

If you would like to learn more about the Parent Project® program, or if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via my email or phone number at nkelleher@smcgov.org or (650) 649-8411. 

SV Joselyn 9.10 Fall 2024 ENGLISHDownload
SV Joselyn 9.11 Fall 2024 SPANISHDownload

2024 Suicide Prevention Month: Love Over Loneliness

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📅  We are one month away from September Suicide Prevention Month (in addition to Recovery Happens Month)!  

San Mateo County will be joining statewide and nationwide efforts for the following Suicide Prevention Month (SPM) observances. SPM is one of the best times of the year where we can honor those affected by suicide and inspire action to prevent suicide.   

  • Suicide Prevention Month (September)  
  • National Suicide Prevention Week (September 8-14)   
  • World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10)  

The 2024 SPM statewide theme is “Love Over Loneliness”. Our San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in January declaring loneliness a public health crisis and pledging to promote social connection in our communities. According to the 2023 San Mateo County Health and Quality of Life Survey, 45% of respondents in San Mateo County were experiencing difficulty with loneliness and isolation. 

Now more than ever it is important that we find ways to connect with one another. Know the signs, find the words, and reach out. 
 
This year, San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services’ Office of Diversity & Equity and San Mateo County Suicide Prevention Committee lead a variety of virtual and in-person events, advocacy days and communication campaign. For the latest updates on free events and resources, you can visit SMCSuicidePrevention.com.  To help spread this message of hope, you can share our flyer.  

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