Category Archives: Photovoice

The Health Ambassador Program Through Photovoice | Las Voces de Programa Embajador de Salud a Través de FotoVoz 

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From November 3 to November 20, the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) hosted a powerful and deeply reflective Photovoice series honoring the voices, leadership, and lived experiences of longstanding Health Ambassadors. Designed as both a space for healing and a platform for storytelling, the series brought together BHRS Health Ambassadors across generations to uplift community narratives rooted in resilience, service, and collective care. 

The series was facilitated by community partner and Parent Project facilitator José Luis Aguirre of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Community Alliance to Recognize Our Neighborhoods (CARON), alongside Brenda Nunez, ODE Diversity and Equity Council co-chair and former Health Ambassador Youth Lead. Together, they fostered a supportive, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed learning environment where ambassadors could reflect and share their stories with authenticity. 

This Photovoice series held special significance as it marked the culmination of the Fall 2025 Health Ambassador Program (HAP) cohort and served as a meaningful lead-up to the HAP Graduation and 10-Year Celebration. Spanish-speaking Health Ambassadors from multiple generations closed out their HAP training by creating Photovoice projects that reflected their lived experiences, leadership journeys, and long-standing commitment to their communities and to HAP. 

The series consisted of four interactive classes that introduced participants to the purpose and process of Photovoice, emphasized collaboration, and supported ambassadors in developing visual narratives that honored both personal and collective experiences. Ambassadors reflected on two guiding prompts: “How has becoming a Health Ambassador impacted your life?” and “How has what you have learned as a Health Ambassador impacted the lives of your loved ones, your community, and BHRS?” 

Through these reflections, ambassadors shared powerful stories rooted in healing, resilience, and service. Many of the Photovoices represented more than a decade of dedication to the BHRS Health Ambassador Program. The series reached a milestone, with 25 ambassadors contributing to 26 completed Photovoice projects, highlighting the depth and intergenerational strength of HAP. 

On November 20, ambassadors presented their Photovoices to fellow Health Ambassadors, BHRS ODE staff, and loved ones. These projects were later displayed on December 12 at the HAP Graduation and 10-Year Celebration, where over 200 attendees viewed the Photovoices in both Spanish and English. 

This impactful series was made possible through the leadership of the Health Ambassadors; Charo Martinez, HAP Coordinator; Maria Martinez, HAP Lead; Nicoletta Kelleher, ODE Photovoice Coordinator; and facilitators Brenda Nunez and José Luis Aguirre with CARON. The Health Ambassador Program serves as a vital bridge between BHRS and the diverse communities of San Mateo County, providing trusted information, compassion, and culturally responsive, trauma-informed support. We extend our deepest gratitude to our Health Ambassadors for their unwavering dedication and commitment to community healing and health equity. 

Las Voces de HAP a Través de FotoVoz 

Del 3 al 20 de noviembre, la Oficina de Diversidad y Equidad (ODE) de Servicios de Salud Conductual y Recuperación (BHRS) llevó a cabo una poderosa y profundamente reflexiva serie de FotoVoz, honrando las voces, el liderazgo y las experiencias vividas de las Embajadoras de Salud con una larga trayectoria. Diseñada como un espacio de sanación y una plataforma para contar historias, la serie reunió a BHRS Embajadoras de Salud de distintas generaciones para resaltar narrativas comunitarias basadas en la resiliencia, el servicio y el cuidado colectivo. 

La serie fue facilitada por el facilitador de Parent Project, José Luis Aguirre, de la Alianza Comunitaria para Reconocer Nuestros Vecindarios (CARON) de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de San Mateo, junto con Brenda Nunez, copresidenta del Consejo de Diversidad y Equidad de ODE y ex Líder del Programa de Embajador de Salud para Jóvenes. Ambos, crearon un entorno de aprendizaje solidario, culturalmente receptivo y con enfoque informado en el trauma, donde los embajadores pudieron reflexionar y compartir con autenticidad. 

Esta serie de FotoVoz tuvo un significado especial al marcar el cierre de la generación de Otoño 2025 del Programa Embajador de Salud (HAP) y servir como antesala de la Graduación de HAP y la Celebración de sus 10 Años. Embajador@s de habla hispana, de múltiples generaciones, concluyeron su capacitación creando proyectos de FotoVoz que reflejaron sus experiencias vividas, sus trayectorias de liderazgo y su compromiso duradero con sus comunidades y con HAP. 

La serie consistió en cuatro clases interactivas que presentaron el propósito y el proceso del FotoVoz, fomentaron la colaboración y apoyaron a l@s embajador@s en el desarrollo de narrativas visuales que honraron experiencias tanto personales como colectivas. Las reflexiones se guiaron por dos preguntas: ¿Cómo ha impactado tu vida el convertirte en Embajad@r de Salud? y ¿Cómo ha impactado lo que has aprendido como Embajad@r de Salud a tus seres queridos, tu comunidad y a BHRS? 

A través de estas reflexiones, los embajadores compartieron historias poderosas de sanación, resiliencia y servicio. Muchas de las obras representaron más de una década de dedicación al Programa Embajador de Salud de BHRS. La serie alcanzó un logro importante, con 25 embajador@s que crearon 26 proyectos FotoVoz, demostrando la profundidad y fortaleza intergeneracional de HAP. 

El 20 de noviembre, los embajadores presentaron sus FotoVoces a otros Embajador@s de Salud, personal de BHRS ODE y seres queridos. Posteriormente, el 12 de diciembre, los proyectos se exhibieron durante la Graduación de HAP y Celebración de los 10 Años, donde más de 200 asistentes los apreciaron en español e inglés. 

Esta serie fue posible gracias al liderazgo de los Embajadores de Salud y de Charo Martinez, Coordinadora de HAP; Maria Martinez, Líder de HAP; Nicoletta Kelleher, Coordinadora de Photovoice de ODE; y las facilitadoras Brenda Nunez y José Luis Aguirre con CARON. El Programa Embajador de Salud continúa siendo un puente vital entre BHRS y las diversas comunidades del Condado de San Mateo, brindando información confiable, compasión y apoyo culturalmente receptivo e informado en el trauma. Expresamos nuestro más profundo agradecimiento a los Embajadores de Salud por su compromiso constante con la sanación comunitaria y la equidad en salud.

Hispanic Heritage Photovoices Displayed at Sana Sana Colita de Rana Event

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Beginning on September 22nd and finishing on October 20th, the BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity launched their 4-part Hispanic Heritage Photovoice series. This series celebrates Hispanic Heritage month by sharing how one’s family traditions, stories, and/or values connect an individual to their Hispanic heritage. This Photovoice series was particularly impactful because it was our first Spanish Photovoice since the re-launch of Photovoice in 2025. This series was facilitated by our longstanding community partner, Jose Luis Aguirre, who also facilitates our Spanish Parent Project courses. In addition, this series was very important for our Health Ambassador Program as it served as the final course (5 out of the 11 training offerings) for our prospective Health Ambassadors to become official Health Ambassadors. During graduation, we had family guests join and view the final Photovoices.

Now more than ever, it is vital that we celebrate Hispanic Heritage and culture to honor the importance that cultural values and identity plays in one’s behavioral health. For this reason, on Saturday, November 15th, we displayed these Photovoices at our 12th annual Sana Sana Colita de Rana event hosted by our BHRS ODE Health Equity Initiative, Latino/a/x Collaborative. Translated in English and Spanish, the Photovoices successfully promoted the Latino/a/x Collaborative’s mission to enhance health and wellness within the Latino/a/x community in San Mateo County. These final projects were displayed at the event, amplifying Hispanic Heritage while decreasing the stigma associated with seeking behavioral and recovery services and sharing lived experiences.

Written by Nicoletta Kelleher (she/her), BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity

18th Annual Housing Hero

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On Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025, the San Mateo County Change Housing Committee hosted the 18th Annual Housing Hero Awards at Redwood Shores Library. Led by Behavioral and Recovery Services(BHRS)’ Kesley Dattilo, Mariana Rocha, and recently retired, Lee Harrison, this event was held to honor the individuals and teams that tirelessly to support our San Mateo County community members in obtaining and maintaining stable housing during their recovery journeys.  

The BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) had the great pleasure of being a part of this event by providing live Spanish interpretation through interpretation devices, provided by Excel. In addition, we displayed our Housing Photovoices in order to amplify the importance that housing plays in one’s behavioral health recovery. Our Photovoice participants, Jo Padilla, Ivy Clark, and Cynthia Castro came to support the event and see their final Photovoice projects on display. Ivy Clark shared her lived experience as it relates to navigating housing with a substance use condition as described in her Photovoice project. Along with our Photovoice Housing participants, we were joined by our previous Housing Photovoice facilitator, Lee Harrison as well as our longstanding ODE Health Ambassador and Housing Photovoice co-facilitator, John Butler. John shared some insights around the power of Photovoice and the impact stable housing has had on his own wellness and recovery. 

The Photovoice program hosted a Photovoice Pop-Up booth in both Spanish and English. This Photovoice Pop-Up served to recognize housing stability and its importance in one’s journey to recovery from co-occurring substance use, mental health and primary health conditions. Attendees were asked to answer the prompts “How does stable housing enhance one’s recovery?” and “What role does housing play in one’s wellness?” The pop-up intended to capture the person behind the story, printing their photo on the spot and supporting them in using their voice to share their stories on paper. This allowed for the San Mateo County community to see firsthand how important housing is to individuals in their journey to recovery, reminding all of us that real people have real needs when it comes to stable housing. We would like to thank the contributors of the Housing Hero Awards for taking the time to honor our community partners and colleagues who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in providing and/or maintaining housing for San Mateo County residents with co-occurring issues. 

We extend our congratulations the honorees who were awarded for their exceptional leadership in providing and/or maintaining housing for San Mateo County residents with co-occurring issues include:  

  • Andrea Carrara, Housing Specialist of Mental Health Association of San Mateo County 
  • Kimberly Cotton, Quality Assurance Manager of Mental Health Association of San Mateo County 
  • Roni DeLeon, Former Community Director at Alta Housing 
  • Stacy Townsend and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, Housing Program 
  • The Bridges to Wellness Case Management Team  
  • Lee Harrison- The Honorable Carole Groom Housing Leadership Award 

At the Office of Diversity and Equity, we would like to recognize and thank all of the important individuals who were involved in putting this event together from the Change Agent Housing Committee (Housing Heros Committee) for their outstanding efforts in planning this event, and including the Office of Diversity and Equity’s Photovoice program and Language Access Services (LAS) to be included in this event. Many thanks to…  

  • Brooke Stacey of Human Services Agency (H.S.A.) 
  • Faith Garcia of Housing Authority 
  • Gini Lilani of Caminar 
  • Lee Harrison (community member – retired from BHRS) 
  • Mariana Rocha of BHRS 
  • Terrell Fortune of BHRS 
  • Theresa Cossman of Abode 
  • Zachary Comtois of BHRS 
  • Kelsey Dattilo of BHRS 
  • Georgia Peterson of MHA (Mental Health Association) 
  • Gozel Kulieva of Healthcare for the Homeless/Farmworkers Health Program 

Lastly, the planning committee would like to thank BHRS ODE, Voices of Recovery, Samaritan House and Shelldance Gardens.  

To learn more about Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Housing Services, please contact Kelsey Dattilo at kdattilo@smcgov.org and Mariana Rocha at mrocha@smcgov.org. 

Meet ODE’s 2025-2026 Interns!

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The County of San Mateo’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity is happy to announce that we have two new interns for this year! Our interns are passionate, driven, and experienced in advancing equity, wellness, and prevention for culturally diverse underserved/unserved populations. Our interns and their respective work areas include: 

Michelle Tolentino Serrano (she/her/ella) – Health Ambassador Program

Michelle is currently a Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity (BHRS ODE) Intern for the Health Ambassador Program. With a bachelor’s degree in communications (health emphasis) and recent master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Michelle is excited to contribute to a program that is dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and reducing stigma within the community. Drawing from personal/professional experiences and a commitment to service, she looks forward to gaining practical skills in public health education, advocacy, and community outreach. She hopes to continue this commitment to public health and community advocacy with pursuing opportunities to work as a coordinator for a Latinx/Queer center in higher education or in a related government role. Outside of professional endeavors, Michelle enjoys spending time with her cats, partner and family/friends, gardening, reading mystery/thriller, educating herself about political issues and crafting including beading, painting, sewing.

To learn more about the Health Ambassador Program, click here » https://www.smchealth.org/general-information/health-ambassador-program

Maddy Marquez (she/them) – Parent Project & Photovoice Program

Maddy Marquez is currently a full-time student in their senior year at San Jose State University where they are studying to get their bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies. Maddy is very passionate about her schooling and is taking this internship opportunity to expand her knowledge and skills to better serve her community. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Maddy is Hispanic and has had the pleasure of experiencing programs like Puente during her time at community college. This program sparked her love for learning more about her heritage and culture. She is especially grateful because she was able to get credits for classes like English through the lens of her community. Maddy has also tailored her current education around learning about marginalized groups by writing a paper on the prevalence of domestic violence within the LGBTQ+ community as well as expanding her knowledge on these subjects with classes like human rights and justice, immigration and justice, race gender inequality and law, prison community, criminal law, and research methods in justice.

During their time at ODE, Maddy will be primarily supporting the Parent Project and Photovoice programs. She will also be assisting with systemic equity, as ODE consists of members who contribute to both aspects of health with community facing projects as well as the systems to better serve the members of this beautiful community in San Mateo County. She is very excited for her time at ODE and has enjoyed getting to meet so many amazing people who put their community first and are always looking to help others. During her time she has had the pleasure of working with an amazing, driven, kind team who has been very welcoming and supportive in getting her adjusted to her new role. Maddy is taking advantage of their time here in ODE to open their horizons for the possibilities of different career options that utilize their degree, allowing them to give a fresh perspective with their knowledge of the criminal justice system and how it can tie into other areas of the systems that involve our lives every day. Outside of school and work, Maddy enjoys spending her days with her lovely fiancé and their family along with their 3 cats. She also really enjoys watching movies because she is a sucker for a good rom com.

To learn more about Photovoice and Parent Project, click here » https://www.smchealth.org/general-information/storytelling-program | https://www.smchealth.org/parentproject

About the Internship Program 
The Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) Internship Program is designed to provide work opportunities and practical learning experience for undergraduate and graduate students to enhance their academic preparation and expose them to public service at the county level. This program is offered every fiscal year from September to June. Interns work 20-hours per week and are paid with a stipend funded by the Mental Health Services Act. 

About the Office of Diversity and Equity 
The Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) advances health equity in behavioral health outcomes of marginalized communities throughout San Mateo County. ODE works to empower communities; influence policy and system changes; develop strategic and meaningful partnerships; and promote workforce development and transformation within the County’s behavioral health service system. 

To learn more about ODE’s work, visit  www.smchealth.org/bhrs/ode.  

Photovoice Wellness Series – Starting 8/6/25

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Hello,

I am excited to announce that in recognition of National Wellness Month, we will be conducting a Photovoice series throughout the month of August and into early September. National Wellness Month reminds us to promote self-care and healthy practice that enhances one’s mental and emotional wellbeing. For this reason, the session will be focused asking participants how they foster wellness for their behavioral health. By sharing stories and photos related to wellness, we emphasize the importance of taking care of oneself just in time for Suicide Prevention month in September.  

Sessions will occur from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in-person at 310 Harbor Blvd, Building E, Belmont on August 6th, 13th, 20th and the last session will occur on September 3rd.

To register, interested participants can fill out an application via this link, or contact me via email my at Nkelleher@smcgov.org. If you have any questions or would like to refer any clients or community members, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! We will close the application once we have confirmed a maximum of 10 participants. In order to participate in this series, participants must be committed to attending all 4 sessions. 

Please see the flyer below for more details.  

PV Wellness SessionDownload

Photovoice Pop-Up at Pride Celebration Uplifts LGBTQ+ Voices

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On Saturday, June 14th, the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity’s Pride Initiative hosted their 13th annual Pride event for Pride month. At this event, the Storytelling Photovoice program hosted their first “Photovoice Pop-Up” to celebrate Pride month. The Pop-Up was inspired by San Mateo County Office of Epidemiology and Evaluation’s (OEE) recent study on LGBTQ+ Health. The study found that the LGBTQ+ community is one to experience the biggest health and social disparities . According to their findings, the 29.4% of the SMC LGBTQ+ community has experienced difficulty getting to see a physician in the past year. In addition, 53.9% of the SMC LGBTQ+ community would not know where to access treatment for drug related problems if needed (OEE). The study also found that 56.6% of the LGBTQ+ community has experienced symptoms of depression in the last 2 years. Overall, the OEE’s study concluded that, “Historically, LGBTQ+ individuals have experienced high levels of discrimination, stigma, and barriers to competent health care, which are still impacting the health of this community today.”  

In an effort to address the behavioral health barriers, equity, and stigma experienced by the SMC LGBTQ+ groups, this Pride Photovoice activity encouraged all Pride event attendees and the larger LGBTQ+ community to answer the questions “What does LGBTQ+ wellness mean to you?” and/or “Celebrating Pride is important because…”. Participants could simply write their responses to these questions, or they could pair their response with a corresponding polaroid picture they took at the event. This Pride Photovoice Pop-Up provided participants an outlet to amplify behavioral needs, while learning about BHRS Pride services that are aligned with the LGBTQ+ community. In sharing one’s story, LGBTQ+ community and all Pride attendees had the opportunity to advocate and amplify LGBTQ+ representations it relates to behavioral health needs, destigmatizing one’s behavioral health condition, all while promoting self-affirmation and empowerment during Pride month and beyond. When a participant finished their Photovoice, they had the chance to hang their final project at our booth for other viewers to see, ultimately inspiring and encouraging other Pride attendees to participate in the Photovoice Pop-Up booth. When attendees left the event, they had the chance to take home their final photovoice to keep, or they donated their final Photovoice to the Photovoice program for other clients to see at our office in Belmont.  

Overall, this Pop-Up was a success in amplifying the inequities endured by the LGBTQ+ community. The more that people participated and hung their photovoices, the more that other attendees were drawn to the booth and wanted to participate themselves. Unlike our usual Photovoice, we had a lot of participation from children/youth and their parents. It was immensely impactful to see younger generations share their answers to these very important framing questions. We are thankful to everyone who came to our pop-up, and we look forward to implementing this type of Photovoice activity within other Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity events.  

To see more photovoices from this pop-up, visit our ODE Storytelling webpage. If you are interested in partaking in a full 4-part Photovoice session, please contact our Storytelling Program Coordinator, Nicoletta Kelleher at nkelleher@smcgov.org.