Category Archives: Providers

Heart & Soul Is Seeking an Executive Director

Heart & Soul is seeking a resourceful and strategic leader with a genuine passion for peer-based mental health support services to lead the organization in fulfilling its mission.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable leadership experience, specifically in the nonprofit or public sector. Candidates who have personal or lived experience with mental health challenges are strongly encouraged to apply. If this describes you, please know that we value your experiences.

View the complete Heart & Soul Executive Director Position Overview, Candidate Profile, Responsibilities and Qualifications, and How to Apply here.

Heart & Soul’s Annual Picnic is Back!

Heart & Soul’s Annual Picnic is Back! Attend our first In-person Community Gathering of 2021. Join them to re-unite with old friends, have fun, and celebrate our San Mateo County Mental Health Community.

Saturday, August 14, 2021
11:00 am – 3:00 pm at San Mateo Central Park
Please join us to re-unite with old friends, have fun, and celebrate our San Mateo County Mental Health Community

No advance registration or RSVP is required.

Picnic COVID Safety:

  • To protect the safety and comfort of all guests, Heart & Soul requests that face masks be worn at all times, except when eating or drinking, regardless of your vaccination status.
  • Please maintain safe physical distancing, except with people in your own household.
  • Please use hand sanitizer frequently. Hand sanitizer will be provided.
  • Those with symptoms must not attend.
  • Those at high risk of severe illness strongly encouraged not to attend.

For more information, visit the Heart & Soul’s website.

New System Expands Services and Access to Care

Since launching the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC ODS) pilot in San Mateo County in February 2017, BHRS data has shown a 140% increase in the number of unique Medi-Cal beneficiaries served  annually by the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) provider network  – from 516 people in 2016 to 1,245 people in 2018.  DMC services billed to the State have also increased 206% since implementation.  This increase is due in part, to the increase in the number of certified DMC  providers, from four in 2016 to twenty-four certified DMC providers currently. 

What is the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System? 

The Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) is a pilot program which expands the services that can be provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries under the Drug Medi-Cal benefit that were not previously covered.  Important new services include:  residential treatment, recovery support services, case management, and medication assisted treatment services.  When combined with the original DMC services (outpatient services, intensive outpatient, and opioid treatment services), a comprehensive substance use disorder benefit is now available.  Through these services, our aim is to improve access and timeliness to care,  enhance our client’s experience of care, and improve overall client health and wellness.    

Read more on how BHRS will continue serving and expanding treatment options and quality of care through this system, click here.

Caminar Announces Mark Cloutier as New CEO

 

Capture.PNGThe Board of Directors of Caminar has announced the appointment of Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH, as Chief Executive Officer of the $39M nonprofit behavioral health organization. Dedicated to empowering and supporting individuals and families with complex needs to move toward resilience, wellness and independence, Caminar serves more than 20,000 people each year in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.

Cloutier has dedicated his career to increasing access to quality health and supportive services and improving communities’ overall health and well-being. With Master’s degrees in public policy and public health, Cloutier has held leadership roles in health and behavioral health services organizations and foundations, including Horizons Services, San Francisco Foundation, the Center for Youth Wellness, Kaiser Family Foundation and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Read the full press release at Caminar’s website here.

Lived Experience 2.0 Peer & Family Action Summit – October 26

This month, consumer and family member leaders, peers working in the system and allied behavioral health services providers will come together at the Lived Experience 2.0 Peer & Family Action Summit. The summit will provide attendees with the opportunity to chart the path towards improving the role of peers, consumers and family members in the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services over the next 5 years. Read more

BHRS Training Update

This BHRS training update provides information on upcoming BHRS trainings, updates on the rescheduling of WRAP and ASIST, DSM 5 training follow-up, reminder to pre-register for all BHRS trainings, reminder to complete spirituality survey, and information about outside trainings.

UPCOMING BHRS TRAININGS

2-23-16: SMMC Grand Rounds–Bridging Spirituality Within Clinical Practice Panel Discussion.  This training is sponsored by the BHRS Spirituality Initiative (12:15pm-1:30pm in Room 100, 225 37th Avenue, San Mateo)

2-25-16: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Training (registration is full)

2-25-16 and 2-26-16: ASAM training (application period has ended)

3-3-16: Native American Mental Health Training (register on LMS www.smcgov.org/lms or contact kwestrick@smcgov.org  if you do not have an LMS account)

Read more

Caminar for Mental Health Receives Grant from the Peninsula Health Care District

Caminar received a $1.9 million grant from the Peninsula Health Care District’s (PHCD) Community Grants Program to support their Bridges to Wellness, a program that integrates primary and behavioral health care services while reducing preventable medical conditions and improving health outcomes.

Bridges to Wellness (BTW) offers a unique, integrated approach to primary and behavioral health care services for adults suffering from severe mental illness and chronic health conditions. BTW helps this vulnerable population prevent, reduce and manage their chronic health conditions through the adoption of healthier lifestyle choices related to diet, physical activity, and substance abuse. Being diagnosed with both mental illness and chronic medical conditions, these clients face exceptionally challenging obstacles in managing their mental and physical health. BTW is able to provide the specialized attention necessary to improve clients’ overall health and prevent health issues. The program empowers participants to make positive, life-long changes to improve their overall mental and physical health, and to prevent the onset or worsening of chronic conditions.  See the entire  press release.

Suicide Safe by SAMHSA – The Suicide Prevention App for Primary Care and Behavioral Health Providers

SuicideSafe

Suicide Safe is a suicide prevention learning tool for primary care and behavioral health providers and is based on the nationally recognized Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) practice guidelines. Suicide Safe helps providers feel confident to assist patients who present with suicidal ideation. The app offers tips on how to communicate effectively with patients and their families, determine appropriate next steps, and make referrals to treatment and community resources.

Download Suicide Safe on Your iOS® Device

Download Suicide Safe on Your Android™ Device