Category Archives: San Mateo County

Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Update + Modernizing of MHSA

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MHSA Three-Year Plan 

MHSA has provided a dedicated funding to transform County behavioral health services for children, youth, transition-age youth, adults, older adults, and families by imposing a 1% tax on personal income over $1 million in California. MHSA legislation requires the development of a Three-Year Plan to identify priorities for funding mental health and substance use services, programming, infrastructure, workforce, and various other strategies. 

A Community Program Planning (CPP) process for the MHSA Three-Year Plan kicked off in the Fall 2022 with an MHSA Three-Year Plan Workgroup made up clients, family members, community-based agencies and community leaders.  This Workgroup provided input on the planning process to ensure inclusivity and accessibility, reviewed and advised on data needed to support a thorough a Needs Assessment phase, and supported opportunities for community input on strategies to address the needs during a Strategy Development phase.  Over 40 sources of data were reviewed and informed behavioral health needs, including a community survey distributed broadly.  Over 30 community input sessions were facilitated with local groups, vulnerable communities and collaboratives to identify priority programs, services, and strategies.  A summary of the strategy recommendations will be presented to the MHSA Steering Committee meeting scheduled for May 4, 2023, from 3-4:30pm.  This will be hybrid (in-person/online), open to the public.  For more information, visit the MHSA website, www.scmhealth.org/MHSA, and click on the “Announcements” tab.  

MHSA Innovations (INN) 

BHRS is excited to announce that four new MHSA INN projects proposed were approved by both the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the state Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC).  The MHSA INN projects include the Adult Residential In-Home Support Element (ARISE), Mobile Behavioral Health Services for Farmworkers, Recovery Connection Drop-in Center, and Music Therapy for Asians and Asian Americans. More on these projects can be found in the Dececember BHRS Director’s Update. A Request for Proposal process was conducted and BHRS is currently selecting the providers for these new services, which we expect to start-up July 1, 2023.  Additionally, a previously approved MHSA INN project, the Pacific Islanders Organizing, Nurturing, and Empowering Everyone to Rise and Serve (PIONEERS) Program was recently awarded to HealthRIGHT 360’s Asian American Recovery Services (AARS) agency and is expected to also launch July 1st. The PIONEERS program will provide culturally relevant, behavioral health support for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (NHPI) youth and young adults across San Mateo County. 

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BHRS ODE Builds Community Connections at “Caffeinate and Conversate with Canepa”

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On Saturday, February 18th, San Mateo County Supervisor, David Canepa, hosted a “Caffeinate and Conversate with Canepa” event in Daly City, creating a space for a community conversation on mental health. Following the Half Moon Bay shooting and the recent storms in the Bay Area, it was great having the opportunity to learn from fellow mental health providers and advocates on accessing and improving mental health resources within San Mateo County.  

San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) Director, Dr. Maria Lorente-Foresti and Program Coordinator, Nicoletta Kelleher had the honor of presenting about BHRS services and resources. The presentation focused on Prevention and Early Intervention programs, youth and adult Mental Health First Aid, Workforce Education Trainings, Health Equity Initiatives and more. Throughout the presentation, attendees were referred to BHRS ODE’s program brochures and resources in order to ensure community members could easily access our services. The event also included contributions and resources from valued partners including Christi Morales-Kumasawa and Stephanie Garma Balon from KAPWA Kultural Center and Café, Virginia Chang Kiraly from National Alliance and Mental Illness (NAMI), and Fan Li from North East Medical Services (NEMS).

BHRS ODE is extremely appreciative to have had the opportunity to inform our community of our programs and services. We are grateful to Supervisor David Canepa and his team for inviting us to speak at this event, as well as creating a space for the community to voice their concerns and struggles following the recent traumatic events within our county. We look forward to participating in more events to help build community connections and the opportunity to amplify the voices of our underserved communities in order to make accessing behavioral health services more equitable and inclusive for all. 

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

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

*NEW* Peer Support Group at Heart & Soul

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Alternatives To Suicide is a new approach to sharing about our experiences without the fear of judgment or coercion. Originally created by the Wildflower Alliance, this group is a safe non-clinical space for individuals who are personally experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or have attempted suicide.

The first in-person group will meet on Thursday, March 16, 3:30 – 5:00 pm at Heart & Soul’s Community Drop-In Center (1633 Old Bayshore Hwy. Suite 258, Burlingame, CA 94010).

The group will be offered on the 1st Thursday of the month on Zoom and on the 3rd Thursday of the month in person at Heart & Soul’s Burlingame location.

All participants must agree to respect and apply the Alternatives To Suicide Charter provided at the beginning of the group meetings.

​No registration is required. 

For questions, email info@heartandsoulinc.org.

BACHAC’s Soul Stroll 2023 Needs Volunteers!

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Volunteers are the Heart and Soul of Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council. We need volunteers to help make Soul Stroll for Health a success.

  • There are various volunteer positions. First shift starts at 6:00 am. 
  • View our list of volunteer positions and responsibilities.
  • All volunteers must complete a Volunteer Agreement Form. It will be sent to those who sign-up for a volunteer position.
  • Great opportunity for group teamwork, teens, young adults, and fulfilling student volunteer hours.

Soul Stroll Volunteer Orientation will provide more information about your volunteer position. 

Date: Saturday April 22, 2023 
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: 745 Brewster Avenue, Redwood City, CA

Options for signing up:

  1. Visit BACHAC POINT webpage at https://pointapp.org/orgs/973. 

Click on the “events” tab where you will see Soul Stroll 2023 listed. To sign-up online, you need to create your free account on the website or mobile app:

2.    Email Rachel Mesia at volunteer1@bachac.org

3.    Call Rachel Mesia at 650.723.7119, leave a message with name and contact information.

Become a Cultural Humility Trainer Through 5-Day Training!

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Become a Cultural Humility trainer by learning the teachings of Melanie Tervalon, MD, MPH and Jann Murray-Garcia, MD, MPH, from Briana Evans and support our BHRS Multicultural Organizational Development (MCOD) framework to advance equity, diversity and principles of cultural humility and inclusion in the workplace.

You may only apply if you have already taken Dr. Melanie Tervalon and Dr. Jann Murray-Garcia’s Cultural Humility training as a participant.

It is required that you attend all five Training of Trainer sessions:

  • May 24, in-person | 9:30 A.M. – 4 P.M.
  • May 25, in-person | 9:30 A.M. – 4 P.M.
  • May 31, virtual | 1 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. 
  • June 7, virtual | 1 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. 
  • June 21, in-person |  1 P.M. – 4:30 P.M.

Expectations upon completion of this training:

  • Commit to providing a minimum of 3 Cultural Humility trainings (2 of which for BHRS staff) on an annual basis. 
  • Attend the Cultural Humility Cohort meeting every 1st Monday at 10 A.M. where you will dialogue with other facilitators, support one another, and continue growing as a facilitator.

If you are interested to apply, please email KFLui@smcgov.org for application. Deadline to apply is 5/1. Note: Supervisor signature will be required on the application.

Please share this flyer with your networks.

Cultural-Humility-TOT-2023-FlyerDownload

Samaritan House EPA Offers Hot Meals

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Samaritan House’s East Palo Alto location offers hot meals every Friday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. For more information or to preregister for meals, call (650) 294-4312.

For Samaritan House financial resources visit here.

For Samaritan House transportation resources visit here.

Parent Project Hosts First In-Person Class Since Spring 2020!

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The Parent Project Spring 2023 semester is officially here! As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parent Project classes have been strictly virtual for the past three years. For this reason, we are excited to be transitioning back into in-person classes. This semester, our first in-person class is facilitated by Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center’s (PCRC), Evelia Chairez, alongside the Community Alliance to Revitalize Our Neighborhoods’ (CARON), Jose Luis Aguirre. Our first class was quite the success as we had numerous parents and caregivers join us at the Redwood City Library for our first in-person Spanish class since Spring of 2020. Our second in-person class is hosted by StarVista’s, Eddy Caldera and Mario Vargas, who are hosting another in-person Spanish class at Fiesta Gardens International school.

For virtual classes, we have one virtual Spanish class being hosted by StarVista’s Lilia Quezada, alongside Ara Vazquez and Gaby Berber. Our virtual English class is hosted by Peninsula Conflict Resolution’s Center and the Pacific Islander Initiative’s co-chair, Brittany Tonga.  

“I am very happy to have the Parent Project classes in person again. It is very motivating for me to see that parents want to learn more tools to educate their children. Each week they return with new experiences and feedback on how they are applying what they learn in the classroom at home. I have always said that today’s parents have a harder job to do, since they were educated in an analog world and now they have to educate in a digital era, often unknown to them. The fact that they attend the classes every week speaks volumes about their role as parents who always want to be better for their kids.” 

Jose Luis Aguirre, Parent Project Facilitator

[En Español]

“Estoy muy feliz de tener nuevamente las clases del Proyecto de Padres en persona. Es muy motivador para mi ver que los padres quieren aprender más herramientas para educar a sus hijos. Cada semana regresan con nuevas experiencias y comentarios de cómo están aplicando en casa lo que aprenden en el salón de clase. Siempre he dicho que a los padres de hoy en día les toca una labor más fuerte, pues ellos fueron educados en un mundo análogo y ahora tienen que educar en un mundo digital, en muchas ocasiones desconocido para ellos. El hecho de que asistan cada semana a su clase habla muy bien de su papel como padres que siempre quieren lo mejor para sus hijos.   

Jose Luis Aguirre, Facilitador del Proyecto de Padres 

Thus far, this semester has allowed us to rebuild connections with our community members. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are aware that there are added obstacles associated with rebuilding familial relationships. For this reason, we are implementing practices to better assist parents in an era that has been more anxiety inducing for both parents and children. ODE’s Community Program Specialist, Charo Martinez, will be working in collaboration with her fellow Health Ambassadors to educate parents and caregivers on the Health Ambassador Program. We are beyond thankful for the outstanding contributions of our partners Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center and StarVista. We are looking forward to what the future of the Parent Project has in store!  

For more information on the Parent Project, please visit: https://www.smchealth.org/post/parent-project-r 

For any Parent Project related questions or concerns, please reach me via my email: Nkelleher@smcgov.org  

Written by Nicoletta Kelleher (she/her)
BHRS’ Office of Diversity and Equity

Latino Collaborative Co-Chair Honored with Extra Mile Award at Women in County Government

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Pictured left to right: Yolanda Ramirez, Claudia Saggese, Melissa Ibarra, Sylvia Tang, Gloria Gonzalez, Maria Lorente-Foresti, Kristie Lui, Yahaira Ortega, Twila Dependahl, Regina Moreno

Each year our San Mateo County Women in County Government recognizes exceptional women working in our government departments. This year numerous nominations were received to honor the outstanding dedication and service women have made to serve our communities.

We would like to congratulate Gloria Cahuich Gonzalez, Co-Chair of Behavioral Health & Recovery Services’ Latino Collaborative and Community Program Specialist II with SMC Public Health, Policy and Planning. Gloria has shown her passion, commitment and compassion to our Latinx community in her work to lead two Sana Sana Colita de Rana Events and provide resources and supports to our marginalized communities. The work she and other nominees below have done emphasizes the importance of creating a positive impact in San Mateo communities by implementing a racial equity lens in the work we do.

Congratulations to all other BHRS nominees:
Rookie of the Year:
Dori Bailey, MD., BHRS Adult Psychiatrist

Development Champion:
Chummy Sevilla, BHRS Clinical Services Manager II

Public Service/Extra Mile:
Barbara Weissman, MD, BHRS Adult Psychiatrist
Linda Hildreth, BHRS Supervising Mental Health Clinician
Maria Lorente-Foresti, Ph.D., BHRS Director Office of Diversity and Equity
Tennille Tucker, BHRS Supervising Mental Health Clinician
Yolanda Ramirez, BHRS Senior Community Program Specialist

Please join us in congratulating these amazing women that make a difference everyday for our workforce and those we serve.

Written by Kristie Lui and Maria Lorente-Foresti, Ph.D., BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity

Serenity House CRT Program Reopens

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We are pleased to announce that the Serenity House Crisis Residential Treatment (CRT) program opened on Monday, October 3!

Serenity House is a 13-bed CRT program serving adults age 18+ with a diagnosis of mental illness, including those with co-occurring substance use disorders. In partnership with San Mateo County, the CRT will provide care to individuals aged 18 and above, 24-hours a day, 7 days per week.

The CRT will help people find relief from distress, maintain stability, and emphasize choice-making skills and harm-reduction techniques. Prior to arriving at the program, all referrals should call 650-539-0340 to access services.

Referrals may be generated through self-referral, local law enforcement, emergency responders, or being diverted from psychiatric emergency departments.

Learn more here.

Health Ambassadors Reflect on the Importance of SMC’s 10th Annual PRIDE Celebration

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BHRS Health Ambassadors supporting 10 year Anniversary of San Mateo County’s PRIDE Celebration

Version en Español abajo

Saturday at noon, the radiant sun, and hundreds of people ready to experience an LGBTQ+ celebration for the first time. Not just any celebration, but the 10 year anniversary of San Mateo County’s PRIDE Celebration! 

Volunteering at the 2022 San Mateo County Pride Celebration this past June was a group of BHRS’ Health Ambassadors, accompanied by their children. Joined by BHRS’ Office of Diversity & Equity, the Health Ambassadors helped collect demographic data of attendees to learn which communities were represented at the event. Along with volunteering, the Health Ambassadors were ready to make a special connection with their children and learn more about the LGBTQ+ community.  

“[At the Pride Celebration] my 14-year-old daughter seemed very happy, very open, like she was in her world. It was very natural for her to go with me around the park asking attendees each of the 6 questions of the questionnaire. We found happy people, dancing and enjoying their acceptance,” 

BHRS Health Ambassador, Lourdes Briseño, who had not attended a PRIDE celebration prior and, inspired by her experience at the festival, shared her story for the first time. 

“When my daughter came out she was between 8 and 9 years old, but I feel that I did not listen to her… At age 12 she came out to her older brother. Luis clarified/educated me that my daughter is a lesbian and demanded that I never reject her. I could had avoided 4 years of her suffering…”, said Lourdes. “When we arrived at the park, my husband looked very uncomfortable, but at last he said that he wanted to attend a support group for parents with LGBTQ + children… Having attended this event was a way of supporting my daughter. She is very young and needs the support of her family and then the support of society, because we don’t live alone as a family, she must make her life safer and happier for herself. Also, I learned the term ‘Queer’*” 

During the event, the community enjoyed local artists on stage, information booths breaking stigma around the LGBTQ+ community, and the playground for children and adults. While gifts were raffled and folks enjoyed the sun, it seems that the same balm of joy and freshness transforms minds and moves hearts.  

“For me it was nice to see that people fight to feel comfortable with who they are and that they find freedom along the way. At my daughter’s age -14 years old- she is already clear that all people should be accepted as they are, and we don’t have to judge anyone. We weren’t taught that where I grew up”. 

BHRS Health Ambassador, Angelica Zamora, originally from Mexico 

BHRS Health Ambassadors collected a total of 826 demographic surveys from an estimated total of 2,400 attendees from various parts of the Bay Area and other states across the country. The Spanish speaking community was the second largest group of attendees after the English speakers.  

You can find the Health Ambassadors continuing their support for LGBTQ+ communities at TransACTION Day of Change this Friday, 11/18 in Redwood City.

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