San Mateo County Health is working closely with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to respond to novel coronavirus and its potential impacts on the Bay Area. Visit https://www.smchealth.org/coronavirus for information and updates.
Call 2-1-1 for Non-Medical, Non-Emergency Questions About Coronavirus.
2-1-1 is a confidential service accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week in 180 languages. Callers can get answers to questions about how residents, schools and businesses should prepare for COVID-19, as well as ways to prevent the spread of the virus.
It’s your chance to be heard! Invitations to participate in the 2020 Census were mailed this week. When you fill out the Census, you are telling your story. Give your story a voice. Be informed, be involved, be counted: www.smccensus.org
The MHSA Three-Year Plan is developed in collaboration with clients and families, community members, staff, community agencies and stakeholders. It includes behavioral health priorities for funding over the next three years for program expansions and/or improvements, services and expenditure projections.
There are many opportunities for you to get involved in shaping the priorities for MHSA over the next 3 years.
First off, please take the time to complete a 12 question survey that will help inform the mental health and substance use needs in San Mateo County and feel free to share the survey broadly!
Additionally, there are in-person community meetings throughout San Mateo County to help develop strategies to address the prioritized needs. Visit the the MHSA website, www.smchealth.org/MHSA, for the meeting flyers and the 2020 Input Sessions list, and check regularly for updates!
MHSA Steering Committee – Prioritization of Needs Wednesday, March 4, 2020 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm (MHSARC) 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm (MHSA) San Mateo County Health Campus, Room 100 225 37th Avenue in San Mateo
MHSA Steering Committee – Prioritization of Strategies Wednesday, April 29, 2020 4:30pm – 6:30pm Veterans Memorial Building, Redwood Room 1455 Madison Avenue in Redwood City
Thank you for your help in making San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services a better community partner!
Twice a year, in May and November, BHRS administers the Consumer Perception Survey on behalf of the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to a sampling of adults, older adults, youth and family members of youth consumers who receive specialty mental health services.
The survey questions address the following seven domains: General Satisfaction, Perception of Access, Perception of Cultural Sensitivity, Perception of Participation in Treatment Planning, Perception of Outcomes of Services, Perception of Functioning, and Perception of Social Connectedness.
Of the 827 consumers and family members who participated in the November 2019 survey, 91% said they were satisfied with the services they received. Read more about the results here.
There are an unlimited number of issues and challenges facing California’s public mental health and substance use (behavioral health) system. Despite billions in revenue being distributed to California counties, there are significant barriers to accessing treatment. Stigma remains one of the main forces keeping people from seeking treatment at all levels of behavioral health needs. Read more from BHRS Director, Scott Gillman, on stigma and the impact it has on individuals and their family members who might need help.
Last summer, the United States Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an updated policy related to the “public charge” rule aimed to limit immigration benefits for people using certain federal programs.
A public charge is defined as an individual who relies primarily on government programs to meet certain basic needs such as housing, food or healthcare. Among the programs that are used to determine public charge status, the current federal law includes Targeted Aid for Needy Families (TANF) (otherwise known as CalWORKS in California) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Starting February 24, 2020, the Public Charge Founds rule will go into effect, but the pool of immigrants who are potentially subject to this rule is very narrow.
The rule only applies to immigrants who are in the process of adjusting their current status from a temporary to a permanent lawful immigration status and excludes most of the lawful immigration populations such as Legal Permanent Aliens, Asylees, Refugees, Special Immigrant Juveniles (who can claim a rightful separation from their immigrant parents due to domestic violence, neglect or abandonment), VAWA and U visa holders as well as victims of human trafficking who have an open criminal case against their perpetrators.
Almost all minors under the age of 21 are not impacted by this rule and certainly no child on public benefits—US-born or otherwise—could cause any parent to be subject to this rule.
Participating in #2020Census affects your community's voice at the federal, state + local level. Make sure your priorities & needs are considered and that we have a say in the policies and decisions that affect us. Make your voice heard and Be Counted! #EveryoneCounts#SmcCountspic.twitter.com/i7CNqBigpT
— San Mateo County Office of Community Affairs (@SMC_CommAffairs) February 19, 2020
Proposition 63, known as the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), provides increased funding, personnel and other resources to support County behavioral health programs and monitor progress toward statewide goals for children, transition-age youth, adults, older adults and families. The Act addresses a broad continuum of prevention, early intervention and direct service needs and the necessary infrastructure, technology and training elements that will effectively support this system. The public is encouraged to participate in the MHSA planning process as community input shapes MHSA spending.
MHSA Steering Committee Meeting The MHSA Steering Committee is open to the public to make recommendations to the planning, funding and services development for MHSA.
The MHSA Steering Committee meeting is combined with the monthly Mental Health Substance Abuse and Recovery Commission (MHSARC) meeting in March and October each year. The MHSA portion will begin at 4 pm and both meetings are open to the public.
Wednesday, March 4 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm (MHSARC) 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm (MHSA) San Mateo County Health Campus, Room 100, 225 37th Ave., San Mateo
Read the details on what the Committee is working on here. The public is encouraged to participate and get involvedin providing input.
Today we honor the founders of a mighty nation and the foundation of a country built upon justice, equality and the preservation of human rights.
That’s why participation in the 2020 Census is so important. It’s our civic duty, and the National Census has been a cornerstone of our democracy since our country began!
Take the pledge to participate in the 2020 Census: www.smccensus.org.
