Tag Archives: Mental Health

2025 Black History Month Wellness Event Pays Homage to Ancestors

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On Saturday, February 15th, the African American Community Initiative (AACI) celebrated their 7th annual Black History Month celebration at Eastside College Preparatory Academy in East Palo Alto. This event paid homage to the African American/Black ancestors, specifically highlighting African Americans devout contributions to our American history through labor (the national theme was “African Americans & Labor: Paying homage to our ancestors”). The event featured guest presentations from our newest San Mateo County Board Member, Lisa Gauthier, who represents District 4 (East Palo Alto), Behavioral Health, and Recovery Services (BHRS) Director, Dr. Jei Africa, and BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity Director, Dr. Maria Lorente-Foresti. Attendees were provided history about African American/Black representation in predominately white work fields, as seen in the video by Misty Copeland, who shared her lived experiences as a Black Principal Ballet Dancer. In addition, attendees learned about the Port Chicago explosion in Suisan Bay and the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black female unit of the United States Army during World War II. Finally, the event celebrated the work of Maurice Goodman, the President of the San Mateo County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States!

AACI closed out the event with an introduction to the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum and Learning Center in Redwood City, as well as providing some trivia and raffles to the community; all questions related to African American/Black individuals who contributed to American history and those who contributed to San Mateo County workforce. By celebrating Black History, AACI aims to reduce behavioral health treatment disparities, support an inclusive and welcoming environment for our clients and workforce and reduce the stigma around behavioral health challenges with the intention of creating more equitable behavioral health outcomes for our African American and Black community. The African American Community Initiative would like to thank all their guests and presenters for coming together and rejoicing in African American/Black History through music, community resources, speakers, and guest presenters. The African American Community Initiative hopes to see you all for their next event in June for Juneteenth!

To learn more about the African American Community Initiative, or to become a member, click here!

3/26 & 3/27- Stanford Health Equity Conference

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Hello,

Join San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services for the 3rd Annual Stanford Mental Health Equity & Advocacy Round Table Conference.

The event will feature a mix of expert speakers, policy workshops, and networking opportunities for students, psychiatry trainees, community mental health care providers, clinicians, community mental health leaders, researchers, and clinical faculty.

Date: Wednesday, 3/26 & Thursday, 3/27
Time: 1PM-7PM both days
Location: 3/26 in Redwood City, 3/27 at Stanford University

RSVP link can be found in the flyer below.

For more info, contact Dr. Megan Tan at megan.tan@stanford.edu or Dr. Brendan Scherer at BScherer@smcgov.org.

RSVP – 2025 MHEARTDownload

Suicide Prevention Committee Newsletter – March 2025

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The Suicide Prevention Committee (SPC) provides oversight and direction to suicide prevention efforts in San Mateo County. Led by the Office of Diversity and Equity at San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the committee is comprised of suicide attempt survivors, suicide loss survivors, behavioral health providers, social service providers, local transportation agency staff, and other community members passionate about preventing suicide in our community.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Latest Updates

  • Suicide Prevention Committee is working on three projects. Each project addresses one of the goals prioritized for 2025. More details in next SPC meeting.
    • GOAL 1: Enhance Visible Leadership and Networked Partnerships 
    • GOAL 2: Increase Development and Coordination of Suicide Prevention Resources  
    • GOAL 3: Advance Data Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Monthly Meetings
    • Upcoming Meeting: Tuesday, 03/04/2025 1:30pm – 3pm
      • Topic: Resource Flyer, “I Am Suicide Prevention” Video Series and Volunteer Opportunities
    • Prior Meeting: Tuesday, 01/07/2025 1:30pm – 3pm
      • Topic: Resource Flyer
  • 2025 Meeting Schedule

UPCOMING EVENTS & TRAININGS

Pacific Islander Initiative of San Mateo County Presents: Adult Health First Aid Certification
(https://smcbhrsblog.org/2025/02/13/3-22-adult-mental-health-first-aid-hosted-by-pacific-islander-initiative/)

This important session will equip you with valuable knowledge and practical skills to support someone who may be facing mental health or substance abuse challenges.

The training covers the initial steps to take when you encounter someone in need and provides you with effective tools to help navigate these situations with confidence and care.

It’s a great opportunity to learn how to provide the right support when it’s needed most.

Registration link: bit.ly/MHSA-TCIP
Le Maota, 833 Mahler Road, Burlingame, CA
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025
9am – 6pm

Read more

Storytelling Program Relaunches with a Focus on Housing

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The Storytelling Photovoice Program kicked off their re-launch session with a Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity’s (BHRS ODE) Photovoice Housing Project. The ODE Storytelling Program empowers community members to share their stories of recovery and wellness to heal and to address issues within their communities. Through the Photovoice sessions, participants highlighted housing inequities and were able to amplify their experiences while narrating the barriers associated with loss of housing, their journey towards receiving housing, or how not having housing has impacted their everyday lives. In doing this, participants shared their personal stories, as well as their journey to recovery with mental health and substance use challenges and how this creates additional barriers in obtaining stable housing. 

The four-part training was hosted by BHRS’ Senior Community Housing Specialist and BHRS ODE’S African American Community Initiative’s (AACI) co-chair Lee Harrison and ODE’s longstanding BHRS Health Ambassador, John Butler. Our facilitators fostered a safe and supportive environment for participants and encouraged folx to tell their stories from their own personal lens – an opportunity not many community members have. On the fourth session, or graduation day, participants invited guests to view the group’s final Photovoice projects. In addition, we were joined by housing experts, Kelsey Dattilo the BHRS Housing Programs Supervisor and BHRS Housing Programs Manager, Mariana Rocha, on our graduation for our final Photovoice gallery viewing!  

According to our viewer data, all of our guests strongly agreed that as a result of viewing these Photovoices, they learned how mental health and substance use condition impact lives. Additionally, all guests strongly agreed that as a result of viewing the Photovoice’s, they plan to act in ways that are more supportive of people with behavioral health challenges. Finally, all of our guests strongly agreed that sharing stories through the Photovoice project can inspire other community members to do the same. 

Keep an eye out for these Housing Photovoice projects as we will be displaying them across BHRS sites and clinics. To learn more about the Storytelling Photovoice program or to host a session amongst your clients or team, please reach out to the Storytelling Program Coordinator, Nicoletta Kelleher! Stay tuned for more Photovoice projects!  

Written by Nica Kelleher, Program Coordinator at Behavioral Health & Recovery Services’ Office of Diversity & Equity

2/7 – Legal Aid of San Mateo County Presentation

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Hello,

Please share this event with your networks. San Mateo County’s Behavioral Health & Recovery Services’ Diversity & Equity Council is inviting Legal Aid of San Mateo County to present for the community.

Legal Aid will discuss community concerns around access to civil legal services with a focus on access to healthcare and public benefits for LGBTQ+, undocumented and mental health consumers.

Learn about Health Consumer Center at Legal Aid, the types of cases they support, and information about Medi-Cal for all, including undocumented individuals.

What: Presentation from Legal Aid of San Mateo County

When: Friday, 2/7/25, 11AM-12:30PM

Where: Via Zoom (Email Brenda Nuñez at Brenda.Nunez@star-vista.org for Zoom info)

Suicide Prevention Committee Newsletter – February 2025

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The Suicide Prevention Committee (SPC) provides oversight and direction to suicide prevention efforts in San Mateo County. Led by the Office of Diversity and Equity at San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the committee is comprised of suicide attempt survivors, suicide loss survivors, behavioral health providers, social service providers, local transportation agency staff, and other community members passionate about preventing suicide in our community.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Latest Updates

  •  Suicide Prevention Committee are proposing new projects, including a new resource flyer, data visualization and video series. More details to be shared in upcoming meetings.

Monthly Meetings

  • Upcoming Meeting: Tuesday, 02/04/2025 1:30pm – 3pm
    • Topic: Resource Flyer & Suicide Data Visualization Project
  • Prior Meeting: Tuesday, 01/07/2025 1:30pm – 3pm
    • Topic: Review Priorities 2025 & Key Partners Matrix
  • 2025 Meeting Schedule
Read more

2/15 – 2025 Black History Month Wellness Event

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Mark your calendars! African American Community Initiative (AACI) is hosting their 2025 Black History Month Wellness Event celebration! This is a free community event promoting arts and wellness for African Americans. Expect live music, resource fair, speakers, and health & wellness checks. 

Date: Sat, 2/15/25
Time: 1:00PM- 4:00PM PST
Location: Eastside College Preparatory School (1041 Myrtle Street, East Palo Alto)
Contact: Dee Pennix at AACIInitiative@gmail.com

About AACI:

The mission of the African American Community Initiative is to become a known resource for African American Community members facing challenges with finding and utilizing mental health services, while addressing inequalities faced by African Americans in our county.  Our vision is to build a community driven support system for reducing mental health and substance use treatment disparities, and the stigma of mental illness.
 
Learn more about their work here. 

Happy 2025 from ODE + New Cultural Competency Plan

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In December 2024, San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services(BHRS) submitted a comprehensive three-year Cultural Competency Plan, showcasing our ongoing efforts to support our diverse communities through culturally and linguistically responsive services. This annual requirement, set by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), helps us track and reflect on our progress in advancing behavioral health equity across our system.

Key areas of focus in the report include our commitment to cultural competence as a system of care, strategies for reducing disparities, efforts to grow a multicultural workforce, and enhancing language capacity to better serve our community. Additionally, the plan highlights our dedication to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and trauma-informed systems within our organization.

This submission highlights the trends, challenges, and accomplishments of BHRS during fiscal years 2021 through 2024—a period marked by significant transitions as we collectively recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, welcoming new leadership, and prepare for statewide systemic changes.

We recognize this report reflects the lived experiences, needs, and resilience of the individuals and families we serve. These stories are a testament to the strength of our communities and the importance of equitable access to care. We also recognize the dedication and hard work of our BHRS team members and partnering organizations, whose efforts have a direct and meaningful impact on advancing equity and fostering healing within our communities.

Thank you, BHRS, for your unwavering commitment to fostering equity, inclusion, and belong in behavioral health care. Together, we are making a difference.

View the updated plan here.

To stay connected and actively participate in these efforts, we encourage you to:

  1. Join our BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity email listserv
  2. Attend one of our Health Equity Initiatives monthly meetings

Let’s continue to work together to create a healthier, more equitable future for all.

Written by Frances Lobos, San Mateo County BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity

Parent Project Celebrates a Successful 2024!

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Last Fall, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services’ Office of Diversity and Equity (BHRS ODE) hosted 3 Parent Project® classes. In partnership with StarVista, we hosted on virtual English class, facilitated by Ivan Marquez and Jackie Cisneros and one virtual Spanish class facilitated by Leonela Zavalza and Karen Palomino Velazquez. This semester we also began our partnership with Community Alliance to Revitalize Our Neighborhoods (CARON), where we collaborated to host one in-person Spanish Course at the Half Moon Bay Library. We are beyond thrilled to have celebrated 61 new official Parent Project® graduates, and 13 participants, ultimately serving 74 parents and caregivers of San Mateo County!

This semester featured a lot of notable highlights for the Parent Project® program, one of them being that all of our classes received a presentation from Alcohol and Other Drug’s (AOD) department’s Dr. Ronni Brown, Alex Perez, and Gabriel Lemus. The AOD Overdose Education & Response educated parents on the dangers of fentanyl, how to recognize an overdose, how to utilize Narcan, and how to access BHRS’ substance use services. AOD even distributed Narcan and Fentanyl test strips to our Parent Project® participants. The Office of Diversity and Equity would like to thank the AOD team for supporting the parents and caregivers of San Mateo County! In addition, BHRS ODE provided our general presentation introducing BHRS, our office at ODE, the Health Ambassador Program, as well as how to access Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. For the first time in Parent Project history, we had the Health Ambassadors, Cynthia Castro and Amada Espinoza, facilitate a Know the Signs Workshop, with the support of ODE’s Health Education Associate, Maria Martinez. Know the Signs is a training where participants learn to recognize the signs of suicide in another individual, and how to approach this concern via conversation and appropriate (BHRS) resources. We are so thankful to our Health Ambassador Program for helping our Parent Project® participants to initiate their journey to becoming prospective Health Ambassadors by providing a Know the Signs workshop at one of our Parent Project classes!

Finally, thank you to our partners at StarVista for celebrating our Parent Project® graduates and participants with in-person graduations featuring family activities and holiday raffles for Parent Project® participants to enjoy. We would also like to thank CARON for their in-person graduation featuring resources tables and presentations from the Half Moon Bay Library, Sheriff’s Activity League, Coastside Hope, City of Half Moon Bay, and San Mateo County’s Office of Community Affairs, and even a special visit from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, therapy dog, Maverick!

Here at BHRS ODE, we wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! We look forward to seeing you at our Spring 2025 semester of Parent Project coming soon.

Written by Nicoletta Kelleher, Parent Project Coordinator

2024 Suicide Prevention Month: Learn the Warning Signs

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Trust your instincts— if someone in your life is showing signs of suicide, including unusual behavior, it’s time to have a conversation. You could start by saying: “You don’t seem like yourself lately. How can I help?” To learn the signs of suicide, visit https://takeaction4mh.com/resources/how-to-recognize-the-warning-signs-of-suicide/ (link in bio)

Events happening this week:
💜 9/30 – Reconozca las Señales de Suicidio en la Comunidad Latinx at 650 Main St, Redwood City

More info at SMCSuicidePrevention.com

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