Tag Archives: Office of Diversity and Equity

Modernizing the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)  

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On March 19th, Governor Newsom unveiled a new plan to re-envision behavioral health system investments to address homelessness and focus services on individuals living with the most severe behavioral health conditions. Current available information on the Governor’s plan can be found here:  www.chhs.ca.gov/behavioral-health-reform.  One of the three priorities of this plan, is the “Modernizing of MHSA” and includes proposals to:  

1) Update the current MHSA funding allocation or components – the plan proposes to allocate MHSA funding to three new components: 30% to housing, 35% to Full Service Partnerships, and 35% to all other MHSA services (e.g., workforce strategies, prevention and early intervention, systems development efforts, etc.) with a focus on on-site services to students; workforce development, recruitment and retention; and the inclusion of substance use disorders as a target population – currently the MHSA targets co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. 

2) Add fiscal accountability measures – the plan focuses on the maximizing of Medi-Cal for reimbursable services and MHSA being the “last dollar spent” and on broader regional community planning processes. 

3) Restructure the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) – the MHSOAC is proposed to be moved under the California Health and Human Services Agency to support increased cross-sector collaboration and a focus on outcomes.  The MHSOAC was originally created to provide oversight of the MHSA.  The Governor’s plan is likely to go on the November 2024 ballot and will take time to implement. California counties and local stakeholders have an opportunity to influence the details of the reform.  BHRS will be working closely with the California Behavioral Health Director’s Association (CBHDA) to ensure local stakeholder priorities are voiced and include the original intent of the MHSA as it relates to prevention and early intervention, cultural responsiveness and equitable access, system transformations and other core MHSA priorities. 

Written by Doris Estremera (she/her), Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Manager

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. 

MHSA INN projects are 3 to 5-year pilot projects intended to develop new approaches and community-driven best practices in behavioral health care systems. INN funding has provided a means for BHRS to pilot new approaches to engaging and serving individuals living with behavioral health challenges such as, the San Mateo County Pride Center, Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) in the Adult System of Care, and the Kapwa Kultural Center & Cafe, a Filipina/x/o youth-focused social enterprise cafe in Daly City.

Written by Doris Estremera (she/her), Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Manager

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

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

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

2/24- Black Don’t Crack? Dispelling the Myth, Uplifting Excellence, Mental Health & Wellness in the AA Community

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In honor of Black History Month, the Health Equity Division at Alameda County Behavioral Health invites you to join the conversation “Black Don’t Crack? Dispelling the Myth, Uplifting Excellence, Mental Health and Wellness in the African American Community” via Zoom on February 24, at 10 a.m.

Join us for a lively panel discussion featuring Keynote Speaker: Dr. Wade Nobles, Psychologist/Educator/Author and panelists:

  • Dr. Karyn Tribble, Director ACBH
  • Kimi Watkins-Tartt, Director ACDPH
  • Dr. Angela Coombs, Psychiatrist, ACBH
  • Dr. Khalid White, Educator/ Entrepreneur
  • Ken Jones, PEER Mentor, San Mateo County
  • Shuja Johnson, Executive Director, Black Men Speak

Zoom link and more info about the event can be found here.

Register for 2023 May Mental Health Month Planning Committee Meetings

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We welcome you to join our 2023 May Mental Health Month Planning Committee meetings (schedule below and in attached flyer).

Please register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcu2prTwqE9a7I4H7l7dHKOD9TUWUhqgr.  

Day of the WeekDateTimeLocationFocus
ThursdayMarch 23:30-5:00pmZoomIntroduction & Measures of Success
ThursdayMarch 163:30-5:00pmZoomEvents & Advocacy
ThursdayMarch 303:30-5:00pmZoomEvents & Advocacy
ThursdayApril 133:30-5:00pmZoomCommunication & Outreach
ThursdayApril 273:30-5:00pmIn-person-
310 Harbor Blvd-Bldg E, Belmont		Communication & Outreach
ThursdayJune 93:30-5:00pmZoomDebrief and Celebration

All but one of our meetings is scheduled to meet virtually. Please see above for details. You can find agenda, minutes and recordings at this website. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please let us know. We plan to share the meeting recordings and minutes in case anyone wants to catch up or review the meetings. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please let us know.

Please help us share this message or attached flyer on social media to help us spread the word.

Looking forward to collaborating with you!
Sylvia & Kristie
Co-Chairs, May Mental Health Month Planning Committee Meeting

Parent Project Classes are Here / Clases de Parent Project ya están Disponibles

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Para la traducción al español, siga hasta la parte de abajo.  

The Spring 2023 Parent Project schedule is officially here! We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting two of our Parent Project Spanish classes in-person this semester. I have attached the individual flyers for each class, as well as the All Class Flyer which provides the class start dates with the corresponding languages and registration contacts.  

The All Class Flyer is also featured on our San Mateo County Health Parent Project Website which you can visit using this link https://www.smchealth.org/post/parent-project-r  

For any questions pertaining to the Parent Project class, please contact me via my email.  

Nicoletta Kelleher  (she/her/ella)
Parent Project Program Coordinator  
Nkelleher@smcgov.org 

We look forward to seeing you all there!  

El calendario del Proyecto de Padres para la Primavera 2023 está oficialmente aquí! Es nuestro gran placer anunciar que organizaremos dos de nuestras clases en español del Proyecto de Padres, en persona este semestre. He incluído los volantes individuales para cada clase, así como el volante para Todas las Clases que proporciona las fechas de inicio de cada serie, con los idiomas correspondientes y los contactos para registrarse. 

El volante para Todas las Clases también aparece en nuestro sitio web del Proyecto de Padres, Salud del Condado de San Mateo, que puede visitar usando este enlace: https://www.smchealth.org/post/parent-project-r 

Para cualquier pregunta relacionada con la clase del Proyecto de Padres, comuníquese conmigo a través de mi correo electrónico. 

Nicoletta Kelleher (she/her/ella)
Coordinador del Programa de Proyecto de Padres 
Nkelleher@smcgov.org 

English One PagerDownload
Spanish One PagerDownload
Parent-Project-All-class-flyer-S2023-EnglishDownload
Parent-Project-All-class-flyer-S2023-SpanishDownload
PP-Flyer-English-Thursday-Class-Spring-23Download
PP-Flyer-English-Tuesday-Class-Spring-23Download
PP-Flyer-Spanish-Thursday-Class-Spring-23Download
PP-Flyer-Spanish-Tuesday-Class-Spring-23Download

2/11 – AACI Presents: A Black History Month Celebration

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Please join San Mateo County’s African American Community Initiative (AACI) for their 2023 Black History Month Celebration. The event is on Saturday, February 11th, 2023 from 10am to 2pm. In-person location is at Cooley Landing Center (2100 Bay Rd, East Palo Alto, CA 94303).

This event will be hybrid with an in-person limited capacity of 75 people. Registration is first come first serve, and you don’t want to miss out!

Scheduled presentations and activities include Black Mental Health, COVID-19 and Health Care in the Black Community, raffle prizes, live musical performances and poetry.

RSVP for the event here.

If you are interested to volunteer for set up, clean up, ushering, door monitoring, etc, please email dpennix@smcgov.org.

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 AACI here. 

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

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