Tag Archives: Office of Diversity and Equity

6/14 – SMC Pride Celebration Looking for Volunteers

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Hi, all, 

Please share this with your networks. 

Interested to give back to your community? Volunteer for the 2025 Pride Celebration happening on Saturday, June 14th!  We can use all the help we can get. Volunteer opportunities can include decorating, park monitoring, general set-up, entertainment assistance and more.

To volunteer, fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1MQ3myT3YkrKYUOwgmuNwq7_eZG-eqRcI-U1yN9ptE3qjQQ/viewform?usp=header

More info about the Pride Celebration here: https://www.smcpridecelebration.com/

5/17 – Rooted in Wellness | Phoenix Garden

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Join us for a rejuvenating morning of community wellness as we connect with nature and each other at the Phoenix Garden.  Begin your day with a peaceful walking meditation through our lavender labyrinth, followed by a gentle yoga session to awaken your body and mind.  Get your hands in the soil with guided gardening activities, including planting your own take-home garden treasure and contributing to the beauty of our shared space through weeding and mulching.  As we conclude our time together, gather in a spirited drumming circle to celebrate our collective energy and the therapeutic benefits of gardening for wellbeing

Date: Sat, 5/17
Time: 9AM-1PM
Location: 222 Paul Scannell Drive, San Mateo (Across from Youth Services Center)
For more info, email Regina Moreno at RMoreno@smcgov.org.

Show Your Support for Mental Health Month with your Virtual Background

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We are two weeks away from 2025 May Mental Health Month!

What’s an easy way to let your team and others know that May is Mental Health Month? Promote it with your virtual background! Download them at smchealth.org/post/social-media-0

💚 Event happening next week:  

Tues, 4/22: Board of Supervisors proclaim May as Mental Health Month
Join us in proclaiming May as Mental Health Month! Show your support by wearing lime green and/or making a public comment. 
Time: 9:00am – 11:00am
Location: 500 County Center Chambers, 1st Fl, Redwood City, CA, 94063 or via Zoom here.

For more event details and our full list of free and public events and mental health resources, visit SMCHealth.org/MHM. 

BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity Internship – Deadline 5/2/25

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The BHRS ODE Internship Program is designed to provide work opportunities and practical learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students to enhance their academic learning and expose them to public service at the county level. For the 2025-2026 internship program, we are looking to extend training opportunities to two interns.

All interns will have the opportunity to support the BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (across programs) and participate in a Health Equity Initiative. At the end of the internship term, each intern will participate in sharing a presentation with the BHRS ODE staff describing their experience and the work they did during their time as an intern. For each program area, sample tasks are listed below. Please note – some programs may have limited capacity to support students. We make every effort to match the student with their preferred program of interest, yet some programs may not have the capacity to accommodate every request.

Qualifications:
Required
To be eligible for this program, you must meet the following requirements:

  • An undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in an accredited college or university. Recent graduates (up to one year after graduation) are also eligible.
  • Available to work 20 hybrid hours per week. This includes the ability to work from home and at the BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (in Belmont, CA) beginning the week of September 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
  • NOT a current employee of San Mateo County.
  • A requirement to work 8-hours in the office weekly and attend mandatory BHRS ODE staff meetings, in person, on the 1st & 3rd Fridays of each month. (Staff meetings count toward your 8-hour requirement).
  • Must have reliable transportation
  • When responding to the supplemental questions in the Survey Monkey application, please share your personal experience using real life examples supported by your work and/or life experiences.
  • Acceptance of the BHRS ODE internship is contingent upon completing a San Mateo County Human Resource application and passing a criminal background check.

Desired
We would strongly prefer a candidate with the following qualities:

  • Passion for advancing equity, wellness, and recovery for culturally diverse and marginalized communities and our workforce
  • Personal experience with or knowledge of inequities related to behavioral health
  • Experience working with culturally diverse and marginalized communities
  • Multicultural and/or multilingual skills
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills
  • Strong organizational and detail-oriented skills
  • Ability to prioritize time-sensitive assignments
  • Ability to work well in teams and independently
  • Ability to offer flexible hours including occasional evenings and weekends

Term and Stipend
This BHRS ODE Internship runs from September to June and is paid through a stipend of $14,000 (before taxes) funded by the Mental Health Services Act. Interns must commit to working 20-hours per week for the BHRS ODE division from the week of September 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Interns are required to remain active for the full 20-hours per week in the BHRS ODE internship program and complete the entire term of the agreement. The stipend is considered taxable income.

How to Apply
Complete the application and supplemental questions. Only completed applications will be reviewed. If you would like an alternative way to apply or have any accessibility requests, please email HS_BHRS_Internships@smcgov.org for assistance. In addition to completing the application and supplemental questions, please upload your cover letter and resume after the references section below. Applications must be submitted by May 2, 2025. Only completed applications will be reviewed. Please contact us if you do not receive a confirmation that we received your application.

Application link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ODE25-26

About the County of San Mateo Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS)
At the County of San Mateo, we take pride in the way our employees bring together their lived experience, diverse backgrounds, and perspectives to serve our community’s needs. The County of San Mateo Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) provides a broad spectrum of services for children, youth, families, adults, and older adults for the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of behavioral health concerns. The county is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

About the BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity
The BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) advances health equity in behavioral health outcomes of marginalized communities throughout the County of San Mateo. BHRS ODE is dedicated to addressing health inequities and stigma in the areas of behavioral health while supporting wellness and recovery. BHRS ODE works to achieve these goals by promoting culturally and trauma-informed practices, which is rooted in principles of social justice. To learn more about BHRS ODE’s work, visit: www.smchealth.org/bhrs/ODE.

ODE Intern Flyer 25-26 FINAL (1)Download

Volunteer for the 2025 Pride Celebration

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Interested to give back to your community? Volunteer for the 2025 Pride Celebration happening on Saturday, June 14th! We can use all the help we can get!

Volunteer opportunities can include decorating, park monitoring, general set-up, entertainment assistance and more.

To volunteer fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1MQ3myT3YkrKYUOwgmuNwq7_eZG-eqRcI-U1yN9ptE3qjQQ/viewform?usp=header

More info about the Pride Celebration here: https://www.smcpridecelebration.com/

2025 San Mateo County Cesar Chavez Celebration: Estamos Contigo

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On March 28, 2025, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services’ Office of Diversity and Equity, had the honor of partnering with Ayudando Latinos a Sonar (ALAS) and Voices of Recovery to host the San Mateo County Cesar Chavez Event. The event celebrated Cesar Chavez’s unwavering commitment to advocating for the rights of people of color, ensuring they have the dignity and fairness to earn, live, and work.

Inspired by Chavez’s legacy, this event aimed to advance equity by enhancing access to community services, especially behavioral health and recovery services, for the Latine community and other marginalized groups. The event also sought to inspire participants to continue Chavez’s work and efforts for equity under this year’s theme: “Building Solidarity and Creating Change / Construyendo solidaridad y creando cambio.”

This year’s event was an act of love, gratitude, and respect for our San Mateo County farm workers, who work tirelessly in all conditions to support our communities. The program featured impactful presentations, including remarks from Sandra Sension, ALAS Farmworker and Essential Worker Program Director; Supervisor Ray Mueller; the ALAS Mental Health Team; Dr. Tia Bell, BHRS Health Equity Coordinator; and others, who emphasized the profound impact of our farmworkers and expressed our deep gratitude for their dedication.

Approximately 250 participants enjoyed live music, visited behavioral health resource tables, learned about our BHRS Health Ambassador Program, and savored a delicious meal provided by Fattoria E Mare, Half Moon Bay.

Written by Dr Maria Lorente Foresti, BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity Director

4/15 – Psychiatric Emergency Services Panel Webinar

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Hello,

Join us on Tuesday, April 15th for the Psychiatric Emergency Services Panel webinar from 1:30PM-3:00PM.

Together with Mills-Peninsula Medical Center and San Mateo Medical Center, this webinar will highlight suicide prevention work being done through hospital Psychiatric Emergency Services and will highlight community partnership efforts for prevention advancement.

This event will be conducted in English. If you would like to request interpretation, please contact Sylvia Tang at stang@smcgov.org or 650-208-5799 (voicemail or text) by Tuesday, April 8th.

If you or someone you know is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, you can reach out for 24/7 free confidential crisis support: Call 650-579-0350 (San Mateo County Crisis Hotline) call/text or 988 (National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or visit sanmateocrisis.org.

Hola,

Únase a nosotros el martes 15 de abril para el seminario web del Panel de Servicios de Emergencia Psiquiátrica de 1:30 p.m. a 3:00 p.m.

Junto con Mills-Peninsula Medical Center y San Mateo Medical Center, este seminario web destacará el trabajo de prevención del suicidio que se realiza a través de los Servicios de Emergencia Psiquiátrica del hospital y destacará los esfuerzos de asociaciónes comunitarias para el avance de la prevención.

Este evento se realizará en inglés. Si desea solicitar interpretación, comuníquese con Sylvia Tang a stang@smcgov.org o al 650-208-5799 (mensaje de voz o mensaje de texto) antes del martes 8 de abril.

Si usted o alguien que conoce está en crisis suicida o angustia emocional, puede solicitar apoyo confidencial y gratuito las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana: llame al 650-579-0350 (Línea Directa de Crisis del Condado de San Mateo), llame/envíe un mensaje de texto o al 988 (Línea Nacional de Vida para el Suicidio y las Crisis) o visite sanmateocrisis.org.

你好,

请于 4 月 15 日星期二下午 1:30 至 3:00 前来 參加我們的精神科緊急服務小組網路研討會。

此次網路研討會將與 Mills-Peninsula Medical Center 和 San Mateo Medical Center 一起重點介紹透過醫院精神科急診部門進行的自殺預防工作，並將重點放在社區合作夥伴關係在預防方面所做的努力。

本次活動將以英語進行。如果您需要口譯服務，請在 4 月 8 日星期二之前電郵 stang@smcgov.org 或 簡訊 650-208-5799 聯繫 Sylvia Tang。

如果您或您認識的人處於輕生危機或情緒困擾，您可以尋求 24/7 免費保密危機支援：致電 650-579-0350（聖馬刁縣危機熱線）電話/簡訊或 988（國家輕生和危機生命熱線）或造訪 sanmateocrisis.org。您可以要求口譯員。

3.17 Draft Psychiatric Emergency Services Panel Webinar 2025Download

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!

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

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