My Journey, My MHSA! Thanks to MHSA funding, our programs at Behavioral Health and Recovery Services are transforming lives in San Mateo County. Your support is what keeps us going. Let’s create a healthier community together!
What is MHSA? The Mental Health Service Act is funded by taking one percent of the income tax paid by people who earn over $1 million each year and allocating that funding to counties to support mental and behavioral health services and programs.
Continue following us for further information about My Journey, My MHSA and its impact on our communities.
Attached is information on a survey that the California Department of Aging (CDA) is conducting on LGBTQ+ older adults. Survey can be found on flyer or through this link.
Please share this information with your community (the flyer has a link to the survey) and encourage folks to complete it.
Please reach out to Ranjana Maharaj, Elder Justice Specialist with CA Department of Aging with any questions at EngAGE@aging.ca.gov or 916-272-0738.
I am excited to announce that the Parent Project® Spring 2024 semester is finally here! Please help spread the word about our Spring 2024 semester by sharing the flyers attached below with your networks and referring your clients to our classes. This semester will feature one virtual English class, beginning on Wednesday, February 28th, and one in-person Spanish class beginning on Thursday, February 29th. Please see the attached flyers for more information. We are expecting to provide more classes beginning in March, so please keep an eye out for my emails in the coming months for more class updates!
If you would like to learn more about the Parent Project® program, or if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via my email or phone number at nkelleher@smcgov.org or (650) 649-8411.
BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity’s very own Maria Lorente Foresti has been selected among six women to be inducted into the 35th San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame. More information in press release below.
We would be honored if you are available to attend the ceremony. Event details below.
Each year the State of California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) requires county mental health departments to develop a Cultural Competence Plan (CCP) as per the DHCS Cultural Competence Plan Requirements (CCPR) intended to move toward the reduction of mental health service disparities and works toward the development of the most culturally and linguistically competent programs and services to meet the needs of California’s diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural communities in the mental health system of care. At San Mateo County (SMC) BHRS we have tied this requirement to the paths we take to support our workforce, our CBO’s and those we serve.
Find our updated SMC BHRS Cultural Competence Plan 22-23 Annual Summary below.
Learn more about the Cultural Competence Plan here.
Please join us in welcoming Tia Bell (she/her) as BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity’s new Health Equity Initiative (HEI) Coordinator!
Tia (she/her) is trained as a psychologist and spent the last 14 years providing culturally congruent and trauma-informed clinical care to marginalized folx in community-based organizations. In her quest for providing wellness from a culturally sound, affirming, and inclusive lens, Tia is earnestly passionate about developing relationships and motivated to make lasting community connections grounded in safety and trust. In her free time, she enjoys painting by numbers, playing with her plants, and spending time with her husband and her dog, Domino.
Fun Fact: Tia has 8 siblings; She is number 7 out of 8.
About her work: The HEIs work collaboratively to bring together mental health professionals, residents, clinicians, organizations, community members, and stakeholders to provide outreach, programs, and advocacy for community-driven solutions that are rooted in cultural humility practices.
Learn more about the Health Equity Initiatives here.
To learn more about behavioral services available in San Mateo County, visit SMCHealth.org/bhrsservices. You can also call for help by contacting the below numbers available 24/7: Behavioral Health Crisis: Call 650-579-0350 or 988 (Star Vista Crisis Hotline/National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) Behavioral Health Services: Call 800-686-0101 (ACCESS Call Center)
Para obtener más información sobre los servicios conductuales (servicios de salud mental y uso de sustancias) disponibles en el condado de San Mateo, visite SMCHealth.org/bhrsservices También puede solicitar ayuda comunicándose con los siguientes números disponibles las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana: Behavioral Health Crisis: llame al 650-579-0350 o al 988 (Star Vista Crisis Hotline/National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) Behavioral Health Services: llame al 800-686-0101 (ACCESS Call Center)
Congratulations to our three BHRS Equity in Leadership Award winners, Delicia Pennix, Eri Tsujii and Gloria Gutierrez!
The BHRS Leadership in Equity Award was created to honor the workforce members who have shown passion, dedication, and action to bolster policy and practices that support equitable outcomes.
Through our MCOD work and before, we have witnessed individuals transform our system and elevate the voice of our workforce and communities.
The purpose of the award is to:
Recognize staff who are living into our multicultural organizational development (MCOD) vision
Show our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) efforts
Model & share the message to all our workforce that equity & our BHRS MCOD goals can be achieved by all of us working together.
In 2021 ODE was proud to initiate the first Scott Gruendl Equity in Leadership Award. Our Workforce, Education and Training (WET) Director led this work after noticing one executive team member who consistently showed up willing to courageously engage in personal reflection and actively create system change.
In 2022 the program was expanded to honor and recognize Managers/Supervisors and Direct Care/Administrative team members who have shown exceptional work in leading our BHRS Equity work. This year, with your feedback, the category relating to positions (e.g.: Administrative staff/Direct Care, Supervisor/Manager, or Executive) is no longer part of the criteria.
About the Award Recipients:
Delicia “Dee” Pennix has exemplified the spirit of diversity, equity and inclusion while working for BHRS as a Patient Service Assistant for Service Connect and Pathways. Delicia has been the African American Community Initiative (AACI) co-chair for the last two years and in this position, she has demonstrated a commitment to serving all of San Mateo County as well as hosting annual events for Black History Month and Juneteenth. Dee has participated in the BHRS equity recruitment workgroup to advocate for workplace diversity and inclusion, GARE and the Recovery Happens committee. Since her start in San Mateo County, she has been committed to the County’s vision of diversity and equity and strived to be a leader who keeps this vision in the center of her various roles in our County.
Gloria Gutierrez is a co-chair of the Native and Indigenous Peoples Initiative (NIPI) and is one of the founding members of NIPI as well as other Health Equity Initiatives (HEI). She selflessly serves the community while advocating for the rights of Indigenous and Native American communities as well as other marginalized individuals. Gloria maintains the Phoenix Garden on her own time, which is a project that the initiative and other supporters have brought to fruition. We are also honored to have her provide the blessing and land acknowledgment at many of our county community events.
Lastly, Gloria is one of our Cultural Humility trainers, teaching our workforce about this important foundational training. Gloria approaches her services through a person and family-centered lens and is a health advocate who encompasses BHRS’ values.
Eri Tsujii is a great example of how a traditionally non-direct service/non-client facing staff can implement an equity lens in the work that they do as a colleague. Eri applies collaboration and an equity lens in the work that she does to improve our system of care. As a member of the Quality Assurance team, she works to ensure that data from our clients and community is represented and weaved into our work. By gathering the voices and perspectives of many she works to ensure information is being shared for efficiency and that the data and the voices of our stakeholders are incorporated into the work she leads with developing and evaluating Performance Improvement Projects (PIP).
We are grateful to our three awardees for their impactful work in ensuring that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are at the forefront of all we do. We also thank the many people in our workforce who are working alongside our current recipients to create change. Next year we look forward to your nominations of individuals who bring the DEIB lens into their work.
To learn more about BHRS’ Office of Diversity & Equity, visit SMCHealth.org/ODE.
The County of San Mateo announced the release of Measure K funding opportunities to provide services for residents in three priority areas: children, families and seniors; emergency preparedness; and housing and homelessness. “The Board of Supervisors is looking for bold, innovative ideas,” said County Executive Mike Callagy. “This is not about business as usual. This is a great opportunity to make a real difference, to boost equity and to improve lives here in San Mateo County.”
Applicants can be nonprofit organizations, private businesses or joint ventures (individuals are not eligible to apply). Entities of any size are encouraged to apply.
The County anticipates approximately $35 million will be available.
Learn more at our November 10th Pre-Proposal Meeting and Technical Support Session: November 10, 2023, 10:00am | Agenda | Meeting Link: https://smcgov.zoom.us/j/9404686015
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), we invite the community to join us at San Mateo Public Library on Monday, November 20, from 4:30-6:30pm.
TDOR has traditionally been about honoring the trans people who have been murdered simply by being themselves (the highest number are Black Transgender women). We want to honor victims’ lives with dignity and end the stigma that trans and gender diverse people face. Ultimately, we want to live in a world where transgender people are protected and safe from transphobia and violence.
This year’s event includes an Altar, Reading of the Names, and a Call to Action. Creating change is difficult; especially when we mourn those who have lost their lives simply for being themselves. We want to honor those who have died and also create ways for our community to learn and take action to eliminate the murder of transgender people. Transgender Day of Remembrance is adjacent to United Against Hate Week 2023. Learn more on the County’s website about how you can take part in other activities throughout the week from November 12-19.
About: The Transgender Day of Remembrance event is a collaboration between several community organizations around San Mateo County. Please visit each group’s website to learn more about how they support the LGBTQIA+ community. This is where “ally” becomes a verb and we all take part in creating inclusive spaces at home, at work, and at school.
San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission
San Mateo Public Library
The City of San Mateo
San Mateo County Pride Initiative
Office of Diversity & Equity, San Mateo County BHRS (Behavioral Health & Recovery Services)
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