We are happy to announce that on Tuesday, February 10th we will be launching our in-person Spanish class taking place in Redwood City. To register, you can contact CARON’s, Jose Aguirre at jaguirre@smcgov.org & (650) 802-5044. For more details, please see the flyer below. Please note, this class is only in Spanish.
The County of San Mateo’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity is happy to announce that we have two new interns for this year! Our interns are passionate, driven, and experienced in advancing equity, wellness, and prevention for culturally diverse underserved/unserved populations. Our interns and their respective work areas include:
Michelle Tolentino Serrano (she/her/ella) – Health Ambassador Program
Michelle is currently a Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity (BHRS ODE) Intern for the Health Ambassador Program. With a bachelor’s degree in communications (health emphasis) and recent master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Michelle is excited to contribute to a program that is dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and reducing stigma within the community. Drawing from personal/professional experiences and a commitment to service, she looks forward to gaining practical skills in public health education, advocacy, and community outreach. She hopes to continue this commitment to public health and community advocacy with pursuing opportunities to work as a coordinator for a Latinx/Queer center in higher education or in a related government role. Outside of professional endeavors, Michelle enjoys spending time with her cats, partner and family/friends, gardening, reading mystery/thriller, educating herself about political issues and crafting including beading, painting, sewing.
To learn more about the Health Ambassador Program, click here » https://www.smchealth.org/general-information/health-ambassador-program
Maddy Marquez (she/them) – Parent Project & Photovoice Program
Maddy Marquez is currently a full-time student in their senior year at San Jose State University where they are studying to get their bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies. Maddy is very passionate about her schooling and is taking this internship opportunity to expand her knowledge and skills to better serve her community. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Maddy is Hispanic and has had the pleasure of experiencing programs like Puente during her time at community college. This program sparked her love for learning more about her heritage and culture. She is especially grateful because she was able to get credits for classes like English through the lens of her community. Maddy has also tailored her current education around learning about marginalized groups by writing a paper on the prevalence of domestic violence within the LGBTQ+ community as well as expanding her knowledge on these subjects with classes like human rights and justice, immigration and justice, race gender inequality and law, prison community, criminal law, and research methods in justice.
During their time at ODE, Maddy will be primarily supporting the Parent Project and Photovoice programs. She will also be assisting with systemic equity, as ODE consists of members who contribute to both aspects of health with community facing projects as well as the systems to better serve the members of this beautiful community in San Mateo County. She is very excited for her time at ODE and has enjoyed getting to meet so many amazing people who put their community first and are always looking to help others. During her time she has had the pleasure of working with an amazing, driven, kind team who has been very welcoming and supportive in getting her adjusted to her new role. Maddy is taking advantage of their time here in ODE to open their horizons for the possibilities of different career options that utilize their degree, allowing them to give a fresh perspective with their knowledge of the criminal justice system and how it can tie into other areas of the systems that involve our lives every day. Outside of school and work, Maddy enjoys spending her days with her lovely fiancé and their family along with their 3 cats. She also really enjoys watching movies because she is a sucker for a good rom com.
To learn more about Photovoice and Parent Project, click here » https://www.smchealth.org/general-information/storytelling-program | https://www.smchealth.org/parentproject
About the Internship Program
The Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) Internship Program is designed to provide work opportunities and practical learning experience for undergraduate and graduate students to enhance their academic preparation and expose them to public service at the county level. This program is offered every fiscal year from September to June. Interns work 20-hours per week and are paid with a stipend funded by the Mental Health Services Act.
About the Office of Diversity and Equity
The Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) advances health equity in behavioral health outcomes of marginalized communities throughout San Mateo County. ODE works to empower communities; influence policy and system changes; develop strategic and meaningful partnerships; and promote workforce development and transformation within the County’s behavioral health service system.
To learn more about ODE’s work, visit www.smchealth.org/bhrs/ode.
Hello, we are excited to announce that beginning on Wed, 9/17/25, San Mateo County Sheriffs Office’s Community Alliance to Recognize our Neighborhoods (CARON) will be hosting an in-person Spanish Parent Project class at the Half Moon Bay Library, 620 Correas St., Half Moon Bay. This course is completely free to the community, and includes free childcare and dinner.
If you are interested in registering in this course, please contact the facilitator, José Luis Aguirre via jaguirre@smcgov.org or 650-599-9107.
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
This semester, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services’ Office of Diversity and Equity partnered with One East Palo Alto to provide an in-person Parent Project class facilitated in English with a Samoan/Tongan/Pacific Islander lens. One week ahead of Parent Project graduation, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services’ Office of Diversity and Equity provided a presentation to the class highlighting how to access Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, what resources and trainings we offer at the Office of Diversity and Equity, as well as an introduction to our Health Equity Initiatives and the Health Ambassador Program.
Our Health Education Associate and May Mental Health Month Co-Chair, Maria Martinez (she/her), co-facilitated the presentation alongside the Parent Project Program Coordinator, Nicoletta Kelleher (she/her). The Parent Project® curriculum urges the importance of parents and caregivers caring for themselves, as it is vital to support yourself so you can care for your loved ones. In an effort to brainstorm ways to support one’s mental health, Maria facilitated a May Mental Health Month self-care activity from Take Action’s “Reimagine Mental Health” Mini-Journal. As a class, we shared our “pick-me-ups” or activities we do to for self-care when we are feeling stressed. As a support group, parents and caregivers shared their favorite self-care activities that help them when they are feeling overwhelmed our stressed. Some examples included doing yoga, playing the ukulele, going for a drive, etc. Maria and Nicoletta also encouraged parents to utilize this mini journal for parents and caregivers complete these exercises with their children and loved ones as a bonding activity to do together. Maria also provided participants with the “Reimagine Mental Health” goal setting work sheets packet, to ensure participants are able to plan and monitor their mental health and self-care goals.
Thank you, Maria Martinez, for all of your efforts in spreading May Mental Health Awareness amongst our Parent Project participants! To learn more about San Mateo County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity’s May Mental Health Month, visit SMCHealth.org/MHM. To access Take Action for Mental Health’s resources, please visit takeaction4mh.com/.
Hi, all,
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!
Community members can refer to the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity’s Parent Project® webpage for more information on our upcoming classes, the all-class flyer, and more. If community members prefer other Parent Project® class options, they can refer to the main Parent Project® website to find virtual or in-person classes in their area.
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.
The Parent Project is a free, 12-week course designed for parents and caregivers with adolescents who display challenging behaviors. Offered in both English and Spanish, the classes teach both prevention and intervention strategies that focus on the following areas:
• Dealing with unhealthy and/or dangerous behaviors in teens
• Strengthening family relationships
Participants gain access to resources and other support systems available in their communities, and also practice effective parenting skills that include:
• Developing appropriate family structure
• Preventing or ceasing the use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco
• Enhancing communication skills
• Improving grades and school attendance
To learn more about Parent Project, visit SMCHealth.org/ParentProject.
Just in time for Teen Mental Health Month, on August 1st, the San Mateo County Behavioral Health Youth Committee piloted its first-ever Youth Mental Wellness Pathways Workshop guided by the vision of creating clear, culturally sensitive and empathy-based access – “pathways” – to mental and behavioral health care for youth and their families no matter the point-of-entry. With the ultimate goal of creating a simple yet effective navigational tool with heart, the pilot was designed for participants to:
In small groups, parents, caregivers, educators, youth and mental health and behavioral health practitioners shared a unique mental wellness experience; identifying the feelings, thoughts, and actions that occurred before, during, and after attempting to access care. They mapped their pathway, then as a group, participants discussed their responses and then assessed the trends on their pathway. This was followed by a gallery tour, where each participant looked at each group’s pathway to better understand the thoughts, feelings, and obstacles that arise when attempting to access behavioral health care, as well as to define needs at each stage.
Through this event, participants were able to share their lived experiences to understand the realities associated with seeking behavioral health care. Whether that be fear, linguistic barriers, or the difference between therapy and youth therapy, this event created a space for identifying these real-life experiences from San Mateo County staff and families – and, importantly, co-created practical steps to support youth and families in moments of greatest need.
For future sessions, the Youth Committee plans to meet different communities within San Mateo County to host similar sessions among more youth, parent and caregivers, and educators of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. BHRS Office of Diversity would like to thank BHC Commissioner and Youth Committee Chair Frieda Edgette, BHC Commissioner, Commission on Disabilities Commissioner and County of Education Board Trustee Chelsea Bonini, BHRS Deputy Director of Youth and Family Services Ziomara Ochoa, Commission on Disabilities Commissioner and San Mateo Union School District Board Trustee Ligia Andrade Zuniga, volunteer William Elting, Consumer & Family Affairs TITLE Yolanda Ramirez and Parent Project Program Coordinator II Nicoletta Kelleher for their outstanding efforts in piloting this event. In addition, the Office of Diversity and Equity expresses deep gratitude to all the attendants that shared their lived experience and made this event possible.
If you are interested in learning more, getting involved or bringing the pathways workshop to your organization, please contact Nicoletta Kelleher at nkelleher@smcgov.org
Hello everyone,
Please help me to spread the word about the upcoming Parent Project virtual Spanish class beginning on Wednesday, April 19th. The class will be facilitated by Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center’s, Evelia Chairez. Please see the attached flyer.
To register for this class, please contact Evelia Chairez via her email or phone – echairez@pcrcweb.org & (650)513-0330 ext.
For any Parent Project related questions, please feel free to contact me by my email or phone – nkelleher@smcgov.org & (650)649-8411.
For more information about Parent Project, please visit SMCHealth.org/Parentproject.
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
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