Serenity House Opens its Doors

Short term adult crisis rehabilitation center

On October 29, Serenity House, San Mateo County’s new short-term adult crisis residential center, opened after much anticipation. Overseen by BHRS and operated by HealthRight360, Serenity House offers respite to adults with a mental illness in crisis to regain stability.

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Linking Communities to Behavioral Health Services

MHSA funds outreach to unserved and underserved communities

Lauren Mascarenhas, Communications Coordinator

The Mental Health Services Act seeks to improve services and bring them to those who are most in need of mental health care.

The Community Services and Supports (CSS) component of MHSA funds direct services for those with a serious mental illness. CSS aims to deliver integrated, culturally competent, client and family driven services, which meet the needs of the diverse unserved and underserved communities in counties across California.

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Honoring San Mateo County’s Housing Heroes

Lauren Mascarenhas, Communications Coordinator

On October 18, the San Mateo County Change Agent Housing Committee and BHRS hosted the 11^th annual Housing Heroes awards, honoring exceptional individuals who have gone above and beyond in providing and maintaining housing for those with mental health and/or substance use conditions.

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Cordilleras Campus Redesign

Mental Health Center Redesign Projects

Terry Wilcox, Clinical Services Manager

Cordilleras Mental Health Center, located in Redwood City, is a County-owned, 117-bed psychiatric facility for adults with chronic, serious mental illness and one of the County’s most important resources for its most vulnerable mentally ill residents. The Center is slated to be replaced by 2021, with new facilities that will meet modern standards of care.

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Family Partner Making a Huge Impact

Supporting Families of Transition Age Youth Clients

Jason Kimbrough, Supervising Mental Health Clinician

Meet Sonia Vasquez

Sonia is the Family Partner for the BHRS Youth to Adult Transition program at the Shasta Youth and Young Adult Clinic in Redwood City. After 14 years with the Human Services Agency, she joined the team as a family partner in 2017. She is bilingual (Spanish/English) and bicultural.

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Restricting Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products

Portala Valley and Half Moon Bay adopt ordinance

Craig Wingate, Public Health Educator

Since the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products in Unincorporated Areas of the County in June 2018, two other jurisdictions in the county have followed suit. Portola Valley and Half Moon Bay are among the first jurisdictions to adopt a similar ordinance, and other jurisdictions in the county are considering adopting a flavored tobacco ordinance next year.

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In Memoriam

In fond memory of two people who made a profound impact on the communities and people they touched. They will be dearly missed.

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Upcoming Events and More News

Upcoming Events

November 13 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Day of Remembrance is an opportunity for us to come together and remember those who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence. Join us for a candlelight procession, commemoration, music, resources, refreshments and more.

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