11th Annual SMC Pride Celebration Reflection

On Saturday, June 10th San Mateo County celebrated its 11th PRIDE event with a fresh, new twist! This year San Mateo County had its first PRIDE parade. Starting at B street in downtown San Mateo and ending at Central Park, LGBTQIA+ community members were able to march and show their authentic selves with the likes of community organizations like the El Camino Reelers as well as a community-led marching band.

Read more here. 

Big Smiles & Beautiful Conversation at 2023 Juneteenth Celebration

Thank you, all who joined us for African American Community Initiative (AACI) and Voices of Recovery San Mateo (VorSMC)’s 2nd annual Juneteenth Celebration on Friday, June 16th 2023.

Special highlights from this event include a resource fair which included or harm reduction table and Student National Medical Association (SNMA) at Stanford School of Medicine who provide health checks for the community. Musical selections were provided by Q Smith, Praise dancing performances were provided by SherOnMyPraise Ministries. and drumming provided by Onye Health and Well Being in Drumming. Thank you also Supervisor Noelia Corzo and Mayor Lisa Gauthier of East Palo Alto for attending and speaking.

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Meet ODE's WET Team!

The love of learning, hope for growth and passion to be part of the fight for equity are some of the values that drives BHRS Office of Diversity & Equity‘s WET team. The WET team, consisting of new and seasoned members, is excited to come together to continue fostering growth within our system while also seeking to accomplish established goals and support the learning needs of our staff through a variety of trainings, workshops, and programs.

Read more here. 

San Mateo County Schools/ Organizations Recognized at Directing Change Annual Film Festival

San Mateo County youth and schools/organizations participated in the 11th California Directing Change Annual Film Contest. This contest encourages young people to create short films and art projects about suicide prevention and mental health. Students at The Bayshore School (Daly City), Burlingame High School (Burlingame), SafeSpace (Menlo Park) are among the winners being recognized for artistic achievements in mental health and suicide prevention.

Read more here. 

Why say "BIPOC" Instead of "Minority"?

In celebration of July National BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, we challenge you to say "BIPOC" instead of "Minority". The way we talk about things can often influence the way we think about them. In the field of mental health, we often talk about using  “person first” language. This is language that prioritizes the identity of individuals as human beings first over their mental health status (e.g. saying “person with schizophrenia” instead of “schizophrenic”). This concept should be used as well in the way we refer to communities. 

Read more here. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Application Now Open for 2023 Suicide Prevention Month - Deadline 8/16

The 2023 SPM theme is #ShareHopeTogether. The act of sharing, whether that be sharing hope, stories, time, resources or experiences, can serve as a powerful tool in suicide prevention. San Mateo County’s SPM will feature a variety of virtual and in-person events, advocacy days and a communication campaign. For the latest updates on SPM, visit SMCHealth.org/SPM.

• Your Input is Needed to Help the County Best Use Local Measure K Tax Dollars 

The County of San Mateo today announced a series of listening sessions and survey to hear directly from residents about their needs in four key areas.Residents are invited to share their experiences and needs on issues of housing and homelessness, children and families, emergency preparedness and mental health.Residents are invited to attend a listening session and take an online survey, which is available in English, Spanish, Tagalog and Simplified Chinese.

Upcoming Events

Want to learn more about Behavioral Health & Recovery Services' Office of Diversity & Equity? Visit SMCHealth.org/ODE.