10/10- National Day of Prayer: Serenity for Behavioral Health & Understanding

Join us for National Day of Prayer: Serenity for Behavioral Health & Understanding on Tuesday, 10/10 from 12pm to 2pm at 400 County Center, Redwood City! We are ALL touched by mental illness. Only with the guidance, prayers and actions from our faith and behavioral health networks working together, will our communities reach better mental health and well-being. Read more here.

Join us for National Day of Prayer: Serenity for Behavioral Health & Understanding on Tuesday, 10/10 from 12pm to 2pm at 400 County Center, Redwood City!

We are ALL touched by mental illness. Only with the guidance, prayers and actions from our faith and behavioral health networks working together, will our communities reach better mental health and well-being.

Read more here. 

11/4 - 10th Annual Sana Sana Colita de Rana

Please join us for our 10th Annual Sana Sana, Colita de Rana event that is co-sponsored by BHRS’ Latino/a/x Collaborative, ALAS, Spiritualiy Initiative, Native Indigenous People’s Initiative, and BHRS’ Office of Diversity & Equity.

Date/ time: Saturday, November 4th, 2023 from 11AM-3PM 

Location: South San Francisco High School (400 B Street, South San Francisco, Ca). 

About the event: This is a family-friendly event to promote health and wellness among our Latino/a/x community in SMC. This event will be in Spanish with English interpretation for main events.

This year’s theme is “10 Años Sañando Juntos / Ten Years of Healing Together” to recognize our tenth year of holding this event and to reflect on how far we have come as a Latino/a/x Collaborative community.  

We are proud to share that our keynote speaker will be Dra. Estela Garcia. Dra. Garcia has received numerous leadership recognition awards for her commitment to Chicano, Latino/a/x community.

Learn more about the event here. 

The Latino Collaborative Honors Diverse Community with New Name

Hola Communidad, we have big news! As one of the Health Equity Initiatives (HEI) within San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS) Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE), the Latino Collaborative is now the Latino/a/x Collaborative. Names are more than just names. Names reflect what we stand for and who we are. Therefore, it is with great orgullo (pride) that our members and leadership share this announcement. This re-brand acknowledges and embraces the diverse gender identities within our Latinx community, promoting inclusivity and respect for all individuals. Significantly, this shift reflects a commitment to recognizing and valuing the multifaced experience and expression of gender among and within Latinx identified individuals Latin American and Hispanic people. Read more here.

Pacific Islander Suicide Prevention Cards Available for Print and Delivery

Are you interested in our updated Pacific Islander Suicide Prevention cards? Click the pdf to print or we can deliver it to your organization. If you are interested in having the cards delivered, please email Kristie Lui (she/her) at KFLui@smcgov.org.

These cards were developed by the Pacific Islander Initiative (PII). To learn more about PII, visit SMCHealth.org/pacific-islander-initiative.

First-Ever Youth Mental Wellness Pathways Workshop Piloted by San Mateo County Behavioral Health Youth Committee

Just in time for Teen Mental Health Month, on August 1^st, 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:

• Share their lived experiences (both positive and negative — i.e. barriers encountered) in navigating the system;
• Exchange insight on how to effectively navigate the process;
• Gather early data for an MVP pathways map that: (1) defines what questions to ask; (2) empowers with rights and sets expectations; (3) directs where to go; and (4) connects with supportive tips and networks.

Read more here. 

Meet the Newest Members of Our ODE Team!

Chandrika Zager (she/her) is a Management Analyst supporting various MHSA projects.  She started her career as a school-based mental health clinician in 2004 and has since worked in school districts and counties planning and overseeing behavioral health programs, with a focus on prevention.  Prior to joining the ODE team, Chandrika worked for Marin County BHRS as the MHSA Prevention and Early Intervention Coordinator.  Fun Fact: She loves to go salsa dancing and to travel, especially to the Caribbean!

Stacy Williams (she/her) is the Internship Coordinator who oversees the BHRS Internships within the Workforce, Education, and Training Team of the Office of Diversity and Equity. She provides internship and interagency supports, program oversight and development as well as diversity, equity, and inclusionary implementations. She spent 20 years in the North Bay where she created the Disaster Recovery Crisis Counseling Model, California H.O.P.E, while serving as a Team Lead & Crisis Counselor for the California wildfires. She moved to Oregon where she created Coos County’s System of Care for at-risk youth and families, served homeless systems in Washington County and the Police Equity Advisory Committee in Portland, OR before coming back to the Bay Area. Fun fact: She is a retired BMX national champion!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Parent Project Fall 2023 All Class Flyer out now! Find the schedule here. 

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