BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity Receives County Equity Champion Award Posted on October 29, 2026 The BHRS Office of Diversity and Equity (ODE) has been selected as the 2026 Equity Champion Award winner in the Departmental Equity Team category by the San Mateo County Office of Racial and Social Justice! This County recognition highlights ODE’s contributions to advancing equity and belonging and aligns with broader equity efforts to improve outcomes for all and create conditions for full social, economic and civic participation. The award reflects the collective work, commitment, and care ODE brings to BHRS, County Health, and the broader San Mateo County community. Through its Health Equity Initiatives and longstanding community engagement and prevention work, ODE has elevated community voices and strengthened partnerships. Its efforts also include expanding language access, advancing Multicultural Organizational Development, supporting inclusive hiring, and strengthening workforce development through training, internships and career pathways. Together, these efforts help embed equity into everyday practices, policies and services. Equity is essential to BHRS’s mission because discrimination, stigma, language barriers and other systemic inequities affect access to care and behavioral health outcomes. Addressing these barriers helps clients and families receive timely, culturally responsive services and supports a workplace where staff feel respected, supported and able to contribute. This work advances the BHRS Transformation Journey, our strategic plan, and reinforces equity as a shared responsibility across our system. Congratulations to the ODE team, and thank you to the staff, clients, families, and community partners whose collaboration makes this work possible!