Health Ambassador Graduation 

 

On February 7th, 2024, the Behavioral Health & Recovery ServicesRS) Office of Diversity & Equity welcomed 13 new graduates of the BHRS Health Ambassador Program. This was the first in-person graduation since 2019. The event consisted of the awards ceremony, a slideshow highlighting the successes of the program, and guest speakers such as BHRS leadership members Dr. Maria Lorente Foresti, Scott Gruendl, Clara Boyden and Janet Guard as presenters.  

 

Some of the successes highlighted from recent years include: 
– 119 unduplicated clients served 
– 21,000 individuals served 
– 45 resource tables supported at community events 
– 10 trainings to support/advocate for behavioral health wellness 
– 4 Focus groups: retired Congresswoman foundation, MHSA 3-Year plan, Youth Commission Roadmap, State Suicide Prevention campaign. 

The Health Ambassadors played a key role in COVID-19 support, by producing 4 Facebook Live community events to support San Mateo County COVID Response, creation of PSAs -in English, Zapotec, Tongan, Tagalog, and Spanish to promote vaccination, and distribution of mental health support and masks in laundromats, grocery stores, and food bank sites. 

Improve workforce development efforts (WET Retention Program & BHRS Training Calendar) 

 

The Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Workforce, Education and Training (WET) team utilized feedback elicited from the WET 3-Year Survey to make significant improvements related to the communication and accessibility of workforce trainings. The development and implementation of the BHRS WET Training Calendar was one such effort.  This calendar aggregated WET-related trainings, both virtual and in-person, into one accessible platform which allowed our workforce to both preview the various training opportunities offered for the fiscal year as well as provide staff with the appropriate time and space to plan accordingly. In addition, the use of color coding more easily helped identify trainings that meet mandatory requirements as well as external training opportunities. The BHRS WET Training is Calendar is updated in real-time and sent out with every training announcement to ensure alignment among our workforce. 

 

With support from CalMHSA, The Workforce, Education and Training (WET) team was able to provide Retention bonuses to 43 BHRS staff members.  This Retention Program was open to any staff working in a public mental health or integrated behavioral health setting who could commit to a 12-month service obligation.  This included clinical, administrative and leadership staff.  This program provided an opportunity to honor and support our workforce members while improving retention efforts within our system. 

These programs are aligned with and support our BHRS Multicultural Organizational Development (MCOD) Plan, where we intentionally and explicitly value diverse backgrounds and experiences, and seeks to recruit, retain, and promote diverse staff at ALL levels, including leadership. We will continue to build upon our MCOD goals to realize our goals with the creation of our MCOD 2.0 plan coming in 2024! 

Spirituality Initiative Collaboration with County Office of Social & Racial Justice on Shared Humanity Webinar: Countering Islamophobia and Antisemitism

The County of San Mateo Office of Racial and Social Justice partnered with the Islamic Networks Group (ING), Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Office of Diversity and Equity, the Spirituality Initiative, and the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort to host the Honoring our Shared Humanity: Countering Islamophobia and Antisemitism event on February 29th, 2024. The purpose of the event was to acknowledge the Islamophobia and antisemitism on the rise locally due to international events, to support people in our community that have lost loved ones, experienced increased hate and divisiveness, and lost a sense of belonging and community. The goal of this webinar was to increase understanding and belonging as we acknowledge the experiences of many Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, Palestinian, and Arab communities, among others, in San Mateo County, and strive towards connecting across our shared humanity.  This was the first event of its kind in San Mateo, where communities came together to share their commonalities, where beliefs and lifestyles come together showcasing our shared journey and understanding. 

Other key events in 2024

Development and distribution of updated Racial Equity & Trauma Informed Lens card, Dr. Erica Brittons work on empowering and supporting staff who encounter racism and the implementation of Policy A-44, Behavioral Expectations for Clients, Patients and Visitors, our ODE Director, Dr. Maria Lorente-Foresti was inducted into the SMC Women’s Hall of Fame and our Parent Project and Health Ambassador Program supported a listening session to elevate the needs of marginalized communities in San Mateo County with the San Mateo County Office of Education.