Author: sbroussard

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
- President Barack Obama

To build a community driven support system for reducing health disparities and stigma of mental illness by:
Bridging the gap between the health system and our community.
Recognizing the strengths and resilience of African Americans in San Mateo County and increasing cultural humility and acceptance across the board.
Bringing awareness to mental health and encouraging balance between mind, body and spirit.

Get Involved

Your opinion counts! Please join us in our efforts to make African Americans in San Mateo County a more united and healthy community!
AACI Monthly Meetings:
Meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Location: Silicon Valley Community Foundation 1300 S. El Camino Real Suite 100 San Mateo, CA

African American Community Initiative

Contact Us!

Join Us!

Chyvonne Washington, MPA, CLE
(650) 465-7728
Email: cwashington@smcgov.org
Desirae Miller, CADC-CAS
(650) 802-6468
Email: dmiller@smcgov.org

The African American Community Initiative is supported by San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Office of Diversity and Equity and funded by the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63).

San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Office of Diversity & Equity www.smchealth.org/ODE

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African American Community Initiative

Our Mission & Vision

How We Support You

Our mission is to become a known resource for African American community members facing challenges with finding and utilizing mental health and/or substance use services, while addressing inequalities faced by African Americans in our county.
Our vision is to build a community driven support system for reducing mental health and substance use treatment disparities, and the stigma of mental illness by:
Bridging the gap between the health system and our community.
Recognizing the strengths and resilience of our community and increasing cultural humility and acceptance among providers.
Increasing awareness to mental health & substance use issues, while promoting wellness.

Refer you to trainings (Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid) on how to identify early warning signs of mental illness and how to help youth and adults who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Offer support to parents by connecting them to free parenting classes (Parent Project).
Provide resources on where to find affordable housing, food, and other services that promote wellness.
Assist you in addressing grievances or challenges you may be experiencing when seeking/receiving services at San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.
Provide an opportunity to collaborate on and address mental health inequalities within the African American community.

The African American Community Initiative (AACI) is committed to helping African Americans become more empowered to advocate for equality and access to mental health and substance use services. We also support African-American community members in their road to recovery and mental wellness within our community.
The AACI members include community members, providers and clients, who work together to support the African American community in San Mateo County.
AACI celebrates the heritage and pride of the African American community by hosting an annual Black History Month Summit.

Why Should I Care?

Because of stigma...
Even if they have symptoms of depression, African Americans may delay or never access care.
A mental health impairment is not recognized as an illness which one can recover from within the African American community.
Many African Americans suffer from stressors related to low income and lack of opportunities. (Source: We Ain’t Crazy...[Woods, D.] 2011.)