May 2018
Mental Health Awareness Month
Related Content
Article Sylvia Tang, Community Health Planner
Bridging Communities to Wellness
Mental Health Awareness Month
Raising Mental Health Awareness
San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services is partnering with local organizations to recognize 2018 May Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM), which is part of a nationwide movement to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental health and substance use issues.
Article David A. Young, PhD, MPH, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Director
From David’s Desk
This May, we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM). Launched by a proclamation from our county Board of Supervisors on April 24, MHAM in San Mateo County will focus on bridging communities to wellness. All community members should have access to resources that support their well-being, regardless of who they are or where they live in the county.
Article
Stories of Hope
Personal Recovery Stories
Storytelling can be educational, destigmatizing and incredibly empowering. The following are stories of hope, resilience and recovery from those who have experienced mental health and substance use issues. These individuals are sharing their stories in the hopes that others will be encouraged to seek help, and join them on the path to recovery.
Article Doris Estremera, Mental Health Services Act Manager
Community Input Shapes MHSA Spending
Mental Health Services Act Planning Process
What is the Mental Health Services Act?
The Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) passed in 2004 with the vision of transforming behavioral health systems to provide state-of-the-art, effective, culturally responsive services that promote recovery, wellness and resilience. These MHSA funded services should be accessible to individuals with severe mental illness, children with serious emotional disorders and their families, and individuals at risk for behavioral health issues.
Article ShaRon Health, Voice of Recovery SMC Program Director
Helping Our Peers Emerge Program
Peer Mentors Help Clients Transition Back into the Community
Helping Our Peers Emerge (HOPE) is a unique new collaborative designed to provide peer and family support services, using Peer Mentors to assist individuals who are in psychiatric hospital settings to successfully transition into the community, with the intention of reducing recidivism in emergency services.
Article Jason Kimbrough, Transition Age Youth Program Supervisor
Reaching Young Adults In Crisis
Measure K Expands Team to Support Young Adults
Measure K funding to the BHRS Transitional Age Youth (TAY) program, which began in FY 14/15, expanded the staffing and services provided by the Youth to Adult Transition team, and has allowed San Mateo County to increasingly meet the behavioral health needs of its young adult population.
TAY provides intensive mental health services to 18 to 25-year-olds with a qualifying diagnosis, who have or are eligible for Medi-Cal.
Article Raziya Wang, Psychiatric Residency Program Director
Fostering Outstanding Community Psychiatrists
Psychiatry Residency Training Program
The San Mateo County BHRS Psychiatry Residency Program is a comprehensive four-year psychiatry residency program, with an emphasis on community psychiatry. Each year, four medical students from around the country match into our program and begin their residency training journey.
Article
Tony Hoffman Community Mental Health Service Awards
Presented by Mental Health and Substance Abuse Recovery Commission
The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Recovery Commission’s Tony Hoffman Awards recognize individuals, professionals, businesses, or media representatives who have made an extraordinary difference in the lives of people with mental illness and the San Mateo County community.
Article
Talking to your child about cannabis
Free Parent Education Workshops
Since the legalization of recreational cannabis (also known as “marijuana”) in January, we’ve been working to educate the community on the health effects of cannabis use. Adults 21 or older are now free to use, carry and grow cannabis. However, cannabis use is not without its health risks. It can harm the brain and lungs, and put a person at higher risk for developing mental health and substance use issues. These risks are even greater for young people under the age of 25, whose brains are still developing.
Article Briana Evans, Senior Community Health Planner
Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Mental Health Day
This month, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will recognize May 10 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Mental Health Awareness Day. May is both Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month. These communities have traditionally faced heightened stigma around mental health and substance use issues.
Article
Serenity House Set to Open in October
With construction nearly complete, Serenity House, San Mateo County’s new licensed crisis residential respite facility, is scheduled to open early summer. The facility, located at the corner of Hacienda and 37th and operated by HealthRight360.
Article
In Fond Memory of Linford Gayle
We are sad to announce that Linford Gayle, our recently retired Director of the Office of Consumer and Family Affairs, passed away peacefully on April 4, after a prolonged illness.
During his time with BHRS, Linford created a multicultural and diverse team of individuals with lived experience as clients or family members, based in trust, compassion, collaboration and respect.
Article
Events, Trainings, Announcements & More
Upcoming Events & Trainings
May 3 – MHSA Innovation Community Input Forum
BHRS is looking into technology-based solutions to our community’s unique behavioral health needs. Stop by this forum in San Mateo to share your voice on how these Mental Health Services Act dollars are spent.