Related Content
Article Sylvia Tang, Community Health Planner, Suicide Prevention Committee Co-Chair
Working Together to Prevent Suicide
70 percent of suicides are among working age adults
As we were preparing for this important issue of Wellness Matters, highlighting our Suicide Prevention efforts here at BHRS, we lost a dear colleague to an apparent suicide. We struggled, given this tragic event, with whether to cover suicide prevention and the work that continues in San Mateo County in this issue. We made the decision to run the articles to ensure that the important information in this issue is distributed widely throughout San Mateo County.
Article
Celebrating Recovery Month
Prevention works, treatment is effective, people recover
Each September, San Mateo County joins communities across the nation in celebrating National Recovery Month. Recovery Month celebrates people who have reclaimed their lives through recovery from substance use and mental health conditions and honors the greater community that makes recovery possible.
Article
Recovery Happens
Personal stories of hope, resilience and recovery
Each Recovery Month, we highlight the incredible journeys of individuals from all walks of life who have found recovery. They are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and show that treatment is effective and people do recover. We hope these stories encourage others to seek help – and to know that recovery is always possible.
Article Lauren Mascarenhas, Communications Coordinator
MHSA Dollars Help Create Support Systems Around Clients
Full Service Partnerships
The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), passed in 2004, has provided increased funding for mental health supports and services to counties across California. Here in San Mateo County, MHSA dollars are leveraged virtually everywhere in the BHRS system and community network of care.
Article Mary Taylor Fullerton, IMAT Supervisor
Advancing Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders
Medication Assisted Treatment
Every day in the United States, 174 people die from a drug-related overdose, according to Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - 116 of those deaths are the result of opioids. Opioids were involved in 42,249, or 67 percent, of 2016 drug overdose deaths. The data shows that people are dying from more potent and dangerous opioids, and are simultaneously using multiple drugs like heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamines and benzodiazepines.
Article ShaRon Heath, Program Director, Voice of Recovery San Mateo County
Voices of Recovery San Mateo County
Peer-led organization supports recovery
Voices of Recovery San Mateo County (VORSMC) is a nonprofit (501 c3) peer-led organization that was established in 2010, with the purpose of advocating for and supporting the recovery community, people overcoming drug and/or alcohol addictions. We recognize that hope is a powerful lever for recovery that can be ignited by the leadership, peer support, and lived experience of people who have, themselves, overcome addiction.
Article Sheryl Uyan, BHRS SupervisorNikki Kanakis, Case Management / Assessment Specialist II
Multiple DUI Court Program Outcomes
Estimated to save County $1.5M
In the first ten months of the program, the Multiple DUI Court Program (MDUI) team evaluated 173 referrals and admitted 128 cases in the program. Twenty referrals were denied admission due to not meeting the eligibility criteria. Twenty-five referrals are currently pending. The MDUI Court has also admitted 40 high risk and high need individuals. All high risk and high need participants are referred to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
Article Terri Oliva, Program Supervisor, Pathways Mental Health Court
Robert Bermudez Receives David Lewis Award
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Recovery Commission
Each year, the San Mateo County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Recovery Commission (MHSARC) recognizes outstanding contributions towards recovery with the David Lewis Award. The award is named for the late David Lewis, co-founder of the recovery organization, Free at Last, whose lasting contributions to the recovery community cemented his legacy as a true leader.
Article Frances Lobos, Community Health Planner
Standing United Against Family Separation
"One Community" event supports healing and empowerment
To provide a space for community healing and empowerment, and to stand in solidarity with families of different backgrounds who experience family separation, the San Mateo County Health Equity Initiatives recently came together in Redwood City to host the event, “One Community.”
Article
All Together Better
SMC Health Rolls Out New Visual Identity
On September 12, San Mateo County Health rolled
out a new visual identity, including a new name, logo tagline
and BHRS-specific logo lockup. We hope that as these items become
widely recognized and associated with the excellent quality of
our broad range of services and high integrity of our public
health protection functions, to help us remain a deeply trusted
and caring community partner.
Article
Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System Review
Quality Review Highlights for Substance Use Expansion
In February of 2017, San Mateo County launched an expanded Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) services pilot, significantly expanding the continuum of substance use services available for Medi-Cal beneficiaries in San Mateo County. The pilot is part of California’s 1115 Waiver, known as Medi-Cal 2020. A California Department of Health Care Services External Quality Review (EQR) was conducted to review quality, timeliness and access to these services.
Article
Upcoming Events and More
Upcoming Events
Recovery Month Events
Join BHRS and Voices of Recovery SMC in celebrating those in recovery from mental health and substance use issues for the 29th Annual National Recovery Month. See the Recovery Month flier for event details.