Home: Highlights
CCCS Schools Get Pro-Social Skills
Martin Elementary in South San Francisco and Woodrow Wilson Elementary in Daly City are two sites for the evidence-based Teaching Pro-social Skills (TPSS) Program that our Human Resources Agency and Behavioral Health and Recovery Services are supporting to address prioritized needs in the CCCS Action Plans: providing mental/behavioral health supports at schools for students, providing social-emotional learning opportunities, improving school climate, and helping keep students in the classroom. Teaching Pro-Social Skills (TPSS) is a ten-week program that uses “Skillstreaming”, an
Collaboration to Create a More Sustainable Food System
At the September Strategic Planning retreat, the San Mateo Food System Alliance (SMFSA) decided that the group must work to address climate change given the deep impacts of climate change across the food system. SMFSA established the Climate Resilience Committee to lead the work for the alliance. The Climate Resilience Committee is currently in the process of exploring how to best support sustainability within the local food and agriculture systems.
Continued Support for Restorative Justice Practices in Local Schools
San Mateo County schools continue to support a positive school climate and reforms to school discipline by implementing Restorative Justice Practices. With funding from Get Healthy San Mateo County, the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) has partnered with local school districts to train staff and districts to support the development of Restorative Justice Practices Implementation Plans.
Reflections on 2019
It’s hard to imagine that we are in the home stretch of our 2015-2020 Get Healthy SMC Strategic Plan. Five years ago, you helped develop a 10-point vision for healthy, equitable communities and we set out to support you in advancing your priorities. We looked back recently and found that we had contributed to a lot of meaningful outcomes for our communities including 150 policies, plans or resource allocations targeted to preventing disease and improving well-being.
Announcement of Cancelation of Get Healthy SMC Community Implementation Funding 2020
Due to rising costs outpacing revenues San Mateo County Health is addressing budget deficit and workforce reductions. As a result our annual Community Implementation Funding Request for Proposals will be canceled for 2020. County Health leadership have a plan in place to support the budget challenges and all programs are doing their part to ensure important safety-net services are maintained. We remain committed to supporting the important community organizations on the ground advancing the community-identified priorities to achieve a healthy, equitable San Mateo County.
Dynamic Speaker Promotes A Strength-Based Approach to Discipline
Get Healthy SMC, Sequoia Healthcare District, and Peninsula Healthcare District partnered to bring Charlie Appelstein back to San Mateo County for additional parent and staff trainings on December 10th, 11th, 12th. Charlie’s trainings are packed with positive principles and techniques to help educators, professionals and parents develop powerful relationships with the young people they guide.
Don’t Miss This Leadership Development Opportunity
The Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) is recruiting low-income and people of color from San Mateo County to join their next cohort of fellows. There will be an informational session on October 8 from 6pm to 7:30pm at 225 37th Avenue, San Mateo (Room 100). Applications are due October 20. BCLI is a six-month leadership program that supports low-income communities and people of color to access decision-making roles.
San Mateo County Looks to Improve Community Health through Walking and Biking Opportunities
San Mateo County is working on its first ever active transportation plan that will be published in Spring 2020. Led by our colleagues at the Office of Sustainability, we are still seeking input (English and Spanish) on how to best strengthen the county’s walking and biking environments, particularly in denser neighborhoods such as North Fair Oaks where we see higher numbers of collisions involving people walking and biking. Please share your thoughts on how to support safe and active transportation!
Boards and Commissions Vacancies
San Mateo County Bike & Pedestrian Advisory
Committee: There is one vacancy for residents in
Districts 1,2, 4 or 5. This five-member committee advises the
Board of Supervisors on funding, projects, programs and policies
related to improving and increasing bicycling and walking
transportation. Applications
are being accepted until September 6th.
Farming for Pay Equity
Recent federal report shows an underrepresentation of women and minority farmers as agriculture loan recipients. The county’s Vision for a San Mateo County Food and Farm bill (summarized here) recommends prioritizing strategies to create a local food system that addresses inequities such as these in all aspects of the food and farming system.
Improving Health through Equitable Fee Policies
Dear Get Healthy SMC Partners,
One of my favorite things about this job is the chance to learn about issues impacting our most vulnerable in our County and ways we can advance health equity by building financial security for all people. One issue we’ve been researching recently is the impact local fines and fees can have on residents’ ability to grow their assets and savings.
SMC Youth Commissioner Profile
Check out the profile of the new chair of the San Mateo County Youth Commission
Youth Leadership Institute Supports Youth Voices on Healthy, Equitable Communities
In its fourth year of developing local youth to be community leaders on transportation policy, the Youth Leadership Institute has been working with 13 youth leaders from communities in Half Moon Bay and Daly City to continue and expand their leadership. Funded through the Get Healthy SMC Community Implementation Funding, this year’s youth leadership academy is focusing on the intersectionality of transportation and housing.
That’s a Wrap: Lessons from the Community Collaborative for Children’s Success Planning Process
Over the last year and a half, four communities in San Mateo County have been hard at work looking for solutions to overcome barriers to youth success. Despite busy schedules and competing priorities, over 1,000 community members showed their investment in young people’s futures by taking surveys, attending night meetings, knocking on doors, talking to neighbors and digging deep with their communities to come together around top priorities.
Phase I: Moving into Plan Implementation
South San Francisco and North Fair Oaks are off and running with implementation! Both communities held small implementation group meetings and are discussing opportunities to move forward with plan implementation. South San Francisco has unique interest in training for police officers and providing additional activities for children and young people. In North Fair Oaks, stakeholders have momentum for investing in mental health connections and preventative mental health measures.
SMC Youth Commission Closes a Successful Year!
The end of May marks the end of another SMC Youth Commission cohort. Key achievements of this cohort includes the adoption of a Indigenous People’s Resolution, the recommendation of Social Host Ordinance and the public support for sustainable policies that will help the county cope with climate change.
Balancing Stable and Safe Housing
People who live in healthy, affordable places live longer, healthier lives. One way low-income communities have been coping with the affordability crisis is by subdividing their single-family homes and converting their garages into second units to accommodate friends, relatives or renters. Second units have been a part of low-income communities before they became a trendy strategy to augment the much-needed supply of housing.
Engaging for Community Health
In Health Policy and Planning, one of our goals is to support policies that ensure all residents can choose an active or public transportation choice when desired. Right now is also a good time to have your voice heard in various bike and pedestrian plan updates throughout the County. There are currently at least four bike and pedestrian plan updates underway in the County, in various stages of input and planning, that include: Daly City, the City of San Mateo, San Mateo County, and South San Francisco, and one Transportation Master Plan in Menlo Park. These plans are tools and