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Building Healthy, Equitable Communities
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September 2018 Newsletter
Moving Away from Punitive Discipline

Newsletter

Help Us Find Graduate Interns 
Open recruitment has begun for two part-time intern positions focusing on Healthy Economy to support the implementation of anchor strategies and Healthy Neighborhoods to support the design of a Healthy and Equitable Development Toolkit. The internships will run from January through May 2019. Applications are due before noon on October 11, 2018. Please help us spread the word.

Over 20 Get Healthy SMC Applications Received! 
And for a total amount that is nearly four times what we can support! The great interest shown speaks to the scale of great work that organizations are hungry to do to advance healthy, equitable communities. We have seen the sophistication of the applications increase every funding cycle, indicating a stronger understanding of the complexities and collaborations needed to achieve health and health equity. In the coming months, internal and external reviewers will screen and score applications. We will be announcing decisions on December 1. Stay tuned!

Items to include in this newsletter

Case Study

Shifting Gears from Speed and Efficiency to Health, Equity, and Safety​

San Mateo County is not immune to congestion and there is a need for more transportation options beyond driving alone to work. For some, this mode shift is a choice, but for others, walk, biking, and using public transit are the only options. According to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey (ACS), 5% (13,930) of San Mateo County households lack access to a vehicle.[1] This group must rely on active transportation-walking and biking- or public transportation to achieve daily tasks, such as commuting to work and schools and grocery shopping. 

Read the full case study.

Staff Perspective Brian Oh

Get Us Moving, San Mateo!

Every Autumn when school is back in session, I find myself reminiscing about my own childhood. My brother and I walked everywhere, then when we were old enough we rode our bikes all over town. We knew our neighbors and I delivered the local paper to my neighbors on my way to school. I grew up in a leafy suburb in Los Angeles, lived ten blocks from school and my parents never worked more than 20 minutes away. This is not a typical experience in present day California.

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New State Funding to Improve School Climate

This year, California’s state budget provides much needed funding to support schools with implementation of alternative school discipline strategies such as restorative justice practices. The legislature allocated $15 million for the development of a pilot program to improve school climate to ensure schools are welcoming and inclusive for all students.

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Are the Kids Hungry? 

As we’ve heard for much of our lives, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Unfortunately, many students in San Mateo County show up to school hungry. Schools that participate in the National School Meal Lunch Program have the option to receive additional funding to offer students breakfast, snack and even supper in addition to lunch.

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Do it for the Kids: Fill out our Survey! 

We are still gathering input from youth and their families with experience in the County’s youth systems. Please share the survey link with your networks. This month, South City and NFO/RWC youth, parents, caregivers and residents shared their perspectives on assets in the community, barriers to success and strategies to support youth. Through almost 200 surveys collected so far, small group conversations and dream wall posters, community members are helping us understand how to help our young people succeed.

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South San Francisco and North Fair Oaks/Redwood City: Join Us to Strategize for Children’s Success!  

At the upcoming Neighborhood Leadership Group meetings, we’ll have a chance to dive deep into the survey responses and look for important trends in the data. Based on the assets, needs and strategies identified in the surveys we will prioritize potential strategies to improve success for youth. This is an opportunity to learn more about the needs of youth in our communities and to collectively prioritize strategies for youth success, tailored to the individual communities. Please join us!

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My Health. My Community. My Vote. 

Voting influences decisions that directly affect our communities and in turn influence community health outcomes. There are now More Days, More Ways to vote in our county, and we think that it is a good opportunity to reach out to SMC Health clients and partners to increase their voter engagement and education. With this purpose, we are launching a Voting Matters initiative, and we will be conducting voter education and registration presentations to San Mateo County Health partners.

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Going Grassroots to Address Health Inequities 

On Wednesday, August 29th the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII), which is the coalition of the Bay Area Public Health Departments, hosted a well-attended workshop on Community Power and Public Health at the Sobrato Center in Redwood City. The training focused on highlighting the value of Public Health professionals partnering with community organizers to address issues affecting health equity.

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Celebrating Year Two of the County’s initiative to add 16,500 homes by 2022 

Last week, leaders in the County’s Home For All initiative gathered to celebrate Year 2 of the County’s initiative to increase the housing supply for all persons who want to call San Mateo County homes. A packed room heard from a number of local leaders, from elected officials to civil servants, on how the 21 cities and jurisdictions in San Mateo County have been working together to provide housing for all.