Items to include in this newsletter
We Have a New Director: Welcome Marc Meulman!
Marc Meulman joined San Mateo County Health on August 31 as the new Director of Public Health Policy and Planning. Marc brings a commitment to public health values and a passion for the work we do in public health. Marc began his career in public health in Kalamazoo County, MI as the Deputy Director of the Health and Community Services Department.
Board of Supervisors Adopts Racial Equity Resolution
We applaud the leadership of the Board of Supervisors to continue to advance racial equity! The adoption of the Racial Equity Resolution builds upon two resolutions that the Board adopted last year, one in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and another one that acknowledged racism as a public health crisis. The Racial Equity Resolution outlines a series of actions for the County to implement that will help us better serve all communities in the county.
Welcome Deandra and Elena to Health Policy and Planning!
We are excited to welcome Deandra Lee and Elena Hernandez to our HPP team as our Graduate Interns for Fall 2021! A research masters graduate of UCSF’s Global Health Sciences, Deandra brings a strong commitment and research experience working to improve health equity for marginalized and vulnerable populations and will be supporting our COVID-19 economy recovery efforts and other healthy economy areas.
Get Healthy SMC Community Implementation Funding Release Coming Soon!
We are excited to announce the upcoming release of the 2022 Get Healthy San Mateo County Request for Proposals (RFP) on or around October 11, 2021. Get Healthy SMC will fund efforts that result in policies that advance health and equity for all in San Mateo County. More information to come!
Supporting Economic Recovery
From March 2020 – August 2021, San Mateo County has allocated almost $200 million in funding to support local COVID-19 economic recovery work. This has included providing 6,377 households in San Mateo County with rental assistance, distributing 2,929,911 meals, granting over 1,000 Small Business Grants, as well as supporting over 16,000 families with immigrant assistance and funding 8,183 childcare slots.
Continuing to Collaborate for Children’s Success
Hello! My name is Mai (pronounced like “my”) and I am so happy to introduce myself as a new Community Health Planner with San Mateo County Health Policy and Planning (HPP). I’ll be working to move the Community Collaboration for Children’s Success (CCCS) forward and support our civic empowerment and health initiatives.
Boards and Commissions Vacancies
County of San Mateo: Applications are being accepted for appointment to the First 5 San Mateo County. There are currently three positions representing: Public Member, each to commence January 1, 2022. Applications are due October 1, 2021.
Congratulations to the Upcoming Fall 2021 EMS Corps Cohort!
We are happy to announce that four San Mateo County residents have been accepted into the next co-ed EMS Corps Academy running from September – December 2021:
Getting Back to Work: Highlights from 2nd San Mateo County Economic Roundtable Discussion
On September 1st, San Mateo County hosted its 2nd Economic Recovery roundtable discussion focused on improving access to workforce services and jobs for displaced and unemployed workers in the county. We heard from Supervisor Dave Pine, Deputy County Manager Peggy Jensen, Annelies Goger, with the Brookings Institution, who discussed key frameworks for increasing racial inclusion in the workforce; San Mateo County ranks 50th for this indicator compared to other U.S. metros according to Brookings Institution data.
Supporting Vibrant Downtowns Economic Recovery Roundtable Discussion
The third Economic Recovery Roundtable Discussion held on September 15th focused on actions and programs to support local businesses and included speakers from Environmental Innovations, Peninsula Chinese Business Association, SAMCEDA, City of South San Francisco, and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. Highlights included the results from the county’s small business survey to learn more about the needs and experiences of small businesses throughout the pandemic.
Updates to K-12 COVID-19 School Guidance
As of September 1st, the CDPH K-12 School Guidance has since been updated. Updates provide clarity on modified quarantine vs. standard quarantine, youth sports and school-based extracurricular activities. Also of note, schools are required to have weekly testing established by September 27, 2021. If you have questions regarding K-12 school guidance please contact Melissa at HLT_Education@smcgov.org.
Healthy Foods in North Fair Oaks
Do you know which stores in North Fair Oaks (NFO) stock healthy choices? Are NFO residents having difficulty accessing or eating healthy foods? As we explore these questions, we seek support from our local partners to help us reach the broader NFO community via a short survey to gather information on their food shopping habits and challenges for accessing or consuming healthy foods.
Active Transportation Resources and Winning Partner Information You Can’t Miss!
If you missed the 11th Annual Silicon Valley Bike Summit held on Aug 12 and 13, here’s how you can catch up. It is the largest gathering of active transportation leaders and organizers from government, the private sector, non-profits, and the general public in the Peninsula. This event shared a wealth of information and resources for bicycle professionals, elected & appointed officials, and citizen advocates in and around Silicon Valley.
Supporting Health Education in SMC Schools
Health Education is vital to ensuring that young people grow up to understand the importance of making healthy choices in all aspects of life. The San Mateo County Office of Education has begun to roll out the California Department of Education’s Health Education Framework. The framework is designed to support educators to provide the most current health education content for students in grades K-12.
CCCS Update on Implementation Grant Funding Awarded in 2020
Through a Google Impact grant awarded in 2020, CCCS partners and Silicon Valley Community Foundation have been able to increase mental health and family support services for families and students. Jefferson Elementary School district increased these services in their preschool programs and for early elementary families, which has been especially needed as children transition back to full-time in-person instruction.
Supporting Youth Mental Health Through Quality Out-of-School Time Programming
Last year CCCS partner, South San Francisco Public Library, was awarded a $190,143 grant through the California State Library to improve and support the social-emotional development of school-aged children, and the workplace preparedness of teens during out-of-school times. Despite significant challenges with the pandemic, SSF Public Library has been able to:
Vaccine Pop-up Events Strengthen Reach Into Under-vaccinated Communities
In June of his year, San Mateo County Health deployed a micro-targeted strategy to make pathways to a COVID-19 vaccine more accessible to under-reached residents living in lower-resourced communities that have borne the greatest impact of the pandemic. The strategy invites community organizations, individuals, and entities to submit a form requesting that a Pop-up vaccine site be located in their neighborhood. The form can be located on the County’s website at the link below:
Interested in Bringing a Vaccine Event to Your Organization?
Governor Newsom Signs Key Housing Bills
Another big legislative year for housing bills in California. The following bills have been signed by the Governor:
SB 9 Housing development: approvals will enable jurisdictions to divide single-family lots into two and create the opportunity to build up to four homes in a lot.