Bay Area

Marin’s Approach on Mental Health: Increase Awareness to Decrease Stigma

Local and global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, household economic instability, racial inequality, wars abroad, violence in the streets, and political strife can add stress to life. They also serve as a conversation starter about the pressing concern of mental health and access to care.

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2023

Oakland Post

Marin residents seeking behavioral health services can call the 24-hour, confidential Access Line at 1-888-818-1115. Marin BHRS provides outpatient, residential, crisis services, and hospital care addressing specialty mental health and substance use service needs of Marin Medi-Cal beneficiaries and uninsured residents.

Marin HHS and partners offer educational events throughout May

San Rafael, CA — Local and global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, household economic instability, racial inequality, wars abroad, violence in the streets, and political strife can add stress to life. They also serve as a conversation starter about the pressing concern of mental health and access to care.

In Marin County, the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) working with a handful of eager community partners to promote well-being during May Mental Health Awareness Month.

The Find Your Way campaign supports youth as they navigate paths to wellness, connection, and resiliency.

“It’s no wonder many people are struggling or not quite feeling themselves,” said Dr. Todd Schirmer, Director of the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Division (BHRS) of Marin HHS. “This year’s statewide theme is ‘Tools 2 Thrive,’ which emphasizes the importance of building resilience and coping skills.”

May Mental Health Awareness Month provides an opportunity to prioritize mental health and to raise awareness about the resources available for those who may be struggling. This year, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and community-based partners, including NAMI-Marin[External], Marin 9 to 25[External], Opening the World[External], North Marin Community Services[External], Marin County Youth Commission[External], OD Free Marin[External] and the Marin County Suicide Prevention Collaborative[External], have put together a full spectrum of resources and events throughout the month of May. These events promote messages of hope, connection and recovery to help residents work together to create a culture of understanding and support for those who are experiencing mental health issues.

A highlight of May Mental Health Month is the Youth Art and Film Showcase[External], an annual event that will be featured at the Youth Wellness Festival on Saturday, May 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Terra Linda High School in San Rafael. The festival is free, open to all ages, and includes a panel discussion, an art showcase gallery, tabling and resources, and workshop sessions. Coordinated by youth mental health advocates involved in the Marin County Youth Commission, the Suicide Prevention Collaborative’s Youth Action Team, and Marin 9 to 25, the event will feature the launch of a youth wellness campaign called, “Find Your Way[External].” The countywide campaign will support youth as they navigate their path to wellness, connection, and resiliency.

“Just letting others know you’re there for them, that you’re available if they want to talk about it, can make a big difference,” Schirmer said. “Directly asking others, ‘How are you feeling? How is your mental health?’ can be a door opener for conversation and helping others finding the support they need.”

While ‘Find Your Way’ is a youth campaign promoting youth support and tools to navigate well-being, Schirmer said there are lessons in the program for people of all ages. “If you are struggling, make a connection and ask for help,” he said. “Don’t hesitate to reach out if someone you know needs support.”

Other local events in May include:

a series of mental health first aid trainings;
a Spanish-language suicide prevention training hosted by North Marin Community Services scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 11. Register by calling (707) 408-3657;
a discussion titled Real Talk Matters[External]: Fighting Fentanyl and Its Impact on Mental Healthhosted by OD Free Marin at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 9.

See the full list of May Mental Health Month events on the Marin HHS website.

If you or someone you know is in distress, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, go to 988lifeline.org[External] or text “MARIN” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

Published

3 days ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Chevron Richmond Installs Baker Hughes Flare.IQ, Real-time Flare Monitoring, Control and Reduction System

While the sight of flaring can cause concern in the community, flares are essential safety systems that burn pollutants to prevent them from being released directly into the atmosphere. They activate during startup and shut-down of facility units or during upsets or equipment malfunctions. The typical flare stack is about 200 feet high so that vapors are well above street levels.

Published

1 week ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Image courtesy The Richmond Standard.

The Richmond Standard

Chevron Richmond recently installed flare.IQ, a real-time, automated system that will improve the facility’s flaring performance.

The technology, developed by Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business, uses sensors to monitor, reduce and control flaring in real time. It collects and assesses data on refinery processes, such as temperature, pressure, gas flow and gas composition, and adjusts accordingly to ensure flares burn more efficiently and cleanly, leading to fewer emissions.

“The cleaner the flare, the brighter the flame can look,” said Duy Nguyen, a Chevron Richmond flaring specialist. “If you see a brighter flame than usual on a flare, that actually means flare.IQ is operating as intended.”

“A key element in Baker Hughes’ emissions abatement portfolio, flare.IQ has a proven track record in optimizing flare operations and significantly reducing emissions,” said Colin Hehir, vice president of Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business. “By partnering with Chevron Richmond, one of the first operators in North America to adopt flare.IQ, we are looking forward to enhancing the plant’s flaring operations.”

The installation of flare.IQ is part of a broader and ongoing effort by Chevron Richmond to improve flare performance, particularly in response to increased events after the new, more efficient hydrogen plant was brought online in 2019.

Since then, the company has invested $25 million — and counting — into flare minimization. As part of the effort, a multidisciplinary refinery team was formed to find and implement ways to improve operational reliability and ultimately reduce flaring. Operators and other employees involved in management of flares and flare gas recovery systems undergo new training.

“It is important to me that the community knows we are working hard to lower emissions and improve our flaring performance,” Nguyen said.

Also evolving is the process by which community members are notified of flaring incidents. The Community Warning System (CWS), operated by Contra Costa County is an “all-hazard” public warning system.

Residents can opt-in to receive alerts via text, e-mail and landline. The CWS was recently expanded to enable residents to receive notifications for “Level 1” incidents, which are considered informational as they do not require any community action.

For more information related to these topics, check out the resources included on the Chevron Richmond, CAER and Contra Costa Health websites. Residents are also encouraged to follow @chevronrichmond and @RFDCAOnline on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where additional information may be posted during an incident.

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Oakland Hosts Town Hall Addressing Lead Hazards in City Housing

According to the city, there are 22,000 households in need of services for lead issues, most in predominantly low-income or Black and Latino neighborhoods, but only 550 to 600 homes are addressed every year. The city is hoping to use part of the multimillion-dollar settlement to increase the number of households served each year.

Published

1 week ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Magaly Muñoz

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department hosted a town hall in the Fruitvale to discuss the efforts being undertaken to remove lead primarily found in housing in East and West Oakland.

In 2021, the city was awarded $14 million out of a $24 million legal settlement from a lawsuit against paint distributors for selling lead-based paint that has affected hundreds of families in Oakland and Alameda County. The funding is intended to be used for lead poisoning reduction and prevention services in paint only, not water or other sources as has been found recently in schools across the city.

The settlement can be used for developing or enhancing programs that abate lead-based paint, providing services to individuals, particularly exposed children, educating the public about hazards caused by lead paint, and covering attorney’s fees incurred in pursuing litigation.

Most of the homes affected were built prior to 1978, and 12,000 of these homes are considered to be at high risk for lead poisoning.

City councilmember Noel Gallo, who represents a few of the lead-affected Census tracts, said the majority of the poisoned kids and families are coming directly from neighborhoods like the Fruitvale.

“When you look at the [kids being admitted] at the children’s hospital, they’re coming from this community,” Gallo said at the town hall.

In order to eventually rid the highest impacted homes of lead poisoning, the city intends to create programs and activities such as lead-based paint inspections and assessments, full abatement designed to permanently eliminate lead-based paint, or partial abatement for repairs, painting, and specialized cleaning meant for temporary reduction of hazards.

In feedback for what the city could implement in their programming, residents in attendance of the event said they want more accessibility to resources, like blood testing, and information from officials about lead poisoning symptoms, hotlines for assistance, and updates on the reduction of lead in their communities.

Attendees also asked how they’d know where they are on the prioritization list and what would be done to address lead in the water found at several school sites in Oakland last year.

City staff said there will be a follow-up event to gather more community input for programming in August, with finalizations happening in the fall and a pilot launch in early 2026.