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Stronger Together: Parent Mental Health Resources

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to reflect on the importance of caring for our mental well-being, especially as parents and caregivers. When we prioritize our own mental health, we’re better equipped to nurture the emotional and social development of the children in our lives. Mental health plays a key role in shaping parenting approaches, family dynamics, and even the earliest stages of a child’s development, starting with infant mental health.

At First 5 San Mateo County, we recognize the importance of mental health and make investments to support parents’ and children’s mental health in our county. Recently, we conducted a mental health landscape scan and interviewed parents to understand their experiences navigating the mental health system. First 5 San Mateo County staff and partners in this effort presented findings and progress. Click here to see their presentations.

Over the years, we’ve also written a variety of helpful blogs and shared resources designed to support your journey and deepen your understanding of how mental well-being impacts both you and your child. Take a look!

Blogs:

  1. Investing in Infant Mental Health: Starting from Home
  2. I Screen, You Screen: Getting to know your child through screening tools
  3. Making sure the kids are all right: Overcoming relationship trauma
  4. The Three Kinds of Stress, and How to Deal with It
  5. Becoming Trauma-informed

Resources:

  1. Natio​​nal Maternal Mental Health Hotline
    1. New mothers, did you know there is a hotline just for you? Get 24/7, free, confidential support before, during, and after pregnancy. Call 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)
  1. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
    1. Specialty programs for specific populations, such as infants and their mothers, youth transitioning to adults, foster youth, older adults, and for various levels of care. Services are provided throughout the county by mental health clinicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, alcohol and drug counselors, and peers.
  1. BrightLife Kids – Free Coaching for Kids
    1. Personalized, 1:1 coaching support for California families. Kids ages 0–12 get free, expert coaching for sleep issues, worry, social skills, and more, all for free! This program is funded by the state of California. Bright Life includes live, 1:1 video sessions, secure chat, on-demand content, and more.

You can find links to these and many other local services for families in our resource library!

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© 2024 First 5 San Mateo County

Headshot of Kitty Lopez

Kitty Lopez has served as the Executive Director of First 5 San Mateo County since 2013, focusing on strategic investing, community leadership, policy and advocacy development for young children, 0-5, and their families.

Kitty has served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Body for Build Up for San Mateo County Children’s Initiative, with Board of Supervisor, Dave Pine, since 2018.  Congressman Kevin Mullin is Honorary Co-Chair.  This initiative was established to preserve, grow, and increase the number of early care sites in San Mateo County.  

Kitty previously served as the Executive Director of Samaritan House, one of San Mateo County’s leading Core Service Agencies and safety-net nonprofits serving low-income families and individuals with food, shelter, clothing, health care, counseling, education classes, and holiday assistance from 2002 to 2013. 

Kitty taught kindergarten, second grade, and high school in southern California and San Francisco and was a consultant in schools with children who have autism and special needs. Additionally, Kitty worked in a residential substance abuse treatment center in San Francisco and psychiatric hospital for children and youth in San Diego.  Kitty’s roots in supporting children began as a 16-year-old volunteer at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles where she taught swimming to children and adults with visual impairments.

She attended University of California Santa Barbara earning a California Teaching Credential and B.A in Psychology. Kitty is active in her community serving as Vice Chair of the San Mateo County Event Center, and Past President and Current Member of the San Mateo Rotary Club.  She is currently serving as Past President of the First 5 Association of California. On March 2022, Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin selected Kitty Lopez as the 2022 Assembly District 22 Woman of the Year.