H.O.P.E. Program
Helping Our Peers Emerge
From Hospitalization to Healthy Community Integration
The H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Peers Emerge) Program is a collaborative of San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), Heart & Soul Inc., California Clubhouse and NAMI SMC. The H.O.P.E. Program provides Peer Participants in transition from psychiatric hospitalization to community integration, with Peer Mentors, Family Support, Guidance for Employment and Housing.
H.O.P.E. is the first peer program in San Mateo County to facilitate support services for you during hospitalization and post-hospitalization via mental health and substance use recovery and family support. The program provides immediate wellness tools through alternative approaches to mental health recovery and evidence-based practices such as Intentional Peer Support, Motivational Interviewing, and Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP®) instruction. The Program will be sustained over a period of four to six months, beginning with your first meeting with your Peer Mentor.
The complexity of the current mental health system is often a barrier for people with mental health challenges seeking wellness and recovery. The H.O.P.E. program provides you with support to navigate the system and surmount those barriers.
Peer Mentors & Family Support
Provide recovery support, self-care modeling and community resource information. The goal of this support is for you to develop a self-directed plan and pattern of mental health and/or substance use recovery and subsequent wellness maintenance. With this support you'll have the opportunity to achieve the self-empowerment necessary to integrate into and remain in the community, rather than returning to in-patient settings. Additionally, this service has the potential to guide you and, if you choose, your family members (through your Peer Mentor or NAMI SMC) to achieve enhanced wellness and recovery.
Guidance for Employment and Housing
Provides you guidance to enter or return to paid employment in integrated work settings through both Transitional Employment and Supportive Employment programs. Connects Peer Participants with the California Club House for vocational-specific resources and support.
Peer Mentors can also support Peer Participants to find housing by guiding them to local resources based on the individual’s needs.
You Are Eligible If You Are
● An adult (18+) receiving Medi-Cal and/or a member of the Health Plan of San Mateo
● Being discharged shortly from a San Mateo County BHRS Facility
● Meeting Whole Person Care criteria
● Identified for H.O.P.E. services by San Mateo Medical Center staff
People referred to H.O.P.E. are San Mateo residents diagnosed with mental health challenges. The Program can also include individual experiencing co-occurring conditions.
If you or someone you are supporting is interested in becoming a H.O.P.E. Peer Participant, contact your or their social worker, case manager or care team so they can send a referral to our San Mateo County BHRS Liaison.
Note: Participation in the H.O.P.E. Program is voluntary for you at all times.
Our Vision
Successful community re-integration and decreased psychiatric re-hospitalizations through the power of peer support.
Our Mission
Providing Peer Mentors, and a continuum of support and resources in our community.
For information
about the program and Peer Mentors, contact: Patrice Massicotte, Peer Support Director:
650-232-7426 (office) • 650-226-5947 (confidential fax)
