The Marin County Board of Supervisors on April 22 unanimously approved a proclamation declaring May 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month after hearing a presentation from Marin County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS).

BHRS Director Todd Shermer framed the county’s work as “an integrated, coordinated, and recovery-oriented approach” focused on access, mobile crisis response and community partnerships. He told the board the county has stood up a 24/7 mobile crisis team and launched a suicide and overdose fatality review team that has completed two case reviews this year.

Shermer said BHRS supports people who are Medi-Cal beneficiaries or uninsured through mobile crisis, outpatient mental health, crisis services and substance-use treatment. ‘‘We are in the middle of our Mental Health Services Act and Behavioral Health Services Act community planning process,’’ he said, referring to the county’s community engagement for future spending decisions.

BHRS prevention supervisor Mario Garcia described local outreach around the 988 crisis line and said trained counselors at Buckelew Programs answer the county’s 988 calls. Youth leader Ava (Eva) Helmold and other youth-action-team members urged targeted outreach for LGBTQ+ youth; Helmold cited data from the California Healthy Kids Survey and described a youth-led Break the Stigma campaign and an upcoming youth-created video to promote 988.

The board thanked presenters and took no amendments. Supervisor Damon Colbert moved to approve the proclamation; Supervisor Milton Peters seconded. The motion passed with all supervisors voting aye.

Why it matters: BHRS’s update highlighted sustained investments in crisis response and prevention, the county’s role in youth and older-adult outreach, and local promotion of the national 988 crisis service — items the board flagged as priorities going into May’s events and public outreach.

Public comment: Several speakers supported the focus on youth mental health and training. A number of callers and in‑person commentators referenced local tragedies and asked for continued counseling support in schools and expanded community outreach.

What’s next: The board’s vote formalizes the county’s recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. BHRS and community partners will continue public events and outreach through the month; the board invited staff to return with related budget or program requests as needed.