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PR-06/27/2007: Mental Health Senior Peer Counseling Program Celebrates 20 Years

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 27, 2007 San Mateo County Health Department Contact: Beverly Thames, (650) 573-3935 MENTAL HEALTH SENIOR PEER COUNSELING PROGRAM OF SAN MATEO COUNTY CELEBRATES 20 YEARS ON JULY 18 FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- On July 18, 2007, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the Health Department's Senior Mental Health Services will mark the 20th anniversary of the Senior Peer Counseling Program with a luncheon honoring its volunteers with five, ten, fifteen and twenty years of service. The celebration will be held in the Foster City Library Community Center at 1000 E. Hillsdale Boulevard from noon to 3 p.m. Attendance is by invitation only. In 1987 with 30 volunteers, San Mateo County Mental Health Services collaborated with the San Carlos Senior Center to launch the Senior Peer Counseling Program. The SPCP sought to fill a gap in counseling services for older adults who were depressed, lonely, isolated and coping with loss. La Esperanza Vive was established for Latino/Spanish-speaking older adults in 1990. Currently the SPCP has Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking volunteers and is expanding to reach underserved populations, including the Asian, Pacific Islander, Filipino, and Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender communities. Harry Farmer, a 20-year volunteer of Belmont, describes the rewards of being a senior peer counselor: "Each client is a book I have not yet read, but the chapters that unfold in the counseling role are priceless." Today the number of SPCP volunteers has grown to nearly 60. These peer counselors serve approximately 100 clients, making on average 5,000 visits each year. In addition to counseling services, SPCP now offers wellness and quality of life oriented support groups. When asked what has kept her coming back to the program for the past two decades, Alice Holmes of Belmont says it's "the knowledge that forging these relationships can create hope, courage, and the possibility of some healing." Farmer and Holmes, along with their fellow peer counselors, will be honored at the July 18 event. To learn more about the SPCP, please contact the Director of Senior Peer Counseling, Howard Lader, LCSW at (650) 573-2716 or hlader@co.sanmateo.ca.us. For information on La Esperanza Vive, please contact Teresa Hurtado, Program Coordinator, at (650) 573-2257. ###