Multimedia education
and awareness
Brother Be Well’s parent organization offers multimedia publishing, innovative community engagement programs, and education and awareness campaigns designed to inspire change and improve lives.
EDUCATION | AWARENESS
PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION
Brother Be Well is produced by Mental Health California™, a non-profit charitable 501(c)3 corporation with a mission to educate on mental health and wellness through publishing, community engagement, innovation, new media, and special programs. We offer digital publishing, impactful community engagement programs, special events, and community education and awareness campaigns that improve lives. We create conversations on mental health as a way to educate, improve access, and spread hope.
We are the sole contractor to Kaiser Permanente to produce the highly successful Northern California Youth Listening Sessions for youth involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, building capacity and pathways for advocacy and systems change. We blend traditional listening techniques with ideation, art, creativity, and safe space carve-outs for youth for honest dialogue and self-expression, and to address ACEs/trauma.
We are also the producers of the mental health awareness campaign for The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, in partnership with Sacramento County Public Health, for the Sacramento County COVID-19 Collaborative (Sac Collab), a community-based model addressing county-wide impacts of the pandemic. We address community mental health via virtual therapy, collaterals, mental health awareness webinars, and clinical webtalks. For more details, please visit Mental Health California.
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Advisors
Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities
Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine
UC Davis Health
Christina Y. Bilyeu, MD, FACLP
Chief of Mental Health Services
North Valley
Kaiser Permanente Medicine
Mental Health & Wellness
Sacramento Medical Center
John Boyd, Psy.D, MHA
Chief Executive Officer
Mental Health Services
Sutter Health
Dr. Bre Gentile
Senior Product Designer & Researcher
Center for Youth Wellness,
a Program of Safe & Sound
Dennis Godby, BS, MA, ND
Founder
Sacramento Naturopathic Medical Center
Percy Howard III, LCSW
President and Chief Executive Officer
California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions
Christian Jacobs, LMFT
Marriage and Family Therapist
Ramsey S. King
Program Director
Community Safety
Health Education Council
Hiep Ma (Patrick), MHS, PA-C
Mental Health Advocate
Physician Associate
UC Davis Health
Wm. Jahmal Miller, MHA
Chief Administrative Officer
Mercy Medical Group™
Shacunda B. Rodgers, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Founder
Melanin Meets Mindfulness
Carter Todd, RN, President
Capitol City Black Nurses Association
Hendry Ton, M.D., M.S.
Associate Vice Chancellor
Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
UC Davis Health
Meet Us
Kristene (K.N.) Smith
CEO/ Project Director
Mental Health California™ is led by multiple award-winning author and screenwriter Kristene (K.N.) Smith – a family member with lived experience. She is the creator and director of Brother Be Well, producer of the Champions of Mental Health Awards Dinner, publisher of Mental Health California Magazine, and leads impactful behavioral health programs for diverse, underserved communities. Kristene holds a degree in Family and Consumer Science and brings over twenty-five years of communications and creative expertise to her organizations.
Michael P Coleman
Content Director
After having spent his childhood talking to strangers and getting punished, freelance writer Michael P Coleman has spent over 30 years talking to strangers and getting published. He brings decades of experience producing and hosting multimedia productions. Coleman writes for a number of corporations, not-for-profits, and government agencies, and his byline has appeared locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. He earned a Bachelor of Arts with High Honors and Distinction in Communications from the University of Michigan.
Justin Martinez
Youth Advocate/ Content Contributor
Justin Martinez is a motivated first generation college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He is working toward a masters degree in social work and plans to provide services to at-promise youth. As a former foster youth, he is passionate about supporting young people in reclaiming their power, and eliminating barriers toward mental wellness and life success. In addition to lived experience, Justin brings expertise in public speaking and community engagement to Brother Be Well. He also leads our popular Youth Chats series.
Marie Tiongco
Administrative Manager
Marie Tiongco is an Administrative Manager at Mental Health California with primary responsibility for Brother Be Well. A Cum Laude graduate, Marie holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the Philippine Women’s College of Davao. She brings expertise in event planning and management, data management, scheduling, and production to all facets of our platform. Specializing in administration and corporate events, Marie is passionate in making sure every project is successful.