Active Minds Club
The Active Minds club at Cañada College is one hundred of chapters across the USA! To learn more about Active Minds, visit their main website at activeminds.org. This is a student-led mental health group that works to raise awareness about mental health, raise funds for critical mental health education, and promote positive mental health and wellness on our campus.
We love suggestions, requests for events, and donations! We also love questions from students and students emailing us because they want to get involved. Feel free to email us anytime at activeminds@my.smccd.edu.
Want to Become a Member or a Leader?
Click on the link below to fill out our general application form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrYsEh2dgIT5gZ2yBIh31SBQXEy5gwX7ufiPjZ_EgU8oifHw/viewform
Click on the link below to go to our resource webpage:
Meet the Team

Marcos Chacon Jr.
Club Faculty Advisor
Marcos Chacon Jr. is a Licensed and Marriage and Family Therapist. For the past 15 years, Marcos has provided mental health services to youth and families in San Mateo County and Alameda County through his work at different community-based organizations. For the past years 8 years Marcos has worked at San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services providing services to justice related youth and their families in both the community and the Youth Services Center including individual and family therapy. Marcos's clinical interests include trauma treatment, attachment and delivering trauma-informed and culturally respectful mental health services. Marcos is a trainer of the Neurosequential model of Therapeutics created by Dr. Bruce Perry. The Neurosequential model of therapeutics is a developmentally-informed, biologically-respectful approach to working with at-risk youth. Marcos obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University and a Masters in Counseling from California State University East Bay. Marcos is looking forward to joining the personal counseling staff and being a resource to the students at Canada. In his free time, Marcos enjoys cooking, playing piano/keyboards, drumming and attending Jazz Concerts. Marcos was born and raised in San Francisco to parents from El Salvador. Marcos speaks both English and Spanish has provided therapy in both languages.

Alex Stonehewer Bird
President, Administrative Assistant, and Treasurer
--- About --- Alex is a psychology major currently completing his requirements for transfer and peer-counseling certification. He is working towards an eventual Master’s degree and Marriage & Family Therapist certification. His dream career is to become a Therapist and Motivational Speaker and hopes to use his own experiences to help young adults who lack guidance in their lives. --- Fun Fact --- In his free time, Alex enjoys spending time in nature, art, creative writing and meditation.

Zahra Razak
Vice President, Administrative Assistant, and Treasurer
Bio coming soon!

Lydia Vann
Inter Club Council Liaison
Bio coming soon!

Jackie Ocaña
Director of Marketing
Bio coming soon!

Cristiane Josefa Schmitt Ferreira de Lima
Social Media Coordinator
Bio coming soon!
Interested in a position you don't see listed? Send us an email so we can meet and talk about creating something new for you!
FALL 2021 EVENTS:
Active Minds Discussion on How Online Learning is Affecting Mental Health: Active Minds students discuss how the pandemic and non-interactive online learning effects mental health. Faculty and staff will be able to gain important tips on how to create more enriching and engaging online learning environments.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://smccd-hipaa.zoom.us/j/88327097695?pwd=TmVsZXVHbWFFTlQzR2tiN3hXWmRxUT09
Meeting ID: 883 2709 7695
Passcode: 308787
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,88327097695# US (San Jose)
+13462487799,,88327097695# US (Houston)
7pm
Join us for a pre-Halloween movie night.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://smccd.zoom.us/j/7678244674?pwd=QWpTTGJ1MDlTcDcxekNUNURlUVVrUT09
Meeting ID: 767 824 4674
Passcode: 8GvbPT
PAST EVENTS:
12pm: Active Minds' students strategies for maintaining Emotional well-being.
Zoom registration link: https://smccd.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1t_Zv_IZTP26sLe7ht5GAQ
Description: Cañada students will cover strategies for emotional health during COVID 19 and share their personal experiences and advice for their fellow peers.
2:30pm: Cañada Students' Experiences with Mental Health during COVID 19
Join Zoom Meeting
https://smccd-hipaa.zoom.us/j/83786669302?pwd=bzFhcnVzL1B4R3dZVUxCUnc0L1Nqdz09
Meeting ID: 837 8666 9302
Passcode: 597453
Description: Active Minds students will host a discussion of the mental health challenges of attending school virtually. Faculty and staff will have an opportunity to create a dialog with the students and collaborate with them to brainstorm ideas on how we – as a community – can create a healthy learning environment in our virtual classrooms.
Agenda:
- Different types of mental challenges
- How the state of mental health affects school during COVID 19
- Dialog with faculty and staff how we can all better support each other
5pm to 5:20pm:
Join the CWA Team for an overview of the Disability Resource and Personal Counseling Center services. Active Minds and DRCSA students will also be sharing their personal experiences how DRC/PCC has positively supported them. Following the presentations, there will be a time for Q & A.
Zoom link:
https://smccd.zoom.us/j/89482568026?pwd=eERhb2FYV21hYUptWVFSaDE4YXN3dz09
6pm:
Mental Health Open Mic
Whether in poetry, spoken word, or song, let's unite our voices to break the silence
surrounding the mental health impacts of rising anti-Asian sentiments and stand in
solidarity with the AAPI community. Share your own words, or listen to others.
San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto will emcee this affirming event in
observance of Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander
Heritage Month. We’ll also be joined by trauma specialists from StarVista.
Here is the link to register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M6fXvUExQUiP-DC5_AQ4gQ
2pm:
STUDENTS AGAINST HATE: MINORITY STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES WITH DISCRIMINATION &
HOW TO BE A GOOD ALLY
HTTPS://SMCCD.ZOOM.US/J/82056506232