Time to Deck the Halls at Rancho Guajome

Step back in time and spread old fashioned holiday cheer at the 14th Annual Rancho Christmas at Rancho Guajome Adobe in Vista Saturday, November 27 and Sunday, November 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The adobe’s 28 rooms and two large courtyards have been transformed into a hacienda hideaway that replicates the holidays of the 1800s. More than one hundred wreaths, garlands and centerpieces made out of natural materials will adorn the restored historic adobe. 

Children will delight in a variety of hands-on crafts and activities, such as making cornhusk dolls, caramel apples and homemade candles. Kids can also hop aboard a tractor-drawn wagon or view demonstrations of blacksmithing and wool spinning. Park visitors can enjoy live music, dancing and beverages.

Saturday evening guests can enjoy an expanded celebration including hot cider and the warm glow of luminaries in the courtyard, while listening to the sweet sounds of Christmas caroling.               

Tickets for the Rancho Christmas festivities are $5 for adults; $3 for children 4 to 12. Children 3 years and under are free. Proceeds will be directed to the Hacienda Antiquities Fund for the parlor’s furnishings. 

Rancho Guajome Adobe is located at 2210 North Santa Fe in Vista. Parking is free.

For more information on the 14th Annual Rancho Christmas please call (760) 724-4082 or visit the Rancho Guajome Adobe web page.

HHSA Employees, Volunteers Wrap Foster Youth in Warmth

Bancroft Rock House Takes You Back in Time

The Bancroft Rock House in Spring Valley is named for Hubert Howe Bancroft, a writer, editor and publisher of history books. It was used as a school house for the Bancroft children, as well as a fire-safe storage building for part of Bancroft's extensive transcripts and book collection. The home is a great example of how people lived during San Diego County's pioneer days. 

County Airports Again Drop Off Spots for Toys for Tots

You can help the U.S. Marine Corps and San Diego County put smiles on the faces of less fortunate children this holiday season by donating new, unwrapped toys at County airports in Fallbrook, Ramona, Carlsbad, El Cajon and Borrego Springs during the Marines’ annual Toys for Tots campaign.

County residents can drop off their donated toys at each of the airports any time up until Dec. 4, with the exception of Fallbrook Airpark, which will continue collecting donations until Dec. 11.

Uniformed Marines plan to collect the toys in person at special events at Ramona Airport and Fallbrook Airpark.  The first collection will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday Dec. 4 at Ramona Airport.  The second will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11 at Fallbrook Airpark.  People who come to the events will be able to see Marine Corps vehicles, vintage World War II aircraft and other private aircraft, on the ground and in flight.  Toys collected at El Cajon’s Gillespie Field, Carlsbad’s Palomar-McClellan Airport and Borrego Valley Airport will be flown to Ramona Airport and collected at the Dec. 4 event.

“We’re honored to work with the Marine Corps and be a part of the Toys for Tots campaign," said Pam Slater-Price, Chairwoman of the County Board of Supervisors. "Toys for Tots is a Marine Corps tradition that goes as far back as I can remember. They spread holiday cheer to both the children and to everyone who donates.”

Last year, San Diego County resident’s donations at the airports filled six 7-ton trucks.

Foster Youth Give HHSA Employees a Healthy Option

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, several San Pasqual Academy foster youth made their bimonthly delivery of certified, organic produce to County employees. The accessibility of the door-to-door deliveries of fresh organic produce is to encourage HHSA employees to eat healthier for the holidays - part of County’s year-round plan to Build Better Health.

Employees who signed up to be part of the subscription program pay only $20 per box for fresh fruit or vegetables every two weeks. Boxes also include recipes.

Although the San Pasqual Academy Agriculture program was established in 2004, the organic produce program began a year ago when students came up with the label name, Dragon Organics. The program has grown roots and students began selling to local venders such as Whole Foods, Jimbos, Seaside Market, and Stone Brewing Company. They have also expanded to farmer’s markets throughout the county.

Telling a Story About Mental Health

One in four Latino adults and one in five children in San Diego County are likely to experience major depression or another mental disorder on any given year; however, stigma, culture and language barriers keep many from seeking treatment.

A bilingual fotonovela—Salir Adelante: Cómo una familia aprende sobre la salud mental (Moving Forward: How a Family Learns About Mental Health)—was published by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency to educate Latinos about mental health.

About 40,000 English and Spanish fotonovelas are available at 90 locations throughout the region, including County libraries, mental health centers, and family resource centers. The fotonovela will also be available at the six Northgate Markets throughout the county.

Fotonovelas are extremely popular among Latinos. A fotonovela is a booklet with pictures and dialogue boxes that often tell a dramatic story with a moral lesson.

People suffering from a mental illness can access services by calling the County’s 24-hour, multi-lingual Access and Crisis Line at (800) 479-3339.                                                                

Probation Employee Receives Chief Probation Officers of California Award of Excellence

Dr. Natalie Pearl, the San Diego County Probation Department Director of Research, received the Award of Excellence from the Chief Probation Officers of California. Only one Probation employee from the state is given this award. She was honored for her work to support evidence-based practices at the regional, state and national levels. Evidence-based practices utilize risk driven supervision and treatment strategies to reduce recidivism.

Pearl joined the San Diego County Probation Department as the Director of Research in April 2005, just as the concept of evidence based practices was taking hold. She was one of the original members of the Southern California Probation Performance Measures Committee and has also been instrumental in working with Imperial and San Luis Obispo Counties in the National Institute of Corrections sponsored Strategic Planning for the Implementation of Evidence Based Practice initiative.

New HHSA Deputy Public Health Officer Brings Wealth of Experience

The County Health and Human Services Agency is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric C. McDonald, M.D., as the new Deputy Public Health Officer for San Diego County.

McDonald earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College in 1981 and received his Medical Degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 1985. He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Naval Medical Center, San Diego and served a total of 24 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, including two combat tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom. His last military assignment was at Camp Pendleton as the I Marine Expeditionary Force Surgeon, where he supervised primary and preventive care for over 25,000 Marines and sailors in Southern California. 

“The County is ecstatic to find someone like Dr. McDonald who has such a diverse background and has contributed to our community directly through his work with the military,” said Walt Ekard, Chief Administrative Officer, County of San Diego. “He will be a wonderful addition to our already stellar Health and Human Services Agency and its Public Health Services team.”

McDonald is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a Clinical Instructor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He has conducted research in traumatic brain injury through the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and is a consultant on the medical effects of chemical and biological weapons. He practiced emergency medicine at Naval Medical Center, San Diego from 2005 to 2010 and he most recently was the project coordinator for Safety Net Connect at Community Health Improvement Partners. 

“McDonald brings both practical experience and proven leadership skills that will further assist the Agency in its efforts to protect the public’s health from existing and constantly evolving biothreats,” said Nick Macchione, Director of the County Health and Human Services Agency. “He also brings a wealth of clinical expertise that will be particularly beneficial in the implementation of the County’s Health Strategy Agenda, Building Better Health.”     

McDonald’s first day was Nov. 5.

Credit Union opens new Kearny Mesa Branch

San Diego County Credit Union is excited to announce the Grand Opening of our Kearny Mesa Branch. The branch is located at 5500 Overland Avenue, Suite 190, in the new County of San Diego Operations Center. Join us on Wednesday, November 17th for our Grand Opening celebration from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

There will be refreshments, service displays and an opportunity to win fabulous prizes. Enter to win the Grand Prize, a Baja Mexico Cruise for two from Carnival Cruise Lines and Carefree Vacations. Other prizes include a One-Night Stay and a 50-minute Spa Treatment compliments of La Costa Resort & Spa and a $250 Visa Gift Card.

The Kearny Mesa Branch location will be open Monday-Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and now on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visit sdccu.com or call toll-free 1-877-732-2848 for more information.

New Supportive Housing Campaign Kicks Off

Understanding that having a stable place to live is the first step to recovery from a mental disorder, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) today launched an education campaign that aims to erase stigma and housing discrimination against people with a mental illness.

The Housing Matters campaign also hopes to reduce homelessness by placing people with a mental disorder in supportive housing where they can receive treatment for their illness and get services to help them address other underlying problems that contributed to their being on the streets.

“Having a permanent place to live is the first step for the recovery process to begin,” said Nick Macchione, HHSA Director. “Having supportive housing allows people with a mental illness to receive medical and mental health treatment, as well as social services to help them thrive.”

Mental illness is a major cause of homelessness. There are about 8,500 homeless people in the San Diego region; about 25 percent of them suffer from a mental disorder. Often, people with mental illness face discrimination when looking for a place to live.

Starting today, radio, television and print ads highlighting the benefits of supportive housing will appear throughout the region. Funding for the campaign, which will run through June 2015, comes from the Mental Health Services Act or Prop. 63, a millionaires’ tax that specifically designates funds for mental health services. The measure was approved by California voters in 2004.

Supportive housing is a community-based service model that, in addition to housing and mental health services, also offers training and assists people to get jobs. While in supportive housing, clients tend to take better care of themselves which may include the discontinuation of alcohol/drug abuse.

Studies have shown that a chronically homeless individual could use as much as $42,000 in public services and emergency care each year. In supportive housing, the cost for treating that individual drops to about $16,000 or less.

“Mental illnesses can be treated,” said Dr. Piedad García, Director of HHSA’s Adult and Older Adult Mental Health Services. “We need to get homeless people into supportive housing so that they can get the treatment they need.”

For more information about the Housing Matters campaign, visit www.HousingMattersSD.org.