Ten Years and Counting – Child Support Services Celebrates

In the last 10 years, millions of dollars have been put into the hands of families with children struggling to make ends meet. How? The County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) has helped collect and distribute support payments from noncustodial parents to their children.

DCSS became its own department 10 years ago, when it broke away from the District Attorney’s office. Now DCSS is marking the occasion and heralding its success with the “Celebration of a Decade.”

Let’s look at collections: In 2001, DCSS brought in $144.1 million for families. Fast-forward ten years and collections for fiscal year 2011 was $178 million. The significant jump came despite a number of hurdles, the economy being just one of them. The department also saw drops in funding, a reorganization of the department and a conversion to the statewide child support data system. Despite it all, employees soldiered through with an eye towards the end goal, making sure kids get support.

Customer service has always been a high priority and evidence of that is everywhere. During the last ten years, offices opened in Vista and Kearny Mesa, self serve information and payment kiosks went into operation, and parents can now go online to apply for services or make payments.

The departmental website underwent several makeovers with the most recent accomplishment debuting in April when the entire website became available in Spanish. So far, it’s logged more than 1500 visits to its Spanish language home page and has earned the 2011 Program Awareness Award from the Child Support Directors Association of California.

DCSS also won a 2011 Merit Award from the California State Association of Counties for its Educating Non-Custodial Parents video series. Viewers can catch it online and learn about the child support process before meeting with staff members. Staffers say it saves about 15 minutes per interview and the additional time allows them to focus on the specifics of individual cases rather than the general process.

DCSS has been recognized twice in the past three years as California’s Top Performing Very Large County by the State Department of Child Support Services.

Overall, these are no small accomplishments and we can only look forward to the next ten years of giving children the support they deserve.

Probation School Educator Named One in Five County Teachers of the Year

There is a place for some of the county’s most high-risk teenagers to go for all sorts of help. It’s a school called Reflections and it’s run by the County Probation department. Reflections is also a day treatment center for the youth who suffer from mental illness, are on probation and have a family in crisis. For their own good, the court orders the teenagers to attend Reflections.

Imagine teaching there. That’s a tough job and yet, one stand-out educator was named one of five County Teachers of the Year. Her name is Alicia McBride and she has a way with these troubled kids. She was given her award at the annual Salute to Teachers event on Oct 1.

“This program is really exceptional,” said McBride. “I work with some of the most at-risk students in San Diego County. Many of these students have given up on the system. They have given up on themselves. It is my mission to provide these students with the necessary skills and confidence to reengage in learning,” McBride said on her application.

Initially McBride said she was flattered by the nomination but didn’t take it seriously until a probation officer changed her mind. The officer told her that while she was certainly deserving of the award, it was not only about her, it was about the Reflections program and the important work they do with troubled adolescents. 

The court-ordered school provides wraparound services for the teenagers by providing medication, addiction counseling and other services. . The campus is in an unmarked office in a business park in La Mesa and has a maximum of 55 students enrolled at one time.

One day in the classroom, the students filed  in and greeted McBride respectfully as she began the day’s lessons. Their first assignment was to write in their journals a response to a quote about judging others. McBride discussed the topic with them briefly and encouraged them to write about an instance where they were wrongly judged or when they wrongly judged someone else.  

Certainly, it is a topic close to their hearts. . Usually when they start the program, the adolescents are at the end of their rope in the educational system.

Success for these students isn’t necessarily about high standardized test scores and can’t be measured the same way as a traditional school, she said. When students are mandated to attend this school, they usually resist at first. They don’t want to take the medication, and they don’t like the program or the staff.

Some of them came from violent street gangs or were accustomed to smoking spice, a legal herb that mimics cannabis.  

McBride said she looks past that all that and makes it her personal mission to connect with each student so that they will be successful.

 “Success comes in very small pieces … I have students who have never come to school five days straight before and now they come here every day,” McBride said. “The big successes are when we get a call from a student who came here three years ago and they are graduating from high school and have plans to go to college.”

Once a student connects with the staff and the program, they don’t want to leave because they’ve never had this much support before, McBride said.

Making a positive difference in the lives of these students is why McBride loves her job. Certainly, it can be challenging at times, but she reminds herself that it is even harder for the students to connect with others.

“It’s a specialty (working with these students). The people who do it, love it, and then we have substitute teachers that come in here and work a half day and say ‘I’ll never come back,’” she said.

Often, the students who leave the program are virtually unrecognizable from the person they were when they arrived.

“Now this amazing person is there that they never knew was inside of them,” McBride said.

Line Dancing to Live Well

There is no Cheryl Burke of Dancing with the Stars, but Josephine Subido, Josephine Velasco and Crystal French are star choreographers of the line dancing group at the County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) complex on Rosecrans Street.

These three and their group of about 15 dancers have no aspirations of appearing on the popular TV show but the group, which was created six months ago, dances for 15 minutes five days a week because they love dancing and it helps them to reduce stress and stay healthy.

“I love to dance,” said Subido, an account clerk with HHSA’s Maternal, Child and Family Health Services. “Instead of just sitting around during our break we started dancing. It’s a fun way to exercise,” she added.

For French, a microbiologist in the Public Health Lab, the line dancing allows her to interact and build relationships with employees from other departments in the building. Employees from eight different programs have joined the group.

“It’s fun and a stress relief,” said French after helping the group return the tables and chairs in the cafeteria to their normal position. “I feel much better after this.”

Two years ago, the County embarked on a 10-year campaign to improve the health and wellbeing of area residents and our own employees. One of the goals of the Live Well, San Diego! initiative is to encourage people to become more physically active, start eating healthier and stop smoking.

Those three behaviors are the main causes of four chronic diseases -heart disease/stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory conditions such as asthma. In turn, those conditions are responsible for more than 50 percent of local deaths. County Public Health officials refer to it as the 3-4-50 program.

“These diseases can be prevented. Avoid smoking, eat fruits and vegetables, limit your fat and alcohol intake, and strive to be physically active every day.” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H, County Public Health Officer. “Sometimes a few lifestyle changes can make the difference.”

The line dancers have heeded the County’s message and another group in the same building gathers to do yoga on a regular basis. Several employee exercise groups have been established in other buildings throughout the County.

“I share my dance steps with my colleagues because I am concerned about our health and fitness,” said Velasco, an account clerk with HHSA’s Office of Vital Records and Statistics. “We need an outlet outside of the office to release stress or to get some physical activity and share our joy of dancing. We really enjoy our breaks together.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 150 minutes of moderate to intense activity each week. The 2.5 hours may seem like a lot but people can exercise in small increments of time.

The group is aware of this recommendation and complements their dancing by walking seven times around the building—the equivalent of one mile—during their 15-minute morning break.

The benefits of their daily exercise have started to show. Subido has lost eight pounds, French seven and Velasco six. Overall, the group has lost an average of six pounds.

“We’re not only having fun but losing weight,” concluded Subido.

To learn more about 3-4-50, visit Live Well, San Diego!

Animal Services Gets Snake Savvy

The County animal shelter on Gaines Street took on a slithery aura recently as veteran animal control officers and new recruits expanded their knowledge of snakes. The San Diego Herpetological Society holds monthly training meetings at the shelter and this presentation by Carl Person of Loma Linda University featured venomous snakes and venom medicine.

Due to the nature of the training, the Society asked if it was OK to bring the venomous reptiles to the facility. The shelter gave permission and in return asked if some of their folks could attend. They certainly got an eyeful.     

The reptile visitors were a red diamond rattlesnake, a cottonmouth, a Gaboon viper, black Pakistan cobra, taipan, and a stiletto snake (whose fangs come out the side of its mouth).  Person, an authority on venomous snakes, described each snake and how its venom would affect a bite victim.  And he should know—he has been bitten six times in his lifelong career with venomous snakes. 

The audience kept a very safe distance as Person removed each snake from its plastic carrier. They looked on in awe as he tapped the back of the cobra to get it to hiss and expand its hood. 

There is an upside to all that poisonous venom however. Person discussed the myriad of human drugs that have been created using of snake venom. Do you know anyone who has had diabetes, liver disease, a stroke or thrombosis? If so, that individual was probably treated with drugs originally derived from venom (but are now manufactured in laboratories). 

The training was a great success and Animal Services is hoping to bring Mr. Person back next year for its Animal Law Enforcement Academy. While animal control officers deal with rattlesnakes on a regular basis, they don’t usually see the reptiles which were featured at this presentation. However, these venomous snakes can be easily purchased in other parts of the country and sometimes “pet” reptiles end up in our neighborhoods or parks. If that happens, our Animal Services officers now know a little more about handling the dangerous snakes.  

Latino Association Promotes Cultural Diversity and Healthy Lifestyles

Cultural diversity. Scholarship awards. Toy drives. Career development workshops. Health promotion?

Since 1983, the San Diego County Latino Association (SDCLA) has organized events to benefit County employees and the overall community.

SDCLA will continue offering networking opportunities through mentoring, training, and other activities, but they’ll also take a step—literally—in a new direction: promoting physical activity, healthy eating and smoking cessation.

“We wanted to align ourselves with the County’s health initiative and our members will become health stewards and organize lectures, hikes and walks to improve people’s health,” said Claudia Sandoval, outgoing SDCLA president. “Lack of exercise, poor eating and smoking are critical things that affect our community. We will be seeking some of the messages of the County’s Live Well, San Diego! and bring them out to the community,” added Sandoval.

The new focus will be one of the highlights of SDCLA’s 2011 Hispanic Heritage Celebration, taking place Tuesday, October 11 from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the County Administration Center-Bayside Room 1. The event is free and open to all County employees.

The event will feature a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Art Exhibit featuring altars and displays provided by County libraries and SDCLA members.

“We are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and wanted to showcase Hispanic art,” concluded Sandoval, who also encouraged County employees of any race or ethnic background to become members of SDCLA. Applications are available at www.sdcla.net. There is a cost of $15 for the annual membership.

Hispanic Heritage Month—established as a week in 1968 and expanded to a month in 1988—is observed across the United States every year from September 15 to October 15. The month is designated to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Front-line Employees' Ideas Become State Law

Have you heard the old adage “that’s just the way we do things?” When you work for government at any level, many times “the way we do things” is governed by a law or regulation that you have to follow because...well, it’s the law.

But what if you thought of a better way of getting things done. What would you do?

San Diego County has a process for employees to make suggestions for changes to state laws and two different groups of Health and Human Services Agency front-line employees did just that - with great success. Their ideas came from issues that directly affect their jobs and the public they serve. They saw a better way of doing business.  Instead of settling for the status quo or getting frustrated, they got creative and passed their ideas up the chain of command.

Each year the Board of Supervisors adopts an annual legislative program that contains ideas for legislative changes that the County will sponsor (or propose).  The County’s Office of Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs coordinates with County departments to explore sponsorship legislation, works with legislators to secure a bill author, and shepherds and manages the bill throughout the entire legislative process.

The two HHSA ideas – one that should result in quicker reporting of elder abuse and another that will decrease interruptions in benefits for aid recipients and save staff time – made that journey through the entire, year-long legislative process and were recently signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown.

The first piece of legislation, Senate Bill 718, has led to a new California law that will quite literally save lives and get more older adults out of harm’s way quicker.

HHSA’s Aging & Independence Services employees came up with a solution to the long wait times experienced by people trying to report elder abuse. The new law will allow police, doctors, bankers, social workers and other professionals mandated to report suspected elder abuse to issue a report using a secure internet site rather than using the elder abuse hotline shared with the general public.

What was happening, unfortunately, was a convergence of events that crippled the system. A recent state law added bankers to the list of mandated reporters of suspected financial abuse. This added more callers to the elder abuse hotline at a time when the state was making budget cuts to Adult Protective Services.

The result was an over-worked hotline that left callers on hold, sometimes for long periods of time. A study of county calls last year revealed nearly one out of every four callers hung up instead of waiting for an answer.

“The police, doctors and bankers are mandated reporters, required by law to report suspected elder abuse,” said Ellen Schmeding, Assistant Director, Aging & Independence Services. “We wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to make reports. Mandated reporters by and large make the most referrals (as opposed to the public at large).

“By giving them an online option to report abuse, it increases the speed at which we can respond to the most pressing cases.”

The County tried working with the state and then the California Welfare Directors Association to come up with a system, but it just wasn’t possible according to Schmeding. Instead, Aging & Independence Services turned to the CAO’s Office of Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs to help create change through legislative action. 

The County is getting a new computer system for Adult Protective Services and the new secure online elder abuse referral will be built into that system. The general public will continue to use the elder abuse hotline but with mandated reporters using the new online system, wait times for both types of referrals should be reduced significantly.

The second successful legislative proposal came from front-line public assistance workers. Assembly Bill 959 will allow CalWORKS recipients a one-month grace period to address problems and restore discontinued benefits without filling out a new application.

HHSA Director Nick Macchione estimates the change will save an estimated 270 hours of staff time per month and ensure that clients don’t experience an unneeded interruption in benefits.

The fact that two of the County’s legislative priorities have now been signed into law is impressive given the odds. And the workers who took the initiative to verbalize their ideas are applauded for their efforts. The CAO’s Office of Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs works year-round to make County business more efficient – for staff and customers – through legislative change. 

“More than two-thousand bills were introduced in the state Legislature this year, only hundreds of them made it through the process and to the Governor’s desk, and even fewer actually get signed into law,” said Geoff Patnoe, Director of the Office of Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs.  “HHSA’s legislative team, the leadership within Aging & Independence Services and the Agency’s Strategic Office of Planning and Support, County Counsel and our Sacramento lobbyists all share in this success.  However, the biggest kudos are for the front-line county employees who had an idea for a legislative change to improve a service and shared it.”

If you have an idea for a legislative change that is needed to make your job better, work with your department and group to contact the Office of Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Doctor Creates Training to Battle Bullying

Dr. Marie Green (right) has a background in family medicine. During a County internship, she developed an anti-bullying curriculum.

Some children and adolescents may view their bullying as “just messing around.” But, to Dr. Marie Green, bullying is a serious issue that impacts  individuals, schools, communities and families. And she wanted to do something about it.

How does a pediatrician with 2,000 patients in Northern California end up in San Diego working on bullying, a topic many consider a social issue?

Born in Haiti, Green left her home country in 1990 due to the political turmoil. She moved to Mexico City and later to New York to continue studying medicine. Along the way, she married her husband, who is in the Marine Corps. Together they have been stationed in several places across the U.S. while she continued her education by earning a master’s degree in Public Health.

In Stockton, she worked for a nonprofit organization where she served nearly 2,000 patients, but Green still wanted to work in public health. Green did some research and discovered a California State program that focuses on preventive medicine and places applicants in public health departments throughout the state. Dr. Wilma Wooten, the San Diego County Public Health Officer, was a perfect fit because she has practiced family and preventive medicine.

Hello San Diego County!

Green came here planning to join the fight against obesity, but soon found a different passion:  putting an end to bullying. She said we can help stop bullying by learning to communicate better.

“Children who are being bullied need to talk to their parents,” said Green. “Bullying is not just a school issue. It’s a family issue. It’s a community issue.”

“I wanted to find out why some children get bullied but not others,” she added.

Bullying can cause serious and lasting harm that can affect a child’s physical and emotional well-being.  There are multiple kinds of bullying: verbal (name-calling, teasing), social (rumor-spreading, social exclusion) and physical (hitting, punching, and shoving.) There is also cyber bullying, where youths use the internet, mobile phone or other technology to do harm.

Bullying typically involves an imbalance of power. The perpetrators use their power to control or harm others and the victims usually don’t have the power to defend themselves.

“Kids teasing each other…can lead to them being vulnerable as adults, creating a cycle of violence and vulnerability,” said Green.

During her 12 months here, Green created a curriculum about bullying that has now been used to educate foster parents and will be used to train County social workers. Her state-paid internship ends  in October.

“I would like it to go further,” she said, adding that while she is happy the attitude towards bullying is changing, it won’t disappear completely until people show more empathy towards one another.

“Things that should makes us cry, we laugh about,” said Green. “We need to teach kids to have more empathy for others. If we see something that is wrong, we need to say and do something.”

She would like to stay in this area after her internship is over.

“I love San Diego,” she said. “My husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan…and if I find an opportunity, I’ll stay here.”

Deputy Probation Officer Puts Emergency Training Into Action and Saves Co-worker

Deputy Probation Officer Esmerelda Solorzano (left) was able to save fellow DPO Shirletta Watkins' life with the Heimlech maneuver.

Every two years, Deputy Probation Officer Esmerelda Solorzano goes in for required CPR/First Aid recertification training, but she had never needed it - until this past August when she saved the life of a co-worker who was choking on some almonds.

Her efforts earned her a Chief’s Award from her department and the eternal gratitude of fellow DPO Shirletta Watkins.

The incident happened just before 6 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the Adult Field Services office on Ohio Street in North Park. Most of their co-workers had already gone home for the day. Solorzano was getting ready to leave as well, when she heard a loud noise that made her run into the next work area. The noise turned out to be Watkins who was trying unsuccessfully to gasp for breath.

“It was the scariest moment of my life,” Watkins said.

Unable to breathe, she truly wondered whether she was going to die and she tried desperately to communicate her predicament to her co-workers.

Watkins gestured to her throat and nodded when asked if she was choking. Deputy Probation Officer Bernita Lacy also ran over and assisted Solorzano in trying to assess the situation. When they couldn’t get Watkins to cough on her own, Watkins grabbed another co-worker’s hand and tried to put it around her stomach.

Solorzano realized she had to act fast and do a Heimlich maneuver before Watkins lost consciousness.

“I don’t remember it all. I think I was just on automatic, going on adrenaline,” Solorzano said.  “She (Watkins) turned around, she was ready.”

Lacy acted as a spotter and kept telling Solorzano to do it again and again until finally the food became dislodged after about the seventh abdominal thrust.

Watkins said although she certainly was grateful, she also couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at the end of it all. Yet, she doesn’t mind talking about it because it demonstrates the importance of Heimlich maneuver training.

Solorzano, whose last certification class was in April, said you never get to practice doing a Heimlich maneuver because you don’t want to hurt someone in class. Consequently, you never really know if the abdominal thrusts are too hard or not hard enough.

Yet in those moments, Solorzano didn’t have time to analyze or hesitate.  Watkins said she would advise anyone in Solorzano’s position to put as much pressure as they can into the abdominal thrusts to force whatever object is lodged in someone’s throat to come out.

“I would rather someone hurt me to save my life, then to be too soft and let me die,” Watkins said.

learn more about choking emergencies and training

Probation Dog Ready to Chase Balls Instead of Bad Guys

Despite his sweet demeanor, this white lab has a serious job, and his name provides a clue about his duties with Probation’s East County Gang Task Force.

Kilo is retiring his super-sniffing skills after nine years on the team, working alongside his handler, Deputy Probation Officer Mike Anderson, on searches and operations. Anderson said Kilo’s playful nature helps the dog detect drugs and money that human smell and sight might miss.

“He thinks it’s just a game of hide and seek. He thinks I hide it, and he has to find it,” said Anderson.

 It’s a game that’s produced impressive results. Over the years, Kilo has found: a seizure of 2,121 pounds of marijuana; more than three pounds of methamphetamine; 236 grams of cocaine; and more than $215,000 in cash.

Kilo has also participated in many demonstrations to help the public understand how narcotic-detecting canines do their jobs and the dangers of drug use.

To honor his service, the Probation Department recognized Kilo at the recent Chief’s Awards and the lucky canine received an engraved jar full of dog biscuits.

Kilo will continue to live with Anderson and his family but he will be missed around the office, said Anderson.

“He’s just a big teddy bear. Every time he’s in the office, he just wants to play with everyone.”

Val Wood Appointed Chief Deputy Recorder/County Clerk

San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Ernie Dronenburg announced today that he has appointed Val Wood as Chief Deputy Recorder/County Clerk.

"Val comes to us from Washington State where she had over 25 years experience in government records management, recording, and information technology," said Dronenburg. "She has held positions as the King County Deputy Director of Records and Licensing Services in Seattle, Washington, Deputy State Archivist and Director of Corporations and Charities under Washington’s Secretary of State, Sam Reed, and as Recording Manager in two Washington counties. In addition, Ms. Wood has held information technology positions in both the public and private sector." continued Dronenburg.

Ms. Wood earned a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Information Technology from the University of Washington. She is also a Certified Archivist and a Director for the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators.

"Val is excited to join our team and lead the Recorder/Clerk staff," said Dronenburg. "As I continue to improve customer service and increase efficiencies, Val’s public and private sector experience in recording, records management, and information technology will be invaluable," stated Dronenburg.