Sheriff’s Department Wins Safety Award

Left to Right: Human Resources Director Susan Brazaeu, Undersheriff Mark Elvin and WSSH director Brian Borg.

The Sheriff’s Department recently won the Work Safe Stay Health Award of Excellence, given each year by Human Resources to a department for its efforts to promote a safe workplace.

DHR Director Susan Brazeau said the Sheriff’s Department was fully engaged in creating a culture of safety, and this engagement produced impressive results.

The department saw decreases in three important areas last year: work-related injuries, hours of lost productivity, and expenditures related to  workers’ compensation. “This is a shining example for all departments,” said Brazeau. “When you emphasize safety and create awareness amongst your employees—it will generate results.”

Senior Departmental Human Resources Officer Liza Dangca said the Sheriff’s Department makes several efforts to ensure the utmost safety for its 4,000 employees, both sworn staff  and professional support staff.

Two years ago,  the department hired a dedicated safety coordinator. This person focuses on a proactive approach to safety. Efforts include conducting inspections at facilities and making improvements or recommendations for upgrades that can decrease risks of accidents and increase well-being in the workplace.

The safety coordinator has also trained 61 Sheriff’s Department employees at 46 facilities to promote safety and keep their eyes and ears open for hazards, and ultimately make corrections in a timely fashion.

In addition, more than 100 deputies participated in the Sheriff’s Health Academy – a pilot wellness program developed by DHR in partnership with Kaiser Permanente.  The academy emphasized  physical fitness, behavioral changes and nutrition, and encouraged participants to make long-lasting lifestyle changes that will improve their health and reduce stress. The department also offers in-house ergonomic evaluations.

Another preventative effort is a monthly Work Safe Stay Healthy email bulletin with tips such as ladder safety during the holidays, information on stopping the spread of germs during flu season, and heat-related illness prevention during the summer.

To learn more about workplace safety, visit the Work Safe Stay Healthwebsite.

Your W-2 FAQs

Tax season is stressful for everyone. There are numbers to crunch, forms to fill out, addresses to update. But Central Payroll is here to help you out. You’ve got questions about your W-2, they’ve got answers.

Get solutions to the most frequently asked questions to payroll, like “When will I get my 2015 W-2?” (they’re printed and mailed by Feb. 1, 2016), or “Can I obtain a duplicate W-2?” (Yes! You can print one immediately from PeopleSoft Employee Self Service beginning Feb. 1, 2016).

View the complete list of FAQs with answers.

View the important 2015 W-2 Information and 2016 Tax Changes.

You can also access a reconciliation document to help walk you through your W-2 form. You can view and print it here. And there’s a demo showing how to calculate W-2 totals from pay advice data.

Visit Central Payroll’s InSite page for more information.                    

(County) Building Up and Out – A Look at 2016

What’s new, what’s going up, coming down, expanding out and getting a facelift? Depends on the building but the County is always working to modernize and improve our facilities so we can provide better customer service in more functional and efficient spaces.  Hundreds of employees will see changes in their workplaces in 2016 – maybe even you!

Here are a few highlights:   

Openings

South Bay Family Resource Center

Scheduled Move: April 2016

Project: Staff will move from a leased facility on Bay Boulevard in Chula Vista to a newer and larger leased facility in National City. The Family Resource Center will be consolidated with new offices for Military and Veterans, Child Support and In-Home Supportive Services. The new South Bay center will provide more than 87,000 square feet for these services. 

COC Fleet Facility/Parking StructureB

Scheduled Opening: May 2016

Project: Fleet Services will move into a new facility inside an 839-space parking structure going up east of the Registrar of Voters building at the County Operations Center. The parking structure will be similar in height but about half the size of existing Parking Structure A near the Commons conference center and café. The old Fleet Services building will be demolished this summer to make way for the construction of the new crime lab.

A rendering of the new office space and parking garage for Fleet Services.

Alpine Library

Scheduled Opening: May 2016

Project: The opening of the new library branch in Alpine will mark the County’s first zero net energy (ZNE) building which means the facility will produce as much renewable energy as it uses in a year. The new library will measure 12,700 square feet, more than four times larger than the current leased space. Among the many new features: a reading area complete with a fireplace and outdoor terrace reading areas overlooking the adjoining park.

A rendering of the Alpine library.

Scheduled Opening: Late 2016

Project: With the move to temporary quarters in November, the existing library branch is being knocked down to make way for a new 14,000-square-foot ZNE facility that will be three times the size of the current building. The project includes a 2,000-square-foot community room to replace the smaller City of Imperial Beach community room on land being donated by the City to support the new facility.  

A rendering of the new Imperial Beach library.

Sheriff’s Crime Lab

Scheduled Completion: Summer 2018

Project: Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on a new 151,000-square-foot facility at the County Operations Center to house a new crime lab, space for Sheriff’s property and evidence materials, and administrative offices. The new project will move the crime lab closer to the Medical Examiner’s office.

Santa Ysabel Nature Center  

Scheduled Completion: Late 2018

Project: Build a 6,500 square-foot nature center for the Santa Ysabel Preserves off Highway 79 in Santa Ysabel. The building will include space for interpretive and educational exhibits, a room for weddings and other events for up to 100 people, Wi-Fi, restrooms, offices, an information area and more.

Housing and Community Development

Scheduled Completion: Spring 2017

Project: The current 29,000-square-foot building will be taken down to the studs and completely renovated. Staff will move to a temporary location in April and stay up to a year before moving back into the reconfigured building complete with new mechanical and electrical systems.

24/7 Library to Go Kiosks:

Scheduled Completion: Summer 2016

Project: Install new 24/7 Library to Go kiosks in Encinitas, Boulevard and Chula Vista. Two kiosks are already in operation, one at the County Operations Center and one in Bonsall.

Child Welfare Services:

Scheduled Completion: Late 2016

Project: A Letter of Intent has been signed for the lease of a new 47,000 square-foot headquarters building for Child Welfare Services in Kearny Mesa, consolidating operations currently in a County-owned building in Linda Vista and a lease space in Kearny Mesa.   

Major Renovations and Remodeling:

East Mesa Detention Facility Complex: Starting spring 2016, retrofit and renovate former Corrections Corporation of America detention facility to bring it into the County detention system.

Mills Building: Remodel and reconfigure five floors to varying degrees for improved operations for HHSA staff.

Solana Beach Library: The branch is a shared facility with the Earl Warren Middle School. General Services is working with theSan Dieguito Union High School to provide a new meeting room and Library expansion and updates.

El Cajon Family Resource Center:  Remodel to update the facility.  

Planning Stages               

Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk El Cajon Branch Office: Build a new, larger facility in Santee for improved services.

Pine Valley Fire Station: Starting early 2017, replace the existing facility with a new one featuring sleeping quarters and four bays for emergency vehicles.    

Borrego Springs Library and Community Park: Starting in early 2017, construction will begin on a new 14,000-square-foot library branch that will be six times the size of the current leased facility. The project includes a 16-acre community park on neighboring Parks property.     

Kettner/Beech Property: Proposals are being reviewed for development of the vacant land adjoining the Cedar/Kettner parking structure site for a private residential and commercial project with construction possibly starting in 2018.

Probation Ohio Street Relocation: General Services is looking for a 23,000 to 50,000 square-foot building in southeast San Diego to relocate the current adult probation facility on Ohio Street. 

Southeast Family Resource Center: General Services is seeking a site for the relocation of the existing FRC and consolidation with other agency functions to better serve the community in a Southeast San Diego Outreach Facility. Depending on site options, the Probation facility above could be co-located in the center.  

North Coastal Regional Center: Construct a new 36,000-square-foot facility on the existing Regional Center/Public Health Center site to consolidate multiple agency functions such as behavioral health, public health and administration in one place. A site search is underway for a larger north coastal FRC as well.

For more information on planned and proposed constructions projects, see General Services’ Current Capital Projects List.

Making Sense of County Dollars

How much do you know about where the County’s money comes from and where it goes? Find out how the County’s financial matters relate directly to you by taking a new LMS training on Financial Literacy.

The course, designed for County employees at every level of the organization, gives participants a better understanding of how public finance works. The curriculum covers the County’s financial planning process, terms and policies, forecasting and a breakdown of how the $5.4 billion budget is divvied up to each group.

Plus, you’ll learn how great care is taken to collect the right amount of revenue and put it to the best possible use for the public through short educational videos and simple charts. The lesson takes about 25 minutes.

The County started offering in-person classes in financial literacy last year. They proved so popular, a version has been added to LMS so the training is available to all employees, anytime.

So, how financially literate are you? Take the LMS training.

If you want to get much deeper into the details of financial operations, continue your training in the A&C Academy. The Auditor and Controller created this new program to provide course curriculum on an ongoing basis to staff interested in learning more about processing, monitoring and reporting financial transactions. Training topics including accounts payable, travel expenses and single audits. Each quarter new courses will be offered in either a classroom or online format. Learn more about the Academy on the Auditor and Controller’s InSite page.

A Flooded Home, then a Flood of Help from Coworkers

The rains flooded more than roadways in San Diego County this week. A Probation employee reported his apartment got inundated Tuesday.

Frederick “Derek” Embalsado, a records clerk at the Juvenile Probation Center in Kearny Mesa, said he came home from work Tuesday to find serious flooding from the heavy rains. Water had come in through his back patio and pooled in his living room saturating the flooring. Furniture, personal belongings and even his computer were damaged.

What Embalsado did not know is that help from fellow probation coworkers was on the way. Deputy Probation Officer Sonia Ceballos called Embalsado to say she found some “muscle” to assist.

Within minutes, Ceballos arrived with Senior Probation Officer David O’Connor and Supervising Probation Officers Arturo Mejia and Jason Rasch. The group came with sandbags and quickly moved to fill and place them around the patio and at a second location to divert future water flow and prevent further property damage.

“I couldn’t explain my emotions at the time,” said Embalsado. “I was really very touched. It was just very heartwarming for them to lend a hand.”

Embalsado said his colleagues displayed the customer service motto of HEART—helpfulness, expertise, attentiveness, respect and timeliness—toward him and he can’t be thankful enough.

“They came at the right time and they all helped with heart,” he said.

Find sandbag locations and learn more about protecting your property on the ReadySanDiego El Nino page.

More Volunteers Needed for Homeless Count

Nearly 400 County employees have volunteered for the Point-in-Time homeless count later this month. With so much riding on an accurate count of the homeless, can we take it to 500 volunteers?

Time is short and that’s why we’re appealing to you to register for the count as soon as possible. The deadline to sign up is Friday, Jan. 15.  

This is the third year in a row that the Board of Supervisors has agreed this is such a worthy cause that employees who come forward will be allowed to participate on paid County time. Hundreds of you responded but more are needed to reach the goal of 500.

In 2014, County employees made up about one-fourth of the volunteers in the regionwide effort. In 2015, nearly a third. The aim for the 2016 count is a solid third if not more.

The count is important because it’s used to apply for federal funding to help this at-risk population. The count also helps County staff identify the scope of the problems and work on solutions.

Last year, the Point-in-Time Count project with the WeALLCount campaign counted more than 8,700 homeless people in San Diego County, making it the fourth largest homeless population in the nation.

If you’re not familiar with the count, it is a snapshot in time of the homeless people that can be counted in one morning throughout San Diego County. County volunteers work in teams, are assigned to specific locations and add up the number of homeless people they see. 

The Regional Task Force on the Homeless is leading the WeALLCount campaign, which takes place Friday, Jan. 29 from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. To sign up, employees need to get approval from their supervisor with a supervisor approval form and then review the registration guidelines and FAQs. (*DA, Sheriff and SDCERA can use these links:supervisor approval form; registration guidelines; FAQs) Once completed, you can register for the WeALLCount campaign on the Task Force’s website. A short training course will be emailed to you. County time is being allowed for the training as well as the count itself. 

Helping the Hungry Fuels Holiday Spirits

Members of HHSA's East and North Central Region management team recently volunteered at Feeding America.

Shortly before the holidays, members of the Health and Human Services Agency’s East and North Central Regional leadership team participated in a day of service at Feeding America San Diego. Together, they cleaned and packed more than 6,200 pounds of carrots, tomatoes, oranges and other fresh produce.

Participating volunteers included East and North Central Regional Director Marie Brown-Mercadel, executive staff, managers from public health nursing, child welfare services, family resource centers, health promotion and health coverage access.  In addition to their annual holiday gathering, the management team was interested in finding a way to give back to the community. Nora Cortez, Health Coverage Access administrator coordinated the volunteer effort.

Every year, there are more than 480,000 people facing hunger in San Diego County and 1 in 5 children don’t have a reliable source of food at home.

Just as Live Well San Diego was initiated to focus on building better health and chronic diseases, Feeding America San Diego integrates nutrition education, advocacy and CalFresh outreach into all initiatives and programs. Volunteers are core to the work they do with a network of 13,000 volunteers who dedicate their time to help feed more than 60,000 children, families and seniors in need every week.  Volunteers may help with a variety of projects, including sorting, cleaning, bagging and boxing food, as well as administrative support.

Feeding America San Diego provides hunger-relief and nutrition programs throughout the region all year long.

You can learn more at www.feedingamericasd.org.

May the Force Be With You in 2016

I may be the only person on this planet who has never seen a "Star Wars" movie. But with all the hype around December’s release of "The Force Awakens," and the rave reviews from the toughest of critics, I must admit my curiosity was piqued.  So it’s no wonder that over the holidays, I found myself thinking about this thing called “the Force.”  

Clearly “the Force” is a pop culture term that even non-fans have adopted for years.  

If you ask "Star Wars" fans for their own definition they will likely say that “the Force” is a power that connects all things.

So if I said, “May the Force be with you in 2016,” what would that really mean to us as an organization - regardless of where you land on the "Star Wars" fan spectrum? What ties us together as one County? Here’s how I’d imagine it.

• A relationship with the people we serve that promotes trust, civic engagement and the highest level of customer satisfaction in the country.
• Our position as an industry leader in efficiency, integration and innovation in providing government services.
• A vibrant community that promotes planning, development, infrastructure and services that strengthen the local economy.
• A natural environment for residents, visitors, and future generations to enjoy.
• A work culture that maintains a skilled, diverse and adaptable workforce that feels valued, engaged, empowered and trusted.
• An environment that values ethics and character above all else.
• A place where every resident has the opportunity to be healthy, safe and thriving – where everyone has the opportunity to Live Well.

If any of those things describes the potential of “the Force” to give us energy or connect us as an organization working for the public good, then I’m ready to begin my Jedi training in 2016.

2015 is over.  We had a really good year.  The economy was strong.  Our program performance was excellent.  We accomplished some amazing goals like the smooth transition of Proposition 47, fire service enhancements, expanding services for veterans, record park attendance, increasing access to health care and nutritional assistance, expanding our ERGs, countless state and national awards for excellence, seamless consolidation of our juvenile camps, expansion of our PERT and IHOT, just to name a few.   

Our successes are all attributable to you and your exceptional commitment to public service.  Thank you. 

Now it’s time to say goodbye to 2015 and embrace the new challenges and possibilities of 2016. 

We have a presidential election year ahead. Our Registrar is gearing up for the extra turnout that brings, and you can count on all the call going out for employees to help at the polls.

The El Nino forecast means a whole new set of preparedness activity, on top of being ready for wildfires, earthquakes and more.

Even if El Nino lives up to its billing, it won’t mean the end of the state’s drought. We’ve done a lot to tighten our taps, but we’ll continue our efforts to be even more water-wise.

We’ll be opening and working on new facilities and other capital projects to better serve and support both the public and employees (more coming soon on InSite about that).

Mental health will be getting more attention at the state and local level, sharpening our focus on these services.    

We’ll expand on our innovative juvenile justice programs, developing new and better approaches to keeping young people on the right path.

There will be important work on other priorities including stormwater regulations, self sufficiency, refugee services, body cameras, homelessness, agricultural pests, child welfare services, maybe even a new stadium – and that’s barely scratching the surface!

The good news is – we’re ready!  May the Force be with us.

Probation Recycling Program Saves Christmas for Probationer’s Family

Probation Division Chief Gonzalo Mendez and Supervising Probation Officer Keith Hicks took Julie Hernandez (at right) and her family shopping for Christmas using money from a work crew recycling program.

San Diego County Probation selected a 23-year-old woman under its supervision to be the recipient of some holiday generosity thanks to a Probation work crew recycling program. The family is in such tight financial straits that their Christmas was likely to be extremely meager or delayed for her two young children.

Instead, discarded aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles cashed in over the year saved the day. A recycling program managed by Probation’s Work Projects Program directs probationers to collect and sort recyclable trash from roads and freeways. Sorted bags are cashed in by a supervisor at various times throughout the year and the money is saved until the end of the year, said Supervising Probation Officer Keith Hicks. At that time, the probation supervisors in his unit vote on how to disperse the money. This year they chose to assist Julie Hernandez, a mother of two children and a recent amputee following a car accident.

“We met her at Target in Escondido with her family and took them shopping,” said Gonzalo Mendez, division chief for Probation’s Adult Field Services North County Division. “They really just bought a lot of clothes for the little girl and baby, a few toys. They really needed the bare essentials.”

Hernandez, who was convicted of drug offenses, is enrolled in a Probation program for those who are or who became pregnant while on Probation. The Women and Their Children (WATCh) program is a zero-tolerance, intensive supervision program for mothers who have a history of drug and alcohol abuse. The goal of the program is for babies to be born drug- and alcohol-free. The cases remain open for at least three to six months after the child’s birth.

Hernandez gave birth to a drug-free son three months ago, and he continues to be healthy. She says she wants to give her son a good life, one in which she’ll remain clean and sober. She also has an 8-year-old daughter, but it is only recently that she has become a true mother to her because of her drug addiction, she says.

As part of the program, Senior Probation Officer Patricia Martinez meets with Hernandez regularly and usually does drug testing. So when she got the call from Martinez asking her if she had plans one day, Hernandez figured she was going to go do another drug test. Instead Martinez asked her to meet her at Target for a little Christmas shopping.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Hernandez said. “Here we were stressing about what we were going to do for Christmas and my mom is always telling me God is going to provide. My mom was in shock, my husband was in shock--we all had our mouths hanging open.”

Hernandez said life has been a struggle the past year and a half, but she has remained drug free. Seven months ago, while pregnant, she was in a horrific car accident that killed a friend and shattered her ankle, requiring an amputation. Shortly afterward, she also suffered the loss of her stepfather.

 “Day by day is how I’m going to have to take it,” says Hernandez of her recovery. She says she must remind herself that despite some tragic circumstances, she has found faith, and received many great things: her husband, whom she met through church, her new son and a renewed relationship with her daughter. She says she feels particularly fortunate that her daughter “doesn’t seem to hate me for not being there before.”

Hernandez says she was happy to let her daughter choose some new outfits to wear because typically, their money is pretty limited.

“We gave then approximately $500 yesterday. They were happy and thankful, and we were glad to do it,” said Hicks.

 Mendez said Probation’s recycling program has been around for at least 10 years and that the department has used the proceeds over the years to help various charities including the Regional Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive, Becky’s House, Wounded Warriors of San Diego and last year the family of slain Escondido Officer Laura Perez.

Fill Your Days with County Parks’ First Calendar!

The new year is almost upon us and you know what that means; besides coming up with resolutions, it’s time to get a new calendar! OK, maybe you use the one on your phone but there’s something to be said for a scenic calendar where you can rest your eyes on the beauty of nature. That’s where County Parks comes in.

For the first time, County Parks is offering a calendar that shows off some of the beautiful views at our very own parks. Park rangers and volunteers captured these shots showcasing the diversity of our region, from a spectacular sunset view at the Waterfront Park downtown and fall colors at Guajome Regional Park in Oceanside to the bird watching in Wilderness Gardens at Pala and the rugged desert of Agua Caliente Park in the extreme East County.

The 13-month hanging calendar is available now and costs $10. Proceeds will go to the San Diego County Parks Society to support ongoing park maintenance and future programming. You can get one shipped to you for an additional fee or you can pick up one (or more!) at the locations listed below. These calendars are available to the public too so feel free to spread the word. For more information, call County Parks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Fridayat (858) 565-3600.

Purchase/Pick up Locations:

• Waterfront Park – Information Booth on CAC First Floor

• 4S Ranch Sports Park

• Fallbrook Community Center

• Lakeside Community Center

• Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve

• San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center

• Spring Valley Community Center