Employees Encouraged to Wear Green…Ribbons

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The County would like for you to go green. Wear a green ribbon that is.

Lime green is the national color for mental health awareness and more than 17,000 green ribbons will be made available to County employees for Mental Health Awareness Month, which is celebrated every May.

Furthermore, Each Mind Matters—the California Mental Health Movement—is donating 100 kits that will be sent, along with the green ribbons, to County human resources offices, family resource centers and some community partners. The kits include a wall display, posters, green wrist bands, key chains and other education materials.

“Whether you wear a green ribbon for a day, a week or during the entire month, you’ll be helping to raise awareness about mental illness,” said Alfredo Aguirre, director of the County’s Behavioral Health Services for the Health and Human Services Agency. “When people feel more comfortable with their mental illness diagnosis, they are more likely to seek the help they need.”

The goal is to help people feel comfortable having open conversations about mental health challenges and to encourage them to get help, either for themselves or a loved one.

Here’s how you can get involved and show your support:

  • Create awareness by wearing your lime green ribbon and talk to your family and friends about why Each Mind Matters to you.

  • Add your name to the lime green ribbon wall if there’s one in your office.

  • Visit It’s Up to Us to learn more about how mental health stigma affects some of us and what you can do to help change the perception of those struggling with a mental illness.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis and need immediate help, call the County’s Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240. Non-crisis resources for staff are also available through the County’s Employee Assistance Program at (888) 777-6665 or by visiting its website.

Register for (and Save $ On) the Live Well San Diego 5K

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As County employees, we all play a part in advancing the Live Well San Diego vision through our work. You can promote that vision and have fun with friends and family by joining Live Well San Diego’s signature event.

Now in its 5th year, the 2018 Live Well San Diego 5K and Kids 1-Mile Fun Run will bring thousands of San Diegans together on Sunday, July 29 in support of a healthy, safe and thriving region.

In partnership with the San Diego Blood Bank, this year’s event will celebrate the hero in all of us with a superhero-themed race and activities throughout the morning.

Registration is now open! County employees, family and friends receive a $5 discount on registration. Please use the code “CNTY5.”

Save more by registering now. The early-bird rate runs through May 14.

Get all the event details and register at LiveWellSD5K.com. 

Volunteer to be a Poll Worker

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The June 5 Gubernatorial Primary Election will be here before you know it, so the Registrar of Voters is looking for poll workers now. That’s where you come in. The Registrar looks to County workers first for help.

County employees are valued for their experience working with the public and their excellent customer service skills.

Hundreds of volunteers are needed and the County may give you paid time off for your service. Many employees put together teams with coworkers or family and friends.

Like all poll workers, County employees are paid a stipend to cover expenses associated with this volunteer assignment unless they are unclassified managers. Stipend amounts vary from $100 to $150 with supplements for assigned languages and other requirements. County employees who volunteer may also get approved release time to attend required training.

All volunteers will also get a chance to wear their red, white and blue duds, spend the day getting to know neighbors and fulfill a sense of civic duty at the same time.  

For more detailed requirements, type of positions and stipend amounts, read the County Employee Poll Worker Application and Questions and Answers.

For more information, contact County Employee Poll Worker Coordinator Jean.Vukotich@sdcounty.ca.gov or call (858) 505-7241.

New Way to Get Connected to the County

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Have you ever found yourself trying to explain to someone what exactly you do? Maybe what the County does? We have a way to help show off all of the great services we provide – and it’s as simple as pushing the “play” button.

Every month, the County Communications Office puts out videos about the awesome work your departments are doing – from adoptable pets to reviving historic routes to highlighting librarians. And then we package it up in an easy-to-share (and watch) show – County Connection.

The show was recently revamped, rebranded (it was originally called County Chronicles) and features some of the past month’s best videos. The short show (we keep it under 15 minutes) also plays out on our TV station. Yup, we’ve got a TV station.

But if TV isn’t your thing, we recommend watching each month on County News Center. And if you find a particular episode interesting, or maybe one that features your department or a colleague, share it around! Help us teach the region how they’re connected to the County!

PerkSpot: Save on Local Groupon Deals

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Shop Local Groupon deals through PerkSpot and save even more on everything from pizza to pilates! Take an additional 5 percent off with offer code “Perk5”.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers, from movie theaters to florists and jewelers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.

Still Time to Earn Your $100 Wellness Incentive

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Employee Wellness is incentivizing all of us to take the next step toward healthy living. Simply get a wellness screening, take an online health risk assessment and submit proof of completion by June 30 to earn $100.

You still have time to schedule your wellness screening at a convenient County location during the month of April.  Employees can also choose to get a screening with their own doctor or a free screening at KP Care Now, which is located at the County Operations Center, 5530 Overland Ave., 2nd Floor. To make an appointment at KP Care Now, call (858) 278-2802 or email KP-carenow@kp.org.

For program details, forms and to see the April schedule, please visit the Employee Wellness website.

Everyone Has an Accent (Yup, Even You)

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Say the word crayon. Now have your coworker say it. Do you both say it the same? Maybe one of you says it cray-ahn and the other says it cray-awn or just cran. And if you speak a different language at home, it might be none of these!

The point here is – everyone has an accent. Yes, even you, English-as-a-first-language speakers. A recent workshop sponsored by the Diversity & Inclusion and Customer Experience initiative teams explored how people can form assumptions about others based on their accents. Employees learned strategies to make sure they give positive experiences to customers who might speak differently.

“Events like this help us reach our goals to be more inclusive and culturally competent,” said Virginia Exner, Senior Human Resources Analyst who led the workshop.

Exner said the workshop brings awareness and attention to challenging topics and creates thought-provoking environments where employees are encouraged to engage in activities and discussion that help them better understand both their fellow employees and those they serve.

“I think it’s a great starting point,” said Keisha Clark, who works for HHSA and is current president of the African American Association of County Employees (AAACE) employee resource group. “One of the highlights for me is seeing some of my coworkers and their thoughts about it, but also then checking my bias about judging them about their bias.”

Diversity and Inclusion champions work on an accent exercise at a workshop focused on accent biases.Clark, who admitted to formerly having her own misconceptions about people with accents different from hers, said she hoped that the attendees would take the information learned back to their departments and share with their colleagues to keep the conversation going.

“When you have rich discussion and things like this, you want more time to interact and talk,” she said. “It gets you thinking a little more.”

Exner said based on feedback from the participants, the workshop was successful. She said one employee who speaks English as a second language was particularly grateful for the experience.

“The activities challenged the audience to look at ways languages and accents can potentially influence our views and the service we provide to our customers,” Exner said. “If success is measured in opening minds and increasing our empathy for others, then I would say the workshop was very successful.”

Things You Can Do to Overcome Accent Biases

  • Practice Acceptance
  • Be Respectful
  • Listen
  • Be Flexible
  • Be Patient
  • Be Empathetic
  • Understand
  • Have HEART

You can learn more about the County’s commitment to diversity and inclusion on InSite.