Check Your Mood Day is Thursday

How are you feeling today?

It seems like a casual question, but the answer could give insight into the status of your mental health. 

We often overlook our mental health. Getting screened for depression should be an important part of your health care regimen, much like checking your blood pressure or getting screened for heart disease or diabetes.

On October 11, in conjunction with National Depression Screening Day, the County of San Diego and community partners encourage you to “Check Your Mood” and check in with how you are feeling. It’s an annual event to engage and encourage San Diego residents to assess and monitor their emotional well-being.

Screenings will be held at dozens of locations throughout the County. The locations, found on an interactive map, are quick and anonymous opportunities to find mental health assistance, resources and referrals. Several additional locations will have information available. 

In addition to the week of screenings, the County’s multilingual Access and Crisis Line (888-724-7240) continues to be available seven days a week, 24 hours a day with access to County behavioral health services all year long.

The County of San Diego’s Employee Assistance Program also offers 24/7 assistance if you or someone you are concerned about needs to talk about depression. 

You can call EAP at 888-777-6665 or visit their Let’s Talk Depression site to take a depression quiz, view online seminars, find articles on dealing with depression or be connected to resources.

County facilities hosting screenings for employees include:

• County Operations Center

• County Administration Center

• East Region Live Well Center

• FRC Fallbrook

• North Coastal FRC

• North Inland Live Well Center

• FRC North Central

• FRC-Metro

• South Region Live Well Center  

• County Library locations in El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Santee, Vista and Lakeside

For more information about Check Your Mood, a map of participating locations and additional resources, please visit www.LiveWellSD.org/CheckYourMood. If you are unable to visit a screening site on Thursday, you can take a quick, free and anonymous assessment online.

Benefits Ambassadors Can Help with Open Enrollment

There’s a lot of information to review before making your 2019 benefits elections. If you have questions, experts are ready to help! A Benefits Ambassador can be reached by email or phone. There are several for each County business group.

Visit the Open Enrollment webpage from work or home computers and enroll by 5 p.m., Oct. 25.

Meet your Benefits Ambassadors.

CSG: Leah (Miralei) Samaniego, Johnna Duty, Shanda Berke, Kathie Oliver

CSG Benefits Ambassadors:

Leah (Miralei) Samaniego 858-505-7207

Johnna Duty 858-694-2481

Shanda Berke 858-694-2477

Kathie Oliver 858-694-3491

Bryan Faircloth 58-505-6384

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FGG: Jeannette Garcia, Erika Zepeda, Carolina Lee, Susan Budzien, Carmina Vasquez, Nancy Lahti

FGG Benefits Ambassadors:

Jeannette Garcia 619-531-5733

Carolina Lee 619-531-5123

Susan Budzien 858-694-2090

Carmina Vasquez 858-505-6531

Nancy Lahti 619-531-4859

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HHSA: Michelle Deitrich, Lisa Leslie, Shari Arzt, Sheri Boose, Emily Fick, Rick Needham, Leanne Hughes, Imelda Holst

HHSA Benefits Ambassadors:

Michelle Deitrich 858-636-3586

Lisa Leslie 619-542-4179

Shrai Arzt 619-409-9823

Sheri Boose 619-338-2329

Emily Fick 619-338-2441

Rick Needham 858-636-3584

Leanne Hughes 858-563-2782

Imelda Holst 858-495-5225

Christian Del Razo 619-668-3885

Elizabeth Amstadter 858-650-5614

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LUEG: Renee Errasquin, Carolina Landeros-Morgan

LUEG Benefits Ambassadors:

Renee Errasquin 858-505-6996

Carolina Landeros-Morgan 858-495-5130

Jennifer Busskohl 858-614-7707

Richard Hernandez 858-966-1359

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PSG: Matilde Osuna, Erica Johnson, Rosanna Alvarado-Martin, Melinda Cortes, Casandra Reid, Maria-Elena Davidson, Maria Quidachay, Khuyen Pham, Michele King, Sharon Cruz, Marisa McCarty, Steve Workman

PSG Benefits Ambassadors:

Matilde Osuna 858-974-2490

Erica Johnson 619-531-4520

Rosanna Alvarado-Martin 760-740-5517

Melinda Cortes 619-731-3683

Casandra Reid 858-650-6530

Maria-Elena Davidson 858-514-3185

Maria Quidachay 858-514-3119

Khuyen Pham 619-338-4832

Michele King 858-974-2017

Sharon Cruz 858-974-2331

Marisa McCarty 858-974-2366

Steve Workman 858-974-2018

Maria Pacheco 858-650-6536

Paul Lugue 858-974-2351

Linda Murphy 858-974-2005

Matthew Rankin 858-974-2482

Melissa G. Martinez 858-974-2378

The Journey of the CECO Dollar Begins with You

The 2018 San Diego County Employees’ Charitable Organization (CECO) Fall Campaign has begun! It’s a great time to consider signing up for biweekly contributions to help support this 62-year County tradition of giving. Or perhaps you’d like to lend a hand by supporting fundraisers such as bake sales, opportunity drawings and other fun and creative events in your department.

CECO is funded entirely by donations from County employees like you. Over the years, the organization has been able to send millions of dollars to local community groups. Want to know how your contribution will be distributed? Watch the journey of the CECO dollar above or view the CECO 2017 Annual Report. 

Upcoming Countywide events include the annual Bake Sale and Bake Off at the County Administration Center on Oct. 26, a Food Truck Fundraiser at the County Operations Center on Nov. 9, and a Pie Drive for Thanksgiving. More details to come soon!

Employees Get Pepped Up for Aztec Football

Employees gathered at the County Operations Center Monday for a cheerful pep rally. The event promoted San Diego State football’s Friday, Oct. 12 game against Air Force at SDCCU Stadium, which is the Aztecs’ 2018 Mountain West Conference home opener and County of San Diego Employee Night.

Rush over to Ticketmaster and use promo code “COUNTY” to purchase tickets now—this offer expires on Oct. 11. Tickets are $15 each, originally $20. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.

Enter 'County’s Got Talent' Competition

The search is on for County’s Got Talent’s first winner! If you are a singer, dancer, musician, magician, comedian or variety act, try out for this fun and friendly competition for employees.

To enter, upload a 2-minute video audition to YouTube and email the link to the County’s Got Talent committee by 5 p.m., Oct. 12.

The top video auditions will be posted to InSite for employees to vote for their favorite. Based on voting results, up to the top five most popular acts will perform on Nov. 1 as part of a Día de los Muertos celebration at the County Operations Center. The winning act will be selected by a panel of special guest judges the day of the event.

(Instructions on how to upload to YouTube from a computer, Android and iPhone/iPad)

Enroll Now!

The wait is over! Employees can now make benefits elections for 2019. Enroll now through 5 p.m., Oct. 25. Visit the Open Enrollment website to learn more about the benefit plans and review the Open Enrollment Guide. If you have any questions, reach out to your Benefits Ambassador or reference the log-in instructions.

Report Sums Up Our Strides Toward Diversity & Inclusion

Here at the County, we are constantly striving for a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects those we serve in our communities and makes all employees feel respected and welcome. Over the past year, our efforts have gained momentum. We’ve won national awards, put on workshops that bring together employees and educate them, and even heard from other businesses and organizations in the region to see how they’re promoting a work culture rich in diversity. And all of that has been captured in the latest Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report.

The County’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) program won National Association of Counties Achievement Awards the last two years, as well as the Diversity and Inclusion Award from the San Diego Business Journal.

We’ve also created a more inclusive and accessible environment for County employees and customers by determining where we need to improve upon our existing process and procedures.

“In alignment with our D&I Strategic Plan goals, we’ll continue to provide world-class public service by enhancing our cultural and linguistic competency,” said Human Resources Director Susan Brazeau. “This happens through our educational events and sharing of best practices across the County.”

The County implemented Americans with Disabilities Act training and did even more training for HR employees to make sure employee needs are met. Even the most popular wellness event of the year – the Amazing Race – expanded its DiverseAbility course!

Numerous workshops were held this past year to increase awareness of cultural diversity, including a multicultural customer service workshop and an inclusion potluck. One of the most talked about events was the “Everyone Has an Accent” workshop, where the D&I and Customer Experience initiative teams explored how people can form assumptions about others based on their accents.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and various County departments have also worked together this past year to plan and present events that focused on our cultural uniqueness but that also bring employees together – things like a Juneteenth Celebration, Philippine Independence Day Celebration and Light the Night for Pride at the CAC.

“I love that we have 10 Employee Resource Groups at the County and over 175 D&I Champions. I love that we offer eight D&I classes at the County on a variety of topics for a variety of classifications and that we teach one of these classes to all new employees at New Employee Orientation,” said Karen Harris, a member on the County’s Resource Team for Diversity and Inclusion. “I love that when we say the word ‘inclusion’ we truly mean everyone.”

At a recent leadership summit for our ERGs, diversity and inclusion was the topic of a special panel discussion. ERG members and leaders got to hear from representatives from Union Bank, Sempra Energy, Cal State San Marcos and Qualcomm to learn how their programs work, the challenges they face and what they hope to see for their organizations future.

“The main reason for the panel was to provide some inspiration and new ideas to our ERG leaders,” said Harris. “We thought it would be interesting to hear what kinds of ERGs exist at other organizations, how they align themselves with the strategic vision of their organization and some of their best practices.”

They came to share, but the County had lessons for them as well. Panelist Dawn Andrews, Director of D&I for Sempra Energy, noted how impressed she was with our own D&I Annual Report, something she hoped to create for her own team in the future.

You can read the full report online or visit our Diversity & Inclusion page for more information. If you’re looking for a way to become more involved with this initiative and promote a culture of inclusion, you can contact your department’s D&I Champion. Don’t know who that is? Contact your DHR Officer and they can help you out.

Try Public Transit During Free Ride Day

Get out of your car and onto public transit for Free Ride Day. On Tuesday, Oct. 2, no fares will be collected on most trolley, commuter trains and buses—just get on board and enjoy the ride.

The hope is that if you enjoy the ride, you’ll try commuting to work on public transit more often. You’ll be reducing air pollution, easing traffic and parking congestion, and saving money. The County may reimburse all or part of your monthly transit pass costs.

Read more about the County’s transit pass reimbursement benefit on InSite and download the reimbursement form. Page 2 has information about eligibility.

For additional information on Free Ride Day, visit MTS and NCTD.

Six Innovative County Programs Win State Awards

HHSA nurse and law enforcement teams went out in the streets to find and vaccinate consenting homeless and illicit drug users, two populations most at-risk for the Hepatitis A outbreak.

Congratulations to employees involved with six programs selected for California State Association of Counties (CSAC) awards. The County won two Challenge Awards and four Merit awards, for finding innovative, effective and cost-saving ways to provide services to residents.

One  Challenge Award recognized the County for its vaccination outreach in response to the Hepatitis A outbreak in 2017. HHSA developed new strategies and tools to reach homeless and illicit drug users to help contain the outbreak. Among these new strategies were nurse and law enforcement foot teams, extra vaccination events, and collaborating with local organizations such as hospital emergency departments, jails and drug treatment and homeless service providers to offer vaccinations in these new settings.

A second Challenge Award recognized the County for a portable charging station program that provides power to medical assistance devices during extended electrical outages anywhere in the region. The Office of Emergency Services initiated the program and has pre-staged 14 portable generators at County maintenance facilities around the region to be deployed as needed for vulnerable community members. Another 11 supply trailers to support the generator deployment are positioned at five designated Red Cross shelter sites, four HHSA facilities and the County Operations Center.

The four Merit Awards went to the following programs:

The Know Your Hazards web page allows residents to look up hazards at their home, school, workplace or other area in the community.

The County developed the Defense Transition Unit to help criminally accused clients get timely mental health assessments and link them with mental health treatment during the early stages of the court process. The innovative solution enhances mental health care while reducing time in county jail. The goal is to improve quality of life for clients and the community over time as treatment reduces revolving-door recidivism.

Emergency Services launched a Know Your Hazards online tool, which helps residents prepare for hazards at their home, school or work in the community. The interactive mapping tool provides hazard and preparedness information on wildfires, earthquakes, flooding and tsunamis in both English and Spanish. Users need only provide a street address or drop a pin on a map to search.

Child Welfare Services implemented the Justice Electronic Library System (JELS) to distribute court documents to stakeholders by simultaneously uploading to various secure SharePoint sites for each stakeholder. This process eliminates waste, reduces travel time and improves delivery times. Reports are time-stamped and the system interfaces with the Superior Court Juvenile Dependency Data System.

Health and Human Services developed a new telephonic signature process for CalFresh semi-annual reports. Customers leave an audio file as a signature. This process delivers enhanced service by avoiding delays if forms had to be mailed, delivered in person to a Family Resource Center or through a website. This solution has assisted vulnerable customers such as the homeless, customers with transportation or mobility barriers, and customers that cannot take time off work to come into an office.