Gallery: NAMI Walk/Run Raises Awareness About Mental Illness

/

More than 2,000 people laced up their walking shoes on April 29 to provide resources and support for local individuals and families who struggle with mental illness.

The County kicked off Mental Health Awareness Month and provided resources at the Mental Wellness Expo which featured interactive booths from HHSA at Liberty Station NTC Park. Every year the County partners with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to raise awareness about mental illness and to reduce the stigma associated with it.

See the fun photos of the family- and pet-friendly event.

Trainings to Improve Mental Health

/

May is Mental Health Matters Month, a time to highlight the importance of mental health. This month you are encouraged to check-in, learn more and get support for your own mental health or the mental health of a loved one.

Check-in

To increase your basic awareness regarding mental health, visit the It’s Up to Us website at Up2SD.org. This website provides general information about mental health awareness and how you can help reduce stigma. It also has helpful tips and information to support mental health and wellbeing.

There are also several helpful handouts available with tips and activities that you can do alone or with others, including taking a few minutes to complete a Check Your Mood Self-Assessment:

Learn More

Learn to prioritize your mental health. Check out these trainings in the Learning Management System. These three classes were recently highlighted in the May Professional Development newsletter.

Mental Health Awareness (30 minutes)

In this online module you will learn about two of the most common mental health issues, be knowledgeable about where to access additional resources to be able to refer someone to services or seek care for themselves, and know where to refer an individual in immediate crisis.

Do These 3 Things to Immediately De-escalate (4 minutes)

Keep calm and carry on. Watch this short video on three things to immediately de-escalate a customer.

Ted Talk: How to Speak So That People Want to Listen (10 minutes)

Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening? Here's Julian Treasure to help you fix that. As the sound expert demonstrates some useful vocal exercises and shares tips on how to speak with empathy, he offers his vision for a world of listening and understanding.

Get Support

The County’s Access & Crisis Line is a core, local resource that provides information about behavioral health, mental health, or substance use topics. It also can help people get access to crisis intervention and response services in the event someone is actively experiencing a crisis, including dispatching mobile. Call 1-888-724-7240 or 988 and speak to an experienced counselor today. The ACL is operated 24/7 with language interpreter services available to provide help in 200 different languages.

In addition, the County’s Employee Assistance Program offers free resources and free counseling services. Learn more about our EAP.

Find a Child Care Specialist You Can Trust With This New Tool

/

Need some help finding child care you can trust? The County’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can help! They offer a ZIP-code online search tool of child care providers as well as a phone consultation with an EAP work life specialist. You can contact EAP and speak to someone that will provide you additional support by searching for local child care providers. 

An EAP representative will do the research and within 48 hours you’ll have a list meeting your family’s needs. The representative will confirm a host of details, including availability, price, hours of operation, extracurricular activities and any other details you may be interested in receiving.

Child care consultants can also search for a variety of resources for children with disabilities and offer resources for emergency back-up care. The Parenting section has information for parents and caregivers of all different experience levels and kids of all different ages. They offer advice on everything from raising your child’s self-esteem to keeping backseat chaos to a minimum.

There’s also an Adoption module that offers tips and information for all stages of the process.

Child care consultants can help parents consider the care options available and choose the one that best suits your family’s needs.

If there are any changes in your child care needs, you’re eligible to make changes and even start or stop contributions to a dependent care flexible spending account.

If you want to obtain a background check on your preferred provider, Imperative offers a number of criminal background investigation packages available at a discount. Pricing on the background screening service ranges from $70 to $270.

For more information on the County’s Employee Assistance Program, please call 888-777-6665.

Join the Ready DSW Team And Play an Important Role in Emergencies

/

Ready DSW team members train in an Emergency Services drill in the Emergency Operations Center.

As County employees, we are all Disaster Service Workers. We also know that during emergencies we may be asked to help in ways that are not be part of our regular duties. While this can present challenges, it is also an opportunity to learn new things and to be a meaningful part of the County’s response and recovery efforts. You can enhance that opportunity even more by joining the Ready DSW Team!

Members of the Ready DSW Team will have the chance to learn about County departments and to apply skills and knowledge that they may not use in their current job. Additionally, there are opportunities to meet with other County workers from throughout the enterprise and work with the public.

If selected for a position with the Ready DSW Team, you may be invited to an in-person training and/or to take part in emergency drills involving your position. But don’t worry! You won’t be graded on this, and duty checklists will be provided.

You will be paid your normal rate and could possibly be asked to work a different schedule if you are open to that possibility.

It is important to note, that your supervisor may volunteer your department to help in the response or recovery efforts of a local disaster, if the County is lacking pre-trained people to fill those roles. So, you may still be called to help outside your regular role, but you likely won’t be able to choose what positions you want to fulfil at that time.

If the Ready DSW Team sounds like something you would like to be a part of and you have a particular interest, you can sign up in advance and take position-specific Learning Management System training online to prepare you for your new role should you be called. The trainings are comprehensive in both response and recovery, quick and follow a storyboard format. The goal is to have a more prepared DSW team on the front lines or behind the scenes of a local emergency so that both response and recovery efforts to begin immediately. To take advantage of this opportunity, scan the QR code to pull up the application and see specific positions. Before filling out the application, you will need to seek approval from your manager to make sure you can be spared from your current position.

A workforce that is well-trained and knowledgeable in recovery and response skills prior to a disaster will reduce the overall recovery timeline and make San Diego County more resilient.

Get Free Mental Health Counseling

/

If you are feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, help is available. The County’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can help you navigate life’s challenges. Take advantage of the confidential counseling and referral services offered through our EAP.

Professionally trained staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to offer a broad range of services, including managing stress, finding work-life balance, parenting and eldercare issues, and wellness benefits.

Both in-office and video-based counseling sessions are available to you and your family at no cost and they are confidential. (Please note: Sheriff’s Department sworn staff have access to their EAP provider by contacting The Counseling Team International at 800-222-9691.)

Here’s how to make an EAP counseling session appointment:

  • Call the EAP’s toll free number at 888-777-6665.

  • A representative will tell you more about therapy options, including video visits on your personal computer, smartphone or tablet using LiveHealth Online.

  • If video visits are right for you, the EAP representative will give you details about how to schedule a visit, as well as a special coupon code that is entered online that allows all visits to be provided at no cost.

  • You can select a therapist that’s right for you by reviewing the therapist’s background and qualifications before selecting a convenient appointment time.

  • You will receive a confirmation email once you have scheduled a visit.

  • The EAP video visit will last about 45 minutes and the therapist can set up future visits if needed.

For free and confidential assistance, call EAP at 888-777-6665 or visit EAPcosd.

Advocating for Autism Awareness

/

Heather Mitchell, a crime prevention specialist, proudly shares this picture with her twins Ava (left) and Mia (right), 12, modeling the Sheriff Department’s first Autism Awareness t-shirt which they helped design. April is Autism Awareness Month and Ava was diagnosed with it as a toddler.

Mitchell and her girls are advocates for other children with autism. They have helped bring deputy presentations to their school to help their classmates with autism or other social and learning challenges build friendships with deputies and reduce the fear of seeing a uniform.

Share your photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or a wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it.

See more of Your View photos.