Join APACE for Some Laughs

/

Please join the Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees in celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander culture and heritage with laughs!

See some of Southern California's best and brightest Asian and Pacific Islander comedians in Model Majority at Mic Drop Comedy Club on May 21.

Mic Drop Comedy Club is located at 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., CA 92123.

Tickets are $18 general admission. First RSVP and then purchase your ticket.

See the flyer below.

Join CSDFEA for a Padres Game

/

Join members of the County and City of San Diego Filipino-American Employees' Associations to watch the Padres take on the Guardians. The ticket includes a limited edition Filipino-themed Padres cap and donation to a local community group.

  • Location: Petco Park, Section 305

  • Date and Time: June 15 at 5:40 p.m.

  • Price: $33 each

Only a few tickets are left - so please RSVP as soon as possible! Once sold out, you may email CSDFEA@sdcounty.ca.gov to be placed on the waiting list.

Details on how to make payment will be emailed to you after you’ve registered.

Join the Fireside Chat on Mental Health and Mentorship

/

Hear Behavioral Health Services Director Dr. Luke Bergmann and Sheriff Capt. Nancy Blanco get candid about mental health in an upcoming “fireside chat” for employees.

The virtual event on mentorship and mental health will take place on Teams from noon to 1 p.m., May 19. The two will discuss how prioritizing mental health can help with career progression and personal growth.

Dr. LuKe Bergmann

Capt. Nancy Blanco

The Emerging Workforce Association employee resource group will moderate the chat.

For a sneak peek, we asked Dr. Bergmann how he takes care of his mental health and stress levels. They had lots to say, including:

“With my job, I have huge responsibilities both internally and externally and that makes my schedule challenging. I’m not only managing our team but also engaging with the community. I have three kids including a 2-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 15-year-old and that is a huge amount to juggle, but it’s precisely the thing that keeps me most balanced. It creates a protected space. It’s a structuring element. When I’m a parent, I am just a parent.

Other cognitive techniques that I use are breathing and deliberate daydreaming. I end up daydreaming about my kids. It’s not for long periods of time but, for example, I just take a minute to remember some little exchange with my 2-year-old and that helps.

Exercise is also one of the best ways people can manage stress. My 15-year-old is an obsessive tennis player and we obsessively play tennis together. I also sometimes even do 10 minutes of yoga between meetings and that makes a really big difference. Exercise and getting your heart rate elevated makes an impact on your brain chemistry and it makes you happy, not only in that moment but studies show, it makes people happier in the long haul.”

Hear more from Dr. Bergmann and Erese on May 18. Join in the discussion in one of two ways:

  1. Register to get an automated calendar link. (Open in Edge.)

  2. Save the following information to join on May 19.

    Join on Teams

    Or call in (audio only) 619-343-2539, with Meeting ID 255 744 824.

See the flyer below.

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.