CAO Message: I'm Giving Thanks for All That You Do

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Message from Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer:

County colleagues,

Through your work, we touch San Diegans’ lives in countless ways. As we head into Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for every way that we are able to make a positive difference. 

I appreciate all the effort that goes into planning and carrying out our services. I’m especially grateful for the way you respond when things happen that we weren’t planning on. I want to mention just a few instances that really stand out to me this past year. 

Starting with the unexpected: The disruption on our Board was a first in anyone’s memory. County staff kept things running smoothly and made sure the district’s residents got what they needed. I’m so thankful to everyone who rolled with it and kept their focus on serving the public. 

Related to that, let me express my gratitude to the entire Registrar of Voters team. They cranked up the election machinery for a couple special elections that went off without a hitch. Especially as we head into a presidential election year, it’s reassuring to rely on this group’s dedication and professionalism. 

The County has stepped in to help with the influx of asylum seekers released in San Diego. Many employees have been called to pitch in at the temporary welcome center, working long hours and weekends. I’m proud of their resourcefulness and thankful to have that kind of support.

A tropical storm was a big surprise! We're all grateful it didn't deliver the damage we braced for, but I appreciate all the quick public safety and public works preparations to make sure we were ready.  

We know public health incidents occur, but it's always without warning. Recent responses to local E. coli and salmonella outbreaks made me grateful for all the staff watching out for our health. 

Turning to planned efforts, I'll single out a few recent highlights I'm thankful for. The opening of the Southeastern Live Well Center was the culmination of years of work to build a facility with the community, for the community.  

The Live Well Center is a premier example of how we're truly putting community engagement at the center of all we do. From our engagement portal to the outreach we do across all kinds of projects, we're deeply involving our residents in how we provide services. 

The CARE Act program gives us new options to address a critical area of mental health treatment, and I appreciate the cooperation and delicate balancing of interests that have gone into getting it running.  

I'm grateful for our efforts to promote understanding of neurodivergence, so we can create conditions for all our employees to flourish and be more attentive to the needs of people we serve.  

We continue to have staffing shortages, and I'm impressed by all the innovative steps we've taken to ramp up hiring. It is a challenge, and I'm very grateful for everyone's patience while we try to bring on the help you need.

I’m noting crises and big initiatives here because they tend to occupy my attention. But I know the types of skills and mindsets I see in those high-profile events are on display every day in every service we deliver. Flexibility, compassion, innovation, a customer focus – you bring these to the job as a matter of course. I’m incredibly grateful for that, because I don’t know how we’d ever work on the immense challenges facing us otherwise. 

I hope each of you enjoys the break from your hard work over this long Thanksgiving weekend. May your stomachs be full and your hearts fuller. And a big thanks to County staff providing essential services through the holiday.  

Laying Wreaths Across America

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Members of VALOR employee resource group have helped lay thousands of wreaths at graves in national cemeteries in the past few years as part of Wreaths Across America.

Show your support for the fallen and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country and way of life. VALOR employee resource group invites fellow employees to sponsor a wreath for this year’s Wreaths Across America ceremony at Miramar National Cemetery. The annual wreath-laying event takes place at hundreds of locations across the U.S., at sea and abroad on Dec. 16.

The event is an opportunity to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families, and to teach future generations about the value of freedom.

Sponsor a wreath now.

PerkSpot: Save on Gifts for Hosts

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Get ready for all the Friendsgiving gatherings, holiday house parties and winter celebrations now. Stock up on host gifts including flowers, sweets and other personalized gifts for less on PerkSpot.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers, from toys and jewelers to pet food and cars. 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.

Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience Information

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A message from the Gender Identity and Expression Working Group

Nov. 13-19 is Transgender Awareness Week, leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on Nov. 20. Observed since 1999, TDOR is an opportunity to remember and honor the transgender and nonbinary people who have been killed in acts of transphobic violence in the previous year. Trans people are more than four times as likely to experience violent victimization than cisgender people, with an outsized impact on Black transgender women. Transphobia can impact anyone who does not appear to fit stereotypical ideas of gender—cisgender people have also been targeted and killed because of their perceived gender identity.

In 2015, a New Orleans youth organization called BreakOUT! made a call to shift the meaning of TDOR to be Transgender Day of Resilience. Many have followed suit since then, choosing to emphasize the community’s strength in the face of such circumstances, rather than their victimization by them. This is also why Transgender Awareness Week occurs leading up to TDOR.

In addition to calling out and educating about hate, violence and discrimination, it is important to find ways to uplift transgender and gender expansive individuals. It is also important to find way to uplift our joy, community and hope. Read trans people’s stories in their own words and learn more below!

Upcoming Events in San Diego County:

Local resources for the transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive community:

Resources for allies:

  • This video (above) from the University of Central Florida explains different aspects of gender identity and expression, how they impact all of us, and how challenging binaries can create more space for everyone to be themselves.

  • If you’d like to learn more about how to be an ally to the transgender and gender expansive community, read GLAAD’s Tips for Allies of Transgender People.

  • The County has a Pronoun Policy to create an affirming environment for all employees. Learn how to use gender pronouns and learn how to practice gender inclusive language in your communications and work.

Get Your Thanksgiving Dessert in the CECO Pie Drive

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Give thanks! You will not need to bake pies this year. The County Employees’ Charitable Organization is hosting a fall fundraiser with Marie Callender’s pies just in time for Thanksgiving.

Pies are $25 each. A portion of the proceeds will benefit CECO.

To order a delicious pie, submit your order form and make payment via Venmo @SD-CECO by noon, Thursday, Nov. 16.

Flavors are apple, French apple, cherry, peach, pumpkin, razzleberry (raspberry and blackberry), and rhubarb.

Pies will be available for pick-up at several County work locations on Wednesday, Nov. 22.

  • County Administration Center: 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 209, San Diego, CA 92101

  • County Operations Center: 5520 Overland Ave., Commons Cafeteria, San Diego, CA 92123

  • Housing and Community Development Services: 3989 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123

  • Mills Building: 1255 Imperial Ave., 2nd Floor, Room 240-C, San Diego, CA 92101

  • Sheriff’s Headquarters: 9621 Ridgehaven Court, HRB Conference Room, 2nd Foor, San Diego, CA 92123

Pick up time is noon to 1 p.m., besides at HCDS, which is 1 to 3 p.m.

For questions, email sdceco@sdcounty.ca.gov.

See the flyer below.

County’s First Tribal Flag Ceremony for Native American Heritage Month

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The County of San Diego’s first-ever Tribal Flag Ceremony was held at the County Administration Center Wednesday morning to honor Native American Heritage Month.

This Tribal Flag Ceremony was held to memorialize the County’s commitment to improving government-to-government relationships and recognize the region’s First Peoples’ resiliency, identity and culture.

Chairwoman Erica Pinto of the Jamul Indian Village and Chairman Bo Mazzetti of the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians joined Chairwoman Vargas and Supervisor Joel Anderson on behalf of the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA).

The SCTCA is an association of all Tribal Chairpersons in the region along with tribes in the San Bernadino and Riverside Counties.

San Diego County includes the most tribes in any one county throughout the U.S. There are a total of 20 tribes with 17 of those having Tribal governments in the region with federal recognition.

See gallery below:

CAO Message: A Thank-you and a New Form of Recognition for Our Veterans

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Message from Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer:

County colleagues,

I hope you’ll enjoy the long Veterans Day holiday weekend, and I also hope you’ll take at least a few moments to feel gratitude for those we are honoring. I want to offer my own thanks to everyone who has risen to this noble form of public service: the veterans in our community, in your families, and the thousand-plus veterans we have working for the County.

To choose military life is to choose sacrifice. It’s long separations from loved ones and missing the comforts of home. It’s hard, dangerous work, with a constant potential for suffering harm or giving one’s life. Their vigilance allows the rest of us to go about our days enjoying the freedoms that we do.

It’s hard to say thank you enough. And singling out one day seems insufficient. We have a couple new ways we want to offer ongoing recognition of the veterans in our workforce.      

One is a Veteran Service Pin. For our employees who are veterans, we’re sending one to each of you. I hope you’ll wear it with pride.

We also invite you to include your veteran status in your email signature block. Depending on your job, co-workers may see that more often than your pin. Our new brand guidelines have an example of how that should look. 

We’re continuing the tradition of recognizing our veterans on InSite. It’s great to look through and see our colleagues and learn about their military careers, which can be such a big part of making someone who they are. Thank you to everyone who’s shared their story, and we invite any veterans to do the same.

Let me add in here my appreciation for all the families of service members. You endure long absences from your loved ones, worry about their safety, and manage households singlehandedly. Your support makes our armed forces more effective, and I recognize the tremendous amount of work and stress that it can be.  

Veterans make great County employees, and we’ve stepped up efforts to get more hired here. I also want to applaud all the work we do on behalf of the more than 200,000 veterans who live in the San Diego region. That includes a new initiative to get permanent housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. Veterans have given so much, and I’m glad anytime we can offer help in return.

To our veterans: We are lucky and proud to have you with us. I invite all employees to join me in expressing our thanks for your service.

Happy Veterans Day!

Know the Code: Protecting Data Privacy

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Know the code is a monthly series highlighting different sections of the County of San Diego Code of Ethics. The mission of the Office of Ethics and Compliance is to assist in fulfilling the County’s commitment to the highest standards of ethics and compliance.   

If you’re like most of us, you try to protect your identity, so it’s not lost, stolen, or used without your permission.

Perhaps you keep personal details about your health to yourself and you’d just as soon not share your mother’s maiden name and your Social Security number to anyone without a need to know it.

November’s “Know the Code” topic involves reporting potential privacy incidents.

In keeping with Policy 400-11 on County Information and other group (i.e., HHSA) and departmental policies, employees must always keep the personal information of others confidential.

The three types of information involved are: personal information, personally identifiable information and protected health information. 

Types of data that fall under these categories include: 

  • Social Security number

  • Driver’s license or other government issued ID

  • Account or credit or debit card number, in combination with security or access code, or password

  • Medical information to include diagnosis and condition, especially sensitive conditions

  • Health insurance information to include ID card number, etc.

  • Unique biometric data used to authenticate, such as a fingerprint. Includes photographs for facial recognition

  • Genetic data

  • License plate information

  • Email or username combined with password or security information to access an online account

  • Birth records

  • Mother’s maiden name

To protect others, you are obligated to report any time you are aware that someone who isn’t unauthorized either receives, accesses, uses or discloses personal information not intended for them. 

As examples, personal information could be received in misdirected emails, letters or faxes; overheard in conversations; or seen on a counter, computer, desk or dry erase board. 

Non-HHSA employees and contractors must immediately report all potential privacy incidents to the Office of Ethics and Compliance Ethics Hotline at 866-549-0004 or report it online.   

HHSA employees and contractors must report all real and suspected privacy and security incidents to the Business Assurance and Compliance Office at its website.   

“Some legal timelines start on the date an incident was detected and not on the date they were reported, so waiting to report could cause additional issues,” said the County’s Chief Privacy Officer Todd Hood.

To ensure transparency and maintain public trust, employees should report all potential privacy incidents. The chief privacy officer or HHSA privacy officer will investigate whether the incident is a breach and determine next steps.  

Check out the OEC webpage on InSite for information about upcoming Ethics and Compliance Program events, training and resources including monthly “Know the Code” articles and micro-training videos.

If you have questions about Ethics and Compliance training or how to access the training and other resources, contact the OEC team at oec@sdcounty.ca.gov or 619-531-5174. 

HHSA staff may also contact the dedicated HHSA Agency Compliance team at compliance.hhsa@sdcounty.ca.gov or 619-338-2807.