From Ashes to Gold…

The new housing project built at San Pasqual Academy in the wake of the 2007 Witch Creek fire won a Gold Nugget Award of Merit from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference recently.

The project won in the Green Sustainable Community category and also garnered a Judges Special Award of Excellence. The project is now eligible for a Grand Award. The winner will be announced during an award ceremony June 28 in San Francisco.

San Pasqual Academy is a one-of-a-kind foster youth residential campus located in Escondido and falls under the Health and Human Services (HHSA) umbrella. The Witch Creek fire destroyed 20 residences, which housed staff and ‘grandparent’ mentors to students, and two administrative buildings. They had been fairly isolated and some distance from fire hydrants.

The reconstruction allowed General Services, HHSA and the organization  that runs San Pasqual Academy, New Alternatives, to replace the structures with new, improved buildings which better met San Pasqual Academy’s needs. They worked with Legacy Building Services, a design-build contractor, which means the general contractor will work with an architect to deliver a complete package at a guaranteed maximum price.

In all, 33 housing units and a new administration center were built. They replace the old buildings and more. Now there is space to house transitional students or graduates, those who are visiting or need short term housing as they transition into independent young adults. The units are better protected from wildfires and boast green environmental features such as cool metal roofs, high efficiency heating and air conditioning system, low flow faucets and fixtures, energy star lighting, drought-tolerant landscaping and rain harvest barrels.

The Gold Nugget Award of Merit is the latest in a long string of awards for the rebuilding of the San Pasqual Academy campus. The housing units won LEED for Homes Platinum Certification and the project was also recognized by the California Center for Sustainable Energy with an Energy All star award for outstanding innovation.

Monkey Bars, Muddy Pits No Obstacle for County Employees

Falling into a pit of muddy water may not sound like a confidence booster.

But it was last month for a group of County employees from the North Coastal Family Resource Center in Oceanside.

Nine co-workers competed in the 5K Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which had them swinging from monkey bars, pulling themselves over walls by rope and trying to avoid falling in a muddy pit—all in costume.

Called the “Bumble Babes,” the group dressed up as bees for the May 20 event. A few friends and family members joined them, pushing the group total to 12. They ordered yellow and black colored outfits on Amazon.com and paired them with comfy running shoes. There was no particular reason for the bee theme—it just sounded like a cute idea, said Human Services Specialist Sandra Rea.

The group hadn’t ever competed in a race together.  The idea came after Rea and her Family Resource Center colleague Robin Dunbar received emails from the race organizers announcing the competition. Rea and Dunbar had competed in a Mud Run in Del Mar a few years earlier and thought it would be fun to try out this race.

Human Services Specialist Rosa Raymundo, who also works at the FRC in Oceanside, normally has little time to exercise and wanted to be more active.

“I’d never done anything like that before,” she said. “We started asking everyone if they wanted to join us.”

The effort also happened to dovetail with the County’s Employee Wellness and Live Well, San Diego! initiative, launched in 2010, which aims to improve the health of everyone in the region.

To train, the co-workers would walk together at lunch. When they couldn’t, Rea said they would remind each other to walk or get active somehow.

“It’s hard when you get into work, you forget to take breaks,” Rea said. “But we tried to push it harder now that we were going to be in the race.”

The race ended up being a good “icebreaker” into the world of competition, they said.

“I think what it did is give a confidence boost,” said Rea. And it provided a lot of laughs, especially back at work on Monday, the day after the race.

San Diego County Library Named “Library of The Year”

The San Diego County Library system was named 2012 “Library of the Year” by Library Journal magazine and Gale, an educational publishing company, for “profoundly demonstrating service to community” by automating services, increasing circulation and the number programs it offers — despite the recession.

The award is given each year to the top public library in the nation. The journal said the County library system showed creativity and ingenuity by automating services such as self-checkout services; re-configuring library spaces to create more interaction among library staff and visitors; and offering services such as “floating collections,” which allow readers to check out a book at one library branch and turn it in at another. The journal also lauded the County for offering more programs — including the library’s award-winning Foreclosure Prevention HOME clinics, parenting classes, summer reading clubs and fitness programs — and for attracting more adults, teens and kids to them.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Ron Roberts said the County was proud to receive the award.

“We know that libraries are special places that can change people’s lives,” Roberts said, “For us, they are important centers of learning with resources to create opportunities for residents of all ages.”

In addition to improving services, increasing circulation and adding programs, the County has built seven libraries in the last five years, and is currently working on building new branches in Lincoln Acres and Lemon Grove. 

Part of the award is a $10,000 prize, which the library system plans to use to help buy more library materials.

County Library Director Jose Aponte said library employees work hard to keep their fingers on the pulse of County communities.

“San Diego County Library has always been and will always be about the people we serve, who give us purpose and inspire our dedicated staff to provide the best service possible,” Aponte said. “We’re delighted to receive this recognition and there is no greater way to honor our community, our staff and our library.”

The County is scheduled to formally receive the award June 24 at the American Library Association’s annual conference in Anaheim.

For more information about the County library system, click here.

Battling Stigma and Discrimination

Her father died by suicide. She conquered her own battle with depression. Now she runs the County’s campaign to reduce stigma and discriminations associated with mental illness.

Both her work and personal experiences are what got Karen Ventimiglia a valued spot on an advisory board to the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA).

Ventimiglia, 53,  an employee of the County Mental Health Services (MHS), is one of 22 members on the statewide Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Consortium.

“I am honored,” said Ventimiglia, who started working for MHS in 2007 and is the County’s coordinator of the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), approved by voters in 2004. “It’s a huge responsibility…our input will help drive the stigma and discrimination reduction effort statewide.”

The task may appear daunting, but for Ventimiglia these issues are important. This is what she does for a living, but they also hit close to her heart. Understandably Ventimiglia is passionate about her work.

Her father died by suicide when she was 26. At the time, she did not know about her father’s struggle with severe depression. His passing left her severely depressed, yet she felt she could not discuss the issue. She did not know where to get help.

“Suicide is something you don’t talk about. You don’t talk about it outside the family,” said Ventimiglia, “I did not know where to go and I didn’t know there were places to go for support.”

After battling her own stigma, she started to confide in a friend, but Karen’s own mental health challenges were too much for her friend to shoulder; and acting on her friend’s suggestion, Karen sought professional help.

Eliminating stigma so that people get help with a mental illness is the goal of the It’s Up to Us campaign, which also aims to increase public awareness on   suicide prevention.

“I know that if people get help early, our society would be healthier,” said Ventimiglia, who also serves on the California Mental Health Directors Association MHSA Committee and received the Mental Health Manager of the Year Award in 2010. “The way to do that is through erasing the stigma around mental health and suicide prevention.”

Before arriving at the County, Ventimiglia worked for Pfizer. After her position with the pharmaceutical giant was eliminated, she was offered a job at a pharmaceutical company in La Jolla.

She declined the offer even though it paid $20,000 per year more. She was ready to change her career path and start doing what she really wanted to do: help people. 

 “I wanted to make a difference – wanted to directly impact people’s lives,” said Ventimiglia. “I knew that here, working in the County Health and Human Services Agency, is where I could help people.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health challenges, call the County’s Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240. Information and resources about mental illness and suicide can also found at It’s Up to Us.

Probation Officers Donate Books to Spring Valley Fourth Graders

Probation employees Tracy Willis, Chrystal Sweet and Linda Yoakum-Latimer with teacher Ana Diamond (third from left)

On Friday, three off-the-clock County Probation officers hauled a bunch of brand new books—and ice cream— into Ms. Diamond’s crowded fourth grade classroom at Loma Elementary School in Spring Valley.

The class’s 39 boys and girls each picked the book that looked most appealing. They’ll keep the books to enjoy over summer break and beyond.   

“They were very excited,” said Supervising Probation Officer Chrystal Sweet, who was joined by Probation colleagues Linda Yoakum-Latimer and Tracy Willis

“When they went up there, the boys were really cute to see; they were a little more indecisive than the girls.”   

Sweet and the other probation officers are part of the African American Probation Officers Association, which raised the funds to buy and donate the books. The group’s been dormant awhile, but it’s recently awakened and it’s gaining momentum planning activities that support education for low-income and minority kids, Sweet said. The association’s goals include raising enough funds to buy computers for teens heading to college.

The books the probation officers gave to the kids Friday are known among the under 12 set as “chapter books.”    

“’Chapter books—it sounds very grown up, they get excited for them,” Sweet said. The relatively long format will keep the kids busy this summer and give them a positive pastime, she added.

“A book is something you can take anywhere, and if they don’t have the best situations at home, a book is always a great escape.”

Ms. Diamond –Ana Diamond—is Officer Sweet’s fraternal twin sister, so the kids were intrigued and pressed the special visitor for the inside scoop on their teacher.

Sweet said her sister’s commitment to the school, which has some high class sizes and a majority of students who are economically disadvantaged, inspired her and her fellow officers do something for the students there too.   

And a professional association of probation officers naturally gravitates towards youth and educational causes, Sweet said. Truancy or lack of education is part of the story of many criminals and juvenile delinquents that the officers work with every day.

“We see that education is definitely the road or the gateway to staying out of trouble and being able to make positive lifestyle choices,” Sweet said.

During the classroom visit, Sweet and her colleagues told the kids about the importance of education and a making a positive contribution to their community. They also described what it’s like to be a probation officer. The association plans on doing more of these kinds of talks as they grow and get more active, Sweet said.

“We wanted to be a face for low income and minitority youth, to show them that people of color can work in law enforcement and do positive things in the community.”

 The African American Probation Officers Association is looking for new members and plans a membership drive in July. For more information, contact Chrystal Sweet at 619-252-8638. 

Promoting Health and Friendship in South Africa

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I just never got the chance,” said George Nishikawa, an environmental health specialist with DEH.

Now, he does. George leaves shortly for a 27-month Peace Corps assignment in South Africa where he will apply his degree in microbiology, knowledge of public health and skills he honed working at the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health.

“Health promotion is really important over there,” said George. “Everything from water-borne diseases to HIV AIDS. I’ll translate my technical skills in terms of being able to connect with people, offering solutions to specific problems.”

He will be assigned to a small, remote village that may or may not have electricity or running water where he will teach English, math, and science to elementary aged-children He also expects to promote one of DEH’s primary mantras– proper hand washing, which can be a simple fix in itself.

“You take a large soda bottle with a cap, punch a small hole in the top, invert the bottle, then unscrew the cap, and you have running water when you need it,” he said.

George started with the San Diego County more than five years ago, working first as a student worker inspecting swimming pools then moving into a temporary position and ultimately into his current - or soon-to-be former - position as an environmental health specialist.

“George is very good about finding solutions – then communicating those solutions,” said Gloria Estolano, DEH Chief of the Food and Housing Division and George’s supervisor.

In addition to his background in science, his work experience, and problem-solving skills, George has also taken university-level teaching courses. He has volunteered at James Madison High School in Clairemont and at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park where he served as “sort of a docent and gallery facilitator,” he said.

So why the Peace Corps?

“There are so many reasons,” he said. “I always wanted to see other parts of the world; how other people live. I’ve always wanted to live in another culture, and hopefully share my skills to promote friendships between our country and other countries. It’s also a family tradition, maybe even a rite of passage for me.”

Three of George’s uncles have served in the Peace Corps, in countries ranging from El Salvador and Paraguay to the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu.

“It was all they ever talked about during Thanksgiving dinner. Now I’ll be the first member of my family to serve in Africa,” he said.

South Africa has 11 official languages, so George will undergo three months of intensive language immersion and other training in South Africa upon arrival in July.  Then he will be assigned to his village post, where he “will have to hit the ground running.”

And after his cross-cultural assignment of service and promoting friendship?

“I plan to come back. I love what I do here - my co-workers, my chief. She has allowed me to do so many other things outside the scope of my normal work assignments.”

This is one venture that is undoubtedly well outside any of those previous assignments – but certainly one that will also pay immeasurable rewards.

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George intends to have an internet blog and will post weekly messages.