Child Support Services Celebrating National Recognition

Here at the County, constant improvement is a mantra. But it’s never easy to make dramatic improvements across an entire department. 

That’s why Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) staff members took a few minutes last Thursday to enjoy some ice cream to celebrate and feel proud at the news they’d won the 2012 award for “Most Improved” county child support services department in the entire United States.  

The honor comes from the National Child Support Enforcement Agency, and while our DCSS staff knew darn well the department had made some remarkable improvements, it felt good to be noticed!

“For staff, the award is validation of a multi-year effort to try new approaches and remake our public image and even our internal philosophy,” Child Support Services Director Jeff Grissom said. “The department’s overarching goal was to be more successful in collecting child support payments—and it’s taken a flexible and creative effort by the whole department to move towards that goal—and we’re not done yet!”

Comparing the numbers from 2008 to today tell part of the story: Overall collections have increased by nearly $7 million in the last three years—­­­and of course that's during the worst economy since the depression. The percentage of child support cases with a payments made within 60 days of the case opening went from just 8 percent to 43 percent.

In the child support world, non-custodial parents make monthly court ordered child support payments through a state clearinghouse, which then distributes the support to the custodial parent. Child Support Services both establishes and enforces these court orders. The amount of support is determined according to a statewide formula that takes into account the income and visitation arrangements of both parents.           

John Rosenthal, the department’s child support manager for community relations, said a big part of improving the department’s success in collecting child support from non-custodial parents meant approaching cases differently and becoming more engaged with the non-custodial parent early in the case.

“The general perception had been that child support was biased against the noncustodial parent, the majority of whom are fathers,” Rosenthal said. “The common thinking was we were out to ’nail’ noncustodial parents for the most money we could get out of them. And maybe that was the case in years past.”

A few years ago, the department made a major shift to assigning a case to an individual caseworker who oversaw it for most of the child support process. Previously, case participants had to deal with different staff members, dependent upon where the case was in the process and what function needed to be performed. The department also put an emphasis on making meaningful contact with the non-custodial parent, even before an order was ever drafted, in order to get accurate information about the parent’s financial circumstances, and to give the non custodial parent information about the child support system—the non-custodial parent’s obligations, how to change the child support order with changing circumstances, and the serious penalties for non-payment.

“We find we’re much more effective in securing consistent financial and health insurance support for children if we engage both parents to get an accurate order from the get-go,” Rosenthal said. “We try to work with non-custodial parents; we show them a video describing the child support process; we meet with them and go through what to expect; we try to get agreement from all parties on an amount so they do not have to settle the matter through a court hearing.”

Some staff members changed their hours to work later and have better success in making initial contact with the non-custodial parent in the evening.

Employees changing their roles, changing the way they see themselves, changing their daily tasks, and changing the public perception of the department—this was all a serious undertaking for Child Support Services, and it didn’t happen all at once, Rosenthal said. But the results show it has been worthwhile.

In addition to the national honor as most improved, San Diego DCSS was this year recognized as both the Top Performing and Most Improved county of its size in the State of California Department of Child Support Services.

Currently, of the six largest counties in the state, San Diego County has the best success rate in collecting child support.  

“It’s been slow change, both in terms of our staff adapting to the new structure, to seeing themselves in the role as a resource for both parents, and in terms of changing our public perception,” Rosenthal said. “But I think we’re seeing real progress based on the response of non-custodial parents as we engage them in the process, and from custodial parents who are receiving payments on a more consistent basis.”

Calling All Heroes

New CPR Classes Open to County Employees

Want to learn how to help someone choking or in cardiac arrest? Or is it time to brush up on those emergency skills?

The County Department of Human Resources is offering a series of CPR/AED/First Aid classes in the coming months for those who want to either obtain or renew their certifications. The classes are open to most County employees. Please be sure to check with your supervisor first. If you work in the Probation Department, Sheriff's Department or Health and Human Services Agency check with your training coordinator. Those departments have separate CPR class offerings. 

Classes will be held at the County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa, County Administration Center downtown and a Department of Public Works facility in Spring Valley. Class sizes are limited to 18 students and some are already full.

The video-based courses cost $25 for an eight-hour certification class or a four-hour recertification class. An instructor will demonstrate, observe and guide students through topics including adult, child and infant CPR/AED, choking and First Aid. Classes are taught by MedX, a Carlsbad-based company that is an approved American Heart Association training site.

The County’s goal is to certify at least a handful of employees in CPR, AED and First Aid at each of its office facilities.

For more information or to sign up, visit LMS.  

Prosecutor's Recycling Funds Children's Surgeries

For the last five years, juvenile prosecutor Jamie Corbin has been collecting all manner of plastic bottles, aluminum cans and assorted glass bottles for a cause dear to her heart.

With help from colleagues and associates, she recycles everything she collects and donates the money to an organization that provides cleft palate surgeries for impoverished children in foreign countries.

"These kids walk barefoot for miles to get this done," Corbin said. "I want each one of those children to feel proud of themselves."

So far, Corbin has paid for 12 surgeries, which cost $200 each, with her recycling cash. It's an endeavor that has spread throughout the office with co-workers dropping off bags of recyclable goods that Corbin neatly separates into piles.

Being able to smile with confidence has been a soft spot for Corbin, who needed braces as a teen. She took it upon herself to consult with a dentist and work out a payment plan to improve her smile.

Corbin takes pride in helping children achieve a better life, who might not otherwise without charity organizations. In some cases children with severe cleft palates stop going to school because they are bullied or their mothers are thought to be cursed.

"You do it because they need it," Corbin said. "Not because you're seeking glory for yourself."  

Corbin has been a Deputy District Attorney since 1994 and has worked in numerous divisions.

Gym Rats, Rejoice!

Parks employees Daniel Trautner and Christine Lafontant work out at the new COC Fitness Center. Another gym is open at a County facility and it’s getting rave reviews. The all new Fitness Center opened July 23 inside Building 5530 at the County Operations Center (COC) Campus in Kearny Mesa. The facility measures 2,802 square feet in all, including restrooms with showers and lockers and a workout area measuring 1,800 square feet.

Yes, yes, but what about the equipment? Okay, General Services Project Manager Jeff Redlitz says you’ll find Life Fitness brand commercial grade equipment and that means treadmills, universal gym, cross-trainers, upright and recumbent bikes, dumbbells and adjustable training benches. All of this in air-conditioned comfort and while watching television on flat screen monitors.

Did I mention it’s getting rave reviews? A recent Friday evening found at least a dozen people inside. Many of them were thrilled at the idea of walking a few steps from their office to the gym, working out and beating the traffic at the same time. Not to mention, that it’s all free.

“It’s great, so convenient,” said Parks District Manager Daniel Trautner. “I have two kids at home; this is the only time I get to work out.”

Some employees were checking it out for the first time. One shy Human Resources employee said he carpools with his wife so he’s working out until she finishes up at the office and then they’ll both head on home. Aging and Independence Services Office Assistant Daniel Robinson said he thought it would be a great way to miss traffic. Once he’s done hitting the weights, it should be a clear ride home to Chula Vista.

Parks Recreation Manager Christine Lafontant is so happy with the fitness center, she may cancel her current gym membership. “It’s really convenient and part of the Live Well initiative,” said Lafontant. “It fits in so well, we’re walking the talk.”

So what are you waiting for? You don’t have to be a COC employee to take advantage of the gym; you just need your County ID programmed for the Fitness Center door. Review the rules and regs, fill out an acknowledgement form and a standard release. Then send the completed forms, preferably a PDF scanned copy, to the COC Property Manager at Ralph.thielicke@sdcounty.ca.gov. And of course, you should always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

This is the second workout center for employees at the County. The gym at the County Administration Center was the first such facility.  

The COC fitness center is open from 5:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the regular work week, plenty of time to jump on the treadmill before and after work, during the lunch hour or any breaks in between. Some COC employees work weekends so there’s some talk about opening the gym those days too. Keep your fingers crossed!              

Probation Employees Team Up to Maintain Running Club

It started with a couple of avid runners who happen to work at the Probation Department’s Reflections School, saying, “We should get a running club going for the kids…”

The next week, they gathered a small group of kids interested in running and they started jogging around the commercial La Mesa neighborhood near the school. The adult runners started out with modest expectations , but now regularly run 5K races with the students. Two students even ran in a 15K race.

Deputy Probation Officer Michael Rolan, who has been a probation officer for 20 years, and therapist Baylea Norman  are the duo who first put the club together 10 months ago.

The whole point in starting the club was to share their love of the sport and to give students a sense of accomplishment. Reflections School is run by the County Probation Department and the County Office of Education, and students there have been ordered by the court to attend that school. Some of them have committed serious felonies and all of them have emotional issues such as anger problems or just being unable to deal with stress.  

“We love running anyway, so it’s a treat for us to run with them,” said Rolan, who adds the  adults and kids encourage each other to run a little longer or run more stairs when they train. “I get the same exact pleasure out of it, like we’re pushing each other to do more.”

Currently the club is training for the Del Mar Mud Run 5k race in October, he said.

Since it was founded, maintaining the club has been shared among several Reflections employees and sometimes the whole office.

“It’s amazing how many staff and friends of staff have sponsored students,” Rolan said.

Some of the kids in the program don’t have adequate running shoes or clothes and they often don’t have money to pay registration fees.

Norman and her husband knew of a store that sold quality used running shoes at a discount, and they bought a large number of shoes for the kids. Other staff members have purchased additional running shoes for the students as well, Rolan said.

The club members also hold fundraisers and sell hot dogs. They’ve raised as much as $150 for race entry fees, but that doesn’t usually cover all the fees.

Every month, various staff members sponsor a student runner by paying his or her registration fees for a race. Rolan said he always asks for and often gets a discounted rate from race organizers, but it still costs something,  usually around $25 per student.

Deputy Probation Officer Cecilia Orozco, who has run in four marathons, said she doesn’t consider herself an expert, but she has offered to share some running tricks she’s learned along the way. Norman is currently on maternity leave, so Orozco has offered to step in and run with the club on a weekly basis.

 “I love running. That’s my way to release my stress and you just feel good when you’re done,” she said. “I truly enjoy teaching these kids about running and hopefully when they leave here they will keep it up.”

Counselor Kari Taylor roots the students at nearly every race, which are typically held early on Saturdays. She waits for the kids at the finish line, takes their pictures and then makes copies for them.

Teacher Cindy Stallo often runs with the students and also takes pictures of them at races including the recent Fourth of July race in Coronado.

Counselor Megan Baker is nursing an injury now but started out running with the students when the club first got started. But she still believes in the students and wants to help, so she organizes fundraisers with them and handles the entry fees and paperwork.

For Baker, the payout is the positive reaction the kids have when they complete their first race.

“All the staff are super supportive. Everyone here is involved in it in some way,” Baker said. “Everyone here, we all have different jobs, but we all have the same goal to improve these kids’ lives.”  

CAO Walt Ekard's Message Annoucing His Departure

August 8. 2012

Colleagues:

This morning, I informed the Board of Supervisors that I will be stepping aside as Chief Administrative Officer effective December 1 of this year.  As I told the Board and will repeat many times before I leave, leading this organization has been the greatest privilege of my professional life.  The intelligence, creativity, motivation and most importantly, the character of this workforce is unmatched in any other government organization and I have been exceedingly proud to work with such an accomplished team.  The Board has determined to consider later today the appointment of Helen Robbins-Meyer as your new CAO, effective upon my retirement.  Helen is a highly talented executive who has been a full partner with me in leading the operation of County government. I have full confidence she will work with this great team to take our organization to the next level.

I look forward to speaking with many of you in the remaining four months of my tenure to thank you personally for all you have done to make our County the best local government in America.

With warmest regards,

Walt

Walter F. Ekard
Chief Administrative Officer

Great Rx: CAC Gets its Own Drug Drop-Off Box

So, where can you go to safely get rid of those leftover prescription medicines that have piled up in your cabinet?

Well, County employees and the public will have a secure “drug drop-box” right here at the County Administration Center (CAC) where we can safely and anonymously drop off leftover drugs, thanks to the Board of Supervisors, led by Supervisor Pam Slater-Price.

Board members voted unanimously Tuesday to put the drop box in the main lobby on the first floor of the CAC — joining the 22 others that have already been installed at every San Diego County Sheriff’s Station and substation around the county. (You may have even noticed it if you were walking around the CAC Tuesday morning.)

Modern medicine is a marvel. These days we have prescription drugs that can fix, or help us alleviate the effects of, almost everything. But those drugs can have powerful and dangerous side effects — whether they’re opiates prescribed for pain, sedatives or tranquilizers to help people sleep or control anxiety, stimulants to focus attention or control weight, or other drugs.

And figuring out the best way to properly dispose of prescription drugs when we don’t need them anymore can create its own headache.

The FDA says you can toss some unused prescription drugs into the trash. But it also recommends that before you do that, you: take them out of their containers, “mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter” (ostensibly to make sure kids and pets don’t want to eat them if they find them), put them into other “sealable” plastic bags, scratch off all identifying information on the original bottles … Yeah, a lot of work.

Flush them down the toilet? Nope. They can float into and harm our environment.

So, often, old prescription drugs just sit in our cabinets — and that can be dangerous.

How come? Someone might be tempted to use those drugs even though they were prescribed for someone else (and their unique medical condition), or to treat a minor illness that should be treated with less potent over-the-counter drugs (the medical equivalent of using that metaphorical and very dangerous sledgehammer to kill a fly).

But leftover prescription drugs pose an even bigger potential danger.

That’s because prescription drug abuse has been on the rise in recent years, especially among younger people.

Deaths from misusing or abusing prescription drugs have been trending upward in San Diego County for the last five years. In 2011 alone, 267 people died. And nearly 20 percent — one out of every five —  high school seniors said they misused prescription drugs in a random sampling of San Diego Unified School District students conducted in 2011 by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So, forget about wrestling with kitty litter to be responsible. Now you can just safely get rid of those old prescription drugs right here at the CAC! 

Move-In Time at COC Campus

County employees are on the move again.   

A major phase of the County Operations Center development is wrapping up, and lots of brand-new workspaces are now ready for business. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors is holding a formal ribbon cutting to celebrate the milestone.  But employees have already begun the actual moving process. Over the course of several months, more than 800 County workers are packing up and shifting to new digs at the Kearny Mesa campus.

This phase included the construction of two office buildings: 5510 and 5530.  We’ve laid out below who is moving where at the COC. Some of these have already taken place. Most are coming between now and the end of September.

Between the two office buildings, you’ll also find one more new building: the Campus Center. It houses the Chambers – a meeting room and public hearing venue – and a cafeteria known as the Commons. This video gives you an overview of the new additions. If you drive to the COC, parking is available in the structure at 5515 Overland Ave. Entrances to the structure are from Farnham Street and Hazard Way.

COC Occupancy Plan

Building 5510
Department	Floor
Permit Center: Planning & Development Services*, Public Works, Environmental Health	First Floor
Planning & Development Services*:  Financial Services, Personnel, Administration	Third Floor
Public Works: Financial Services, Personnel, Administration	Fourth Floor
Public Works: Special Districts and Landfill Management	Second Floor
Public Works: Solid Waste Planning and Recycling, Private Development Construction Inspection, Land Development Administration	Second Floor
Public Works: Environmental Services, Transportation	Fourth Floor
Public Works: Watershed Protection, Flood Control	Fourth Floor
Public Works: Field Surveys	Second Floor
Public Works: Cartography	Second Floor
SanGIS	Second Floor
Fire Authority	Second Floor
Fire Authority	Second Floor
*The Department of Planning and Land Use will be reorganized as the Department of Planning and Development Services and absorb some functions currently performed by the Departments of Public Works and Environmental Health.
Building 5530
Department	Floor
Alternate Public Defender	First Floor
Auditor & Controller	Fourth Floor
Auditor & Controller	Third Floor
Auditor & Controller	Third Floor
Auditor & Controller (CP)	Fourth Floor
Human Resources	Second Floor
Human Resources	Second Floor
Juvenile Dependency	First Floor
Public Defender	First Floor
Sheriff Detention, Medical	Third Floor
Building 5560
Department	Floor
Purchasing & Contracting	Second Floor
Building 5500
Department	Floor
Public Works: Construction Engineering	Third Floor

Mentor Program Preps Next Generation of County Leaders

One-on-one partnerships build rapport, expertise

Human Resources Director Donald Turko acts as a mentor to Public Safety Group CAO Staff Officer Michele Cummings.

Michele Cummings supervises one employee, but as her career progresses she knows that number could grow.

Cummings, who works as CAO Staff Officer for the Public Safety Group, wants to be prepared for the challenge when it comes.

She’s learning from an expert now, thanks to the County’s new Mentor Partnership Program. And both say the partnership has been tremendously rewarding.

Cummings is paired up with mentor Donald Turko, the County’s Human Resources Director. Started in February, the program is aimed at helping the County’s next generation of leaders and managers reach their career goals. In all, more than 180 employees are taking part in the program, which is the first of its kind at the County.

As Baby Boomers begin to retire in increasing numbers, including many County employees, the Mentor program will help ensure that a diverse, well qualified pool of internal candidates are ready to step into those roles, said Turko.

“We’re there to guide and help people who are at a point in their career where they have options and paths they can choose,” Turko said. He emphasized that mentors don’t make decisions for their mentees, but rather coach them, and help offer them different perspectives as they advance their careers.

At the heart of the program is the relationship that the mentor and mentee build, said Senior Human Resources Analyst Brian Borg. The program will also make sure the County is well poised for the future and that it “continues to have the seamless, quality leadership that we’ve had for years,” he said.

Demand was high for this first session, which ends in September.  Turko, who developed the program, said another session is already planned for next year.

“We were overwhelmed with not only the response but the embracing of the program by mentors, who were an untapped resource,” Turko said.

More than 90 mentors stepped forward to be part of the program. Each was paired with a mentee so that the two could work together on a one-on-one basis. Each pair must meet for at least four hours a month. Mentees also must complete classroom trainings, choosing from topics such as how to motivate employees or how an ethical workplace culture ties in with career success.

Pairs were matched based on their stated areas of strength and interest. Borg said the program teams up employees from different departments to avoid any potential favoritism. Mentors and mentees must not have “a direct reporting relationship,” he said.

Mentee Kenneth Stevens, a Departmental Technology Systems Specialist in the Auditor and Controller’s office, and his mentor, Martin Rigby, a Human Resources Services Manager, decided to focus in their twice-a-month meetings on building Stevens’ Organizational Acumen, or his awareness of one’s place in an organization and how his or her actions affect others.

Rigby and Stevens talk about different situations they’ve faced in their careers and about readings they’ve done. After discovering that both live in the East County suburb of Santee, Rigby suggested they take a trip to Santee City Hall to attend a City Council meeting. His idea was to observe another local government’s culture by watching the way top officials interact with each other and with the public. Rigby wanted Stevens to compare the culture in Santee to that of the County.

The experience prompted a “really long discussion” about Santee city officials’ communication and presentation styles, the way the meeting was organized and how it all compared with the County.

The two said they feel comfortable talking with each other and plan to stay in touch even after the program ends. Stevens said he has learned, among other things, to plan ahead more when it comes to his career.

“I look more to the future and how I will get into future jobs,” he said. “What (will) I need to learn?”

Turko and Cummings tackle topics like how best to lead and motivate people. One of the biggest benefits for her has been recognizing what makes a great leader, not just a great manager, and striving to emulate those qualities. She’s been able to observe Turko’s management style and bounce ideas off of him for how to handle specific projects. She’s met other upper level managers, too, and been able to ask them about their career paths.

“It has established a formal structure to have those interactions,” Cummings said. “Otherwise, you may have never met.”

Turko said the experience has been hugely rewarding for him as well.

“I’ve felt a tremendous satisfaction in giving back to my profession,” he said. “There’s an incredible satisfaction that you’re helping a person on their journey to explore their personal and professional limits.”