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 Hello colleagues,
I appreciate the time you take out of your day to read this newsletter every other month, and stay in tune with the work happening in other divisions within Health and Human Services. Our work is interconnected and so often, we are serving the same clients across multiple divisions to meet a variety of needs.
To ensure that we make the most of this newsletter, we’d like to get your feedback on its content, frequency - any other thoughts you might have! Take a brief moment to fill out this survey and let us know how we can improve this newsletter as a communication tool. It will continue to evolve as we incorporate your feedback.
Additionally, there are a few housekeeping items I want to make sure are on your radar. In June, our Board of Supervisors approved an initial budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year. You can explore the HHS budget here. And just last week, the board approved a new Placer Public Employees Organization wage and benefit agreement. Click here for a rundown of the new agreement. I also hope to see you at the employee picnic in September, showing off your 80s outfits!
We’ve had a productive summer so far, moving full steam ahead - in fact, two of our programs were named among the "100 Brilliant Ideas at Work" list put out by the National Association of Counties! But I hope you’ve also had the chance to spend some quality time with family and loved ones as well. Thank you for everything you do.
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Best,
Jeff
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 Human Services
Human Services staff go glam for third annual People’s Choice awards
Sparkling sequins, feathered hats and colorful leis were spotted throughout the audience — and to receive their certificate, winners strolled down a red carpet rolled out across the floor of Rocklin’s Seavey Center.
The Human Services Division of the Department of Health and Human Services held its third annual People’s Choice Awards earlier this month, celebrating employees for outstanding work in more than a dozen categories. All 230 staff members in the division attended the Oscars-inspired ceremony, complete with food provided by the Placer Public Employees Organization.
Those who received awards were nominated by their peers. A committee of staff volunteers selected the winners, this year from a pool of 146 nominations.
“The reason we’re a high-achieving organization is because of every one of you,” Health and Human Services Director Jeff Brown told the crowd. “You’re innovative, hardworking and dedicated, and to be honored by your peers, who are in the trenches with you every day — I think there is no higher honor.” READ ABOUT ALL THE HONOREES AND VIEW MANY MORE PHOTOS!
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 Adult System of Care
5 Questions with Amy Ellis
Meet new Adult System of Care director Amy Ellis! Amy has been with Placer County since 2001, and her ties to the area go even further back. She answered a few questions to help us get to know her: READ MORE
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 Administrative Services
Meet our newest faces
If you hadn’t heard, Administrative Services will have a new director, Darlene King, beginning August 7.
But there’s been a few other recent additions to the team as well. Meet Leonor Baker, an Account Clerk - Journey, and Deborah Gow, an Account Clerk - Senior.
What will you be working on?
Deborah: I’ll be on the Social Services Team supporting programs such as CSOC, ASOC, General Relief, CalFresh and Calworks
Leonor: My general areas are going to be public guardian bank reconciliation, representative payee and public administrator, and trust fund payment.
Tell us about your background.
Deborah: I worked in office management with payroll, accounts payable and receivable. I worked 18 years for a private nonprofit before coming here. I worked for a foster care agency, so I had a connection to health and human services.
Leonor: My degree is in fiscal and financial administration. I worked for six years as a temp in Human Services, in Auburn and Sunset. Later I moved to Procurement. Then, I moved to a full-time position at Western Placer Waste Management Authority before coming here.
What’s something interesting about yourself?
Deborah: I like birdwatching. Wherever I go, I take binoculars and my bird book to try to track down new birds. I’ve recorded a couple hundred.
Leonor: I do complex decorations with balloons. I’ve done baby showers with themes, even an entire Alice in Wonderland theme. I learned to do it in Mexico. There, I owned and managed a convention center. I never liked the decorator’s services and they charged a lot, so one day I was like, “I can do that.” So I started doing it!
READ MORE
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 Environmental Health
County evolves with growing food truck industry
Lobster rolls, tacos, shaved ice, barbecue, grilled cheese sandwiches, wood-fired pizza and so much more.
Is your mouth watering yet?
The mobile food truck industry has exploded over the past few years, and Placer County is no exception. As a result, the county is adapting its regulatory practices to make it easier for truck owners to operate, while ensuring their food products are safely prepared. READ MORE
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Animal Services
Division sees success on social media
Cats and skunks and sheep, oh my!
If you haven’t checked out the Animal Services Facebook and Instagram pages, now is the time. Join thousands of other county residents in following the daily excitement taking place in the animal services center.
Just a few recent heartwarming highlights:
- Sprocket the cat was brought to the shelter where staff located his microchip. It turns out he had been missing for four years! He and his owner were joyfully reunited, a moment captured in a video that resonated with Facebook users.
- A skunk found with a McFlurry lid stuck around his neck was rescued with the help of our neighbors at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue, and later set back into the wild. His new name? Oreo McFlurry.
- Officers responded to a call for 100 sheep who got loose in Newcastle. Try counting them, if you need a sleep aid...
- In June, our friends in Nevada County gave us a shout out for sharing our surplus of donations.
- And finally, a reunion made possible by Facebook: Thanks to alert fans who shared our post about a lost cow in Loomis, Charlotte was returned to her owners (and her fence repaired).
These are just a few of the meaningful moments happening every day in Animal Services. Like their page so you can follow along!
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 Public Health
County seeking public health nurses
What's it like to work as a public health nurse for Placer County?
Our nurses come from all walks of life: lifelong experienced nurses, new nurses who recently finished school and others who have changed career paths. But there's a common denominator ― they love working in public health for Placer County.
Watch the video to find out why!
Placer County is now hiring entry-level and experienced public health nurses. Explore current openings.
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 Children's System of Care
Youth commissioners, others gain insight at leadership retreat
A handful of Placer County youth commissioners were among 50 teens and 25 adults who attended this year’s Summer Leadership Retreat in Rocklin, co-hosted by the Coalition for Placer Youth and the Coalition for Auburn and Lincoln Youth with additional support from a variety of community partners.
From Powerpoint presentations to more hands-on activities throughout the day - such as an improv session led by a cast member from Blacktop Comedy - the group engaged in team-building exercises and learned tools for tobacco, alcohol, drug and stress prevention.
“Sometimes as teens, we have a sit-back kind of role, and let adults do the work. But we have so many chances like today to get involved,” said Claire Jordan, a youth commissioner for District 4. Jordan has been involved in many activities through the Youth Commission, including advocating for the passage of a social host ordinance to discourage underage drinking at gatherings.
“If youth feel more empowered about what’s going on in their community and they feel like they can actually make a difference, they’re going to be more engaged and more invested in their community,” said Christina Ivazes, who directs the Coalition for Placer Youth and also works for the county as a health educator. VIEW THE VIDEO
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