Hello HHS colleagues,

All of us have been processing recent incidences of violence, from the tragic loss of lives in a Parkland, Fla. high school to the deaths of three mental health professionals in Yountville who were doing important work to help an underserved population - work much like many of us engage in each day. These have been sobering reminders that tragedy can reach us past school gates or through an office door.

Locally, there have been several threats made to schools in recent weeks that have not proved fatal but have proved very unsettling to parents including myself. The other week, Supervisor Duran hosted a school safety forum in Roseville where our CSOC and Public Health staff spoke about our supportive role in emergencies. You can go back to watch the forum here, if you missed it. There were several other participants from law enforcement to school district staff sharing their perspective.

While prevention is ideal, we need to be prepared to respond to these types of emergencies should they occur. In recent years we’ve made great strides in improving safety. In 2016 our whole department attended a workplace active shooter training, and last year we began holding quarterly meetings with division safety representatives. We have also added security cameras in a host of locations to increase building and site security.  In the last few weeks we began distributing brief emergency action plans, offering a quick guide to steps to take in a variety of emergency situations. Going forward, we will also be conducting active shooter tabletop exercises with division leadership to provide more hands-on preparation.

On another note, you’ll read below that we are continually growing mental health supports across the county, including our recent expansion in Auburn. We’re getting ready, as we do each year, to mark Mental Health Awareness Month in May, so I hope that other divisions will join our colleagues in ASOC and CSOC in supporting our local voice in this national effort. There are other opportunities to learn including a Mental Health First Aid class that CSOC offers in collaboration with the Placer County Office of Education. 

Best,

Jeff

Adult System of Care

Mental health services expand in Auburn

The Adult System of Care is bringing several mental health services to Auburn.

Enhanced mental health services now available at the DeWitt campus include:

• A mental health drop in screening clinic each Wednesday from 9-10.
• Outpatient mental health case management services for all eligible clients.
• Starting April 6, psychiatric services expand to three days each week.
• Starting April 6, medication support services for eligible clients.

This expansion will make services much more readily accessible to those in the mid Placer region.

Renovated Roseville building will provide permanent housing for homeless residents

A renovated, 19-unit building will now provide permanent housing for temporarily housed and homeless people on their path to better lives.

319 Main St. in Roseville is the latest addition to the Placer community’s portfolio of permanent supportive housing. These supportive housing projects are one way nonprofits and governments are partnering to address Placer County’s affordable housing deficit. Placer County Health and Human Services purchased the property with Mental Health Services Act funding, and it will be operated by local nonprofit AMI Housing. 

It is the third such building the department has purchased over the last year, following two homes purchased with the help of grant funding from the Sutter Health Foundation.

Residents of the building will pay 30 percent of their income towards rent and utilities. There will be an onsite property manager, and all residents receive ongoing case management as part of the county's Whole Person Care or MHSA Full Service Partnership programs.

Human Services

Business Resource Center to open in Rocklin

Next week Placer County will open the doors on its new Placer Business Resource Center, offering a one-stop-shop for business development services at no or low cost.

Human Services staff with the Business Advantage Network will provide hiring resources through the Business Resource Center. BAN offers a dedicated workforce development team that provides free hiring assistance to employers in Placer County and access to a job advertisement email distribution list that reaches thousands of local job seekers, schools, career centers and workforce development professionals.

Visit the Business Resource Center website to learn more.

Human services director retiring after rewarding career

Linda Bridgman will be retiring from her role as Human Services director as of May.

She started her career as an eligibility worker in Placer County in 1979, rising to the position of program manager by 1986 in what was then known as the Welfare Department. At that point, there were only two program managers and she managed all programs and the Auburn and Tahoe offices.

Linda then worked for the state for over 25 years beginning in 1989, including roles at the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). Her roles ranged from branch chief running the CalFresh and nutrition education programs, to legislative coordinator for all California Health and Human Services Agency departments.

She came to Placer County to serve as Human Services director in February 2015. Here, she has focused on improving customer service, staff morale, and expanding employee engagement activities. She launched the People’s Choice Awards, an annual employee recognition event that has grown so popular that other divisions have replicated it, along with a mentoring program.

“I’ve always been driven by a passion for my work, and was particularly interested in helping those in need in our community transition to self-sufficiency,” she said. “It is time to move on to other adventures and challenges. But I will greatly miss the wonderful, dedicated people I have worked with in Placer County and may have to crash some potlucks in the future!”

Environmental Health

Out of the ashes

Even after the flames have been extinguished, the disaster is far from over. The fires that stretched across Northern California not only took the lives of dozens of people and destroyed more than 8,000 structures; they also triggered a massive and unprecedented clean-up and recovery effort.

The ash, debris and hazardous materials that remained in Sonoma County after October’s wildfires presented a serious risk to public health and the environment. In order to minimize environmental health hazards, Registered Environmental Health Specialists (REHS) were needed to direct and oversee remediation processes. Following a mutual aid request for help, environmental health (EH) professionals from across California deployed to Sonoma County, including five from Placer County.

Environmental health specialists were responsible for identifying hazards and facilitating solutions to protect public health and the environment at each impacted area. EH responders from Placer County worked more than 900 hours in November and December assisting the Sonoma County Environmental Health Department with the massive clean-up and recovery operation. Another REHS was deployed this month and more may be needed in April.

Continue reading the full interactive story and view numerous photos.

Animal Services

Remembering Terri Koeckritz

Family, animals and food: These were the things Terri Koeckritz cherished most, according to coworkers at Placer County Animal Services. She loved her kids and new grandchild more than anything. She volunteered at a local fawn rescue, even when she wasn’t on the clock as an animal control officer. And she would rarely be seen without a bag of chips -- despite never seeming to gain weight, much to the bemusement of her coworkers.

Terri passed away earlier this month after a battle with cancer.

“She was one of the most positive people I ever met, regardless of the situation,” said supervising animal control officer Anna Piland. “She was spunky, feisty, so much fun. If I was in a bad mood she would turn my day around.”

Terri came to Placer County Animal Services in 2008 as part-time extra help, and stuck it out for four years until she was offered a permanent position as an animal control officer. It was her dream job.

“This was something that she was passionate about her whole life,” Piland said.

She had five dogs of her own, including two rescued from the animal services center. “The rejects,” her colleagues said -- including a somewhat smelly German Shepherd that others were reluctant to touch, but Terri fell in love with and later adopted.

She also loved horses. Animal care supervisor Daniela Hall joined her on horse camping trips, chatting and laughing deep into the night.

At work, Terri was part of a team that responded to thousands of calls each year ranging from stray and injured animals to cases of animal cruelty and neglect. Getting a conviction in a cruelty case was particularly rewarding for her. So was working with the public, especially children.

From the old animal shelter to the new facility, Terri helped programs evolve to meet the needs of Placer County’s animals.

“She’ll be missed,” Hall said. 

Children's System of Care

Awards ceremony honors local youth who’ve made a difference

The awardees included high school students who had started STEM workshops for middle school girls, created a nonprofit organization providing tutoring to English language learners and more.

The annual Youth Impact Awards, hosted by the Placer County Youth Commission, were held this month to recognize local teens making a difference in the community. The Placer County Youth Commission is a group of Placer County high school students appointed by the county Board of Supervisors to encourage youth voice in local decision making. This year, the commission partnered with the Sacramento County Youth Commission to create a regional event.

Commissioners chose winners in four categories from a pool of applicants:

- In the "Overcoming Adversity" category, Meridian Thompson: a senior at Placer High School who overcame extreme social anxiety. “It was great to meet so many people who are making a difference in our community," she said.

- In the "Applied Talents and Knowledge" category, Teevyah Yuva Raju: a senior at Mira Loma High School who, after facing resistance to her participation in robotics clubs as a young girl, created STEM 4 Girls workshops for middle school students and mentored teams. “This night means a lot, and this award means a lot to girls everywhere," she said.

- In the "Leadership" category, Katherine Hanson: a senior at Del Oro High School who served as drum major and participated in other band leadership activities. “It’s really cool what the Placer County Youth Commission is doing for everybody. I think it’s encouraging people to really get out there and be leaders," she said.

- In the "Community Service" category, Raymond Forbes: a senior at Granite Bay High School who founded Dos Lenguas Una Voz, a nonprofit that helps tutor English language learners and others. "[This event] showed that our generation is really powerful and has a voice in the community. We are the future," he said.

Award recipients each received a $300 scholarship, decorative plaque and a Black Top Comedy show pass.

“Together these teenagers have addressed the needs of their communities, created opportunities and distinguished themselves as confident yet attentive leaders,” said commissioner Claire Jordan. "Most of all, they have inspired those around them."

The awards banquet and dessert were attended by local dignitaries and also featured a performance from motivational speaker and entertainer Eddie Barraza.

View more photos from the event. 

More about the youth commission can be found at www.placeryouth.com. Commissioners are available for presentations about the Youth Impact Awards or the commission in general.

Free medication take-back across Placer County April 28

A free medication take-back event will take place at many locations across Placer County on Saturday, April 28.

Local law enforcement in collaboration with youth organizations, utilities, public health entities and local schools, will hold drop offs in the western part of the county from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will accept prescription and over-the-counter drugs, controlled substances and veterinary medications at the following locations. In addition, there will be two events in the North Lake Tahoe-Truckee region; one in Tahoe City from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and another in Truckee from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. LEARN MORE.

Anti-drug group tackling marijuana, mental illness

Heading into its 11th year of keeping youth away from drugs, Rocklin’s Coalition for Placer Youth is turning its attention toward two issues of rising concern throughout the county: mental illness and marijuana.

Christina Ivazes, director of the Rocklin coalition, said the group’s latest data isn’t ready for public release but pointed toward a decline in prescription drug use while opioid use has increased nationwide. Vaping has also become popular as a way to use marijuana, which became legal to sell for recreational use in California on Jan. 1.

Keeping local policymakers abreast of the latest research surrounding marijuana use was one of the coalition’s larger projects in 2017, Ivazes said.

To further address the changing landscape of drug use among teens, Ivazes traveled to the nation’s capital last week, where she attended a leadership conference with 175 other substance-abuse coalitions from across the country. The event was hosted by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.

Ivazes went to the conference with a team of local partners, including Rocklin Police Department’s Officer Jonas Wilks and Rocklin High School senior Natalie Clark, who represented area youth.

Read the rest of the article in the Placer Herald. 

Administrative Services

An appetite for appreciation

The Administrative Services division held its second annual Employee Appreciation Day recently, treating employees to delectable treats throughout the day. Beginning with a breakfast spread of pastries, casseroles, bacon and more, the group also had a taco bar at lunchtime and ice cream sundaes in the afternoon - with a smorgasbord of toppings including chocolate sauce, nuts, berries and gummy bears.

The event also featured festive decorations and a raffle with gift cards.

“It has been a great opportunity to show thanks for everyone’s hard work, and to get to know one another better,” said Eric Perez, who helped organize the event with colleagues. Division managers contributed money, food and their time to help make the day a success.

Public Health

Annual rankings give nod to health of Placer community

Placer County continues to hold the top spot among California counties for quality of life, according to results from the ninth annual County Health Rankings available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

Placer is ranked fourth in the state for overall health outcomes and third for health factors. It is the only county outside of the Bay Area to make the top five. The rankings are based on a variety of factors and published annually by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

The rankings highlight some of the factors that make Placer a desirable community to live, work and play — from amazing recreational opportunities to strong schools, businesses and more — while also presenting opportunities for improvement. READ MORE

Placer resident picks up one millionth cigarette butt from Auburn area streets

Sally Dawley took one puff of a cigarette years ago as a student - and that was all it took for her to form her lifelong opinion against cigarette smoking. 

“I just knew [smoking cigarettes] wasn’t for me. It smelled so bad and I felt awful afterwards, I didn’t see how people could enjoy it so much. Everyone smoked back then,” said Dawley. 

Dawley has made it her mission to help clean up the streets of greater Auburn by sweeping up as many discarded cigarette butts as she can. She uses the simplest of equipment - a broom and dustpan - to pick up the butts nearly every day. She hopes to inspire others to pick up not only butts, but any trash that doesn’t make into receptacles, she said. 

“I go for walks all the time, and I just sweep them up and think to myself, well that’s one less butt that an animal won’t get,” Dawley said. READ MORE.