issue 04-11

November, 2004

CYS wins LMC Team Award for 2004

Your HCA/OCEA Labor Man-
agement Committee (LMC) is
pleased to introduce the winners of the 2004 LMC Team Excellence Award! Join us in congratulating Behavioral Health's Children and Youth Services—West Region (CYS-West) program! The LMC believes this team best embodies the principles of Enlightened Leadership and Team Excellence in action. The outstanding CYS-West application, along with their enthusiastic references, edged out the runner-up team from Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, Project REACH.

If you are not familiar with CYS-West, it is one of several regional clinics within Behavioral Health. This mental health outpatient clinic is responsible for providing a broad range of mental health services for children and adolescents who have behavioral, emotional and/or mental health issues. CYS-West provides such services as assessment, individual/group and family therapy, crisis intervention, and counseling and education for parents and families. In addition to providing outpatient services, the staff is also responsible for evaluating youth to determine the need for psychiatric hospitalization, to assess for residential treatment, and to provide consultation to school districts, other agencies and local service providers.

In contrast to last year's winner of the Team Excellence Award, which had 5 team members, this year's winning team from CYS-West has 32 members. This large group is composed of four smaller teams: the Assessment/On-Duty Team, the Treatment Team, the Residential Team, and the Office Support Team. Although all of these smaller teams have their unique responsibilities, they are tightly interwoven with each other.

The CYS-West Team application stood apart as it demonstrated the way the team worked together to develop its own plan to completely reorganize their program in the wake of large budget cuts and hiring freezes. They took a situation that many others would have seen as an adversity, and developed an innovative approach for delivering their services. From beginning to end, all members participated in devising and implementing

this new approach. By doing so, the team capitalized on each individual's greatest strengths and team members gained ownership in the newly structured program. Best of all, the team came out of this interactive and collaborative process liking their jobs more, and having more

confidence in performing their job duties.

This innovative idea emerged from an exercise in Behavioral Health's Strategic Planning Committee where as part of an Action Plan, CYS staff was to be surveyed to determine their level of expertise.

. . . continued on page 2

Congratulations to this year's LMC Team Award Winners from Children and Youth Services (CYS) West Team. Pictured (left to right, back row) are Jody Spellmeyer, LCSW; Phyllis Crane, Ph.D.; Nathan Lopez, Ph.D.; Tom Shaw, Ph.D.; Donna Jeffery, OT; Jennifer Stopher, LCSW; James Brent Martin, MFT; and Janell Wheeler Smith, MFT. Pictured (left to right, middle row) are Diana Guzman, OS; Lynn Kleist, LCSW; Mary Herzog, Ph.D.; Nicole Dorantes, OS; Peter Bui, Ph.D.; Huma Athar, Psy.D; and Ken Gonzales, Psy.D. Pictured (left to right, front row) are Tuan Nguyen, MFT; Kim Phan, Ph.D.; Sally Torres, Office Sup.; Diane Kurosaki, OT; Irene Sun, Psy.D.; Parvin Afshar, MD; Lesley Davis, MFT; Veronica Davalos-Santoyo, LCSW; Trang Dang, LCSW; and Joseph Chen, MD. CYS West Team staff not pictured are Chantal Sejourne-Daitch, MD; Bert Goldstein, MD; Mark Gunderson, Ph.D.; Trang Nguyen, MD; Eugenio Rodriguez, OT; Shirley Romano, OT; and Paul Fernandez, Ph.D.

HP hosts second annual Healthy Dining Extravaganza

_HCA's Health Promotion (HP) program hosted a second annual "Healthy
Dining Extravaganza" on October 27 for this year's Active For Life partici-
pants.

Offered through the American Cancer Society, the event held at the SSA Training Center on Grand Ave. in Santa Ana featured the authors of "Healthy Dining," a book that features restaurants that offer healthy food items and alternatives on their menus. A highlight of the event included food sampling from several of the many restaurants featured in the book: El Pollo Loco, Café Chin Chin, Green Parrot Café, Pat & Oscar's and Sammy's Woodfired Pizza.

This year's Active for Life participants donated $10 as part of fund-raising for United Way. As part of the program, members take part in a 6-week program designed to promote physical activity, choosing their own workout regimen to suit their level of fitness.

For more information about Active for Life, call Frank Hernandez, Health Promotion at (714) 796-8022 or fhernandez@ochca.com.

Bring good cheer to needy through Holiday Hope

_The holidays are once again
upon us and during this joy-
ous season, consider bringing goodwill and happiness to a needy family by participating in HCA's Holiday Hope program.

Celebrating its 20^th year this 2004 season, Holiday Hope is designed to provide the Agency's neediest clients with adequate food and grocery gift certificates to families that may be at nutritional risk because of their low-income level.

With approximately 1,500 people on Holiday Hope's waiting list each year, contributing just $10 will feed one person a holiday meal.

Gift certificates and/or cash donations to purchase other certificates are made possible through generous donations from members of the community and HCA staff. Contributors can donate solely or as a group to feed a family this

holiday season.

For more information about Holiday Hope or to donate, call Amber Hannigan, HCA Volunteer Services at (714) 834-4144.

Marilyn receives recognition

LMC

continued from page 1

_Congratulations to Marilyn

Pritchard, Program Manager
for HCA's Alcohol, Drug & Education Prevention Team (ADEPT) and the Tobacco Use Prevention Program (TUPP) on receiving an award from the Orange County Substance Abuse Prevention Network (OCSAPN).
OCSAPN presented the award to Marilyn during their annual "Community Resources Showcase" on September 30, which featured organizations and individual youth and adults actively involved in the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse.

Marilyn was acknowledged for her outstanding service and leadership in the field of drug, alcohol and tobacco prevention, and for her contributions and commitment to the community in helping to make Orange County a healthier place for youth and families.

Marilyn has been in the field of health education and promotion for over 25 years, first as a health educator for the Heart Association and the Lung Association in Los Angeles, and then moving to Orange County to supervise the County's Tobacco Use Prevention Program. In 2000, Marilyn was promoted to Program Manager for both the ADEPT and TUPP programs. She was commended for her dedication, leadership and mentoring in the field of alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) prevention.

As CYS-West team leader, Dr. Phyllis Crane began to consider how to reorganize the team. "It occurred to me that each team member had preferences and liked doing some tasks better than others," said Dr. Crane. "I devised the potential restructuring and created a survey of staff to give them the opportunity to let me know what they really liked doing best here in the clinic. Because of the size and diversity of the team, it naturally followed that all responsibilities would be covered." When it came time to approve and implement the restructured program, there were relatively few external obstacles, but there were some internal ones. "The internal obstacles were there just because everyone, including myself, was anxious about such a major change. Everyone had made the commitment, but of course we were concerned about the success and long-term effects. We found ourselves talking a lot. We talked about the process of change and we kept the lines of communication open, and were `at the ready' to make any adjustments to our procedures and the new way of working with each other."

For those of us that work as part of a larger team and who want to make our team more effective and efficient, Dr. Crane stresses that "open communication and an active information flow are necessities for any team, and certainly become increasingly more important the larger the team. Communication among team mem

bers allows for a sharing of purpose and goal which results in a unified commitment. I think it is important for any leader to be vigilant about keeping the lines of communication open in all directions." Additionally, she advises that another necessity for a highly functional team is "the sharing of key information. It is important for all staff to be informed of policy and procedures, funding and mandate changes, agency expectations, etc. I see the responsibility of the leader to gather this information and then to share this knowledge with all the staff."

In describing how the whole team has learned to work together, Dr. Crane says, "…it became clear that three traits really stand out for this group of professionals—communication, adaptability and creativity. These characteristics are evident within each specialty team, as they support each other and the overall functioning of the larger team. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, they have functioned for the last two years as self-managed work groups with the supervisor functioning as a facilitator."

When asked what one word described them, Dr. Crane came up with several that she thought might apply. Then, true to form, she took it to the team for discussion and consensus. The word they believe best describes them is "dynamic," as in relating to or tending toward

. . . continued on page 4

HCA is host to state-wide 2004 Cultural Competence and Mental Health Summit

_The annual statewide Multi-

cultural Conference, orga-
nized by Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency Program this year drew more than 1,500 people to the event, held on October 6 _ 7 at the Anaheim Convention Center and Anaheim Marriott.

The two-day Summit, whose theme was, "A Renewed Vision of Culture," featured keynote speaker Tipper Gore, who discussed her commitment to eradicating the stigma associated with mental illness and stressed the importance of educating Americans about the need for high-quality, affordable mental health care.

Joseph White, Ph.D., and Dr. J. David Kinzie also addressed attendees, providing them with an informative and educational presentation addressing top

ics on "The Browning of America: Implications for Counseling, Psychotherapy and Psychological Training," and "Reactivation of Symptoms in Refugees."

Other Summit activities included exhibitor booths, poster presentations, educational workshops, emergency vehicle displays, and remarks from Orange County Sheriff Michael Corona, who was presented with Behavioral Health's Cultural Competency Award.

Each year, the Summit draws various health care professionals, providers, consumers, students and community members and leaders from throughout California, who represent a multitude of cultural groups.

The purpose of the Summit is to promote cultural competency and increase attendee's capacity to work effectively

with different cultural groups in multicultural settings. The annual event also provides a forum for direct consumers and their families to interact with service providers and peers to increase their ability to navigate the state mental health system.

Organized in 1993 in response to the growing need to address mental health service delivery to historically underserved populations in California, the Summit has become the largest conference devoted to multicultural mental health issues in California over the past 12 years.

For more information about the annual Summit or HCA's Cultural Competency Program, call (714) 796-0188 or visit www.ochealthinfo.com/hca/behavioral/cultural/index.htm .

But see, in our open clearings, how golden the melons lie; enrich them with sweets and spices, and give us the pumpkin pie!

—Margaret Junkin Preston

New personnel system debuts in HCA

_Usually when a supervisor has

interviewed County emplo-
yees and has chosen several candidates, they would head over to Central CEO Records with their Certification List and ask to see the employees' files. Well, no need for that anymore!

Lynne Lindberg, HCA Service Chief II, and Sandra Armstrong, Adult Mental Health Staff Specialist, set an HCA first by being the first HCA supervisors to access a prospective County employee file on the Agency's new On-Base optical imaging electronic employee file system.

HCA Human Resources is working on completing the transition from a paper-based personnel filing system to an electronic optical imaging employee file, allowing a more streamlined approach to accessing files and information by both HR and Agency employees.

The Countywide project combines

both Central and Agency/Department personnel files into one electronic document. At the click of a mouse, employee and personnel files can be accessed on computers located in the HR office on the third floor of the 405 W. 5th Street building in Santa Ana.

Optical scanning is not yet complete, but HR is making great progress. If you need to access an employee file for recruitment purposes, please call your recruiter or send an e-mail to Kathy Long at klong@ ochca.com or call (714) 834-3052. For more information about the new filing system call HCA HR at (714) 834-3101, or visit the HR office to view your own personnel file.

An HCA First! Lynne Lindberg, Service Chief II, and Sandra Armstrong, Staff Specialist for Adult Mental Health, are the first to access a prospective County employees' file at Human Resources. Kathy Long (pictured in back) looks on as the two supervisors utilize the new electronic optical imaging personnel system.

Staying healthy this flu season

_Due to the unexpected nation-

wide shortage of flu vaccine
for this 2004-2005 flu season, it is important to take appropriate steps to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill, and practice respiratory hygiene, to help fight the spread of infection in health care settings and in the community.
Eating healthy foods, exercising, making sure you drink enough water and getting plenty of rest are some suggestions to help prevent the flu. Some other tips to keep you healthy this flu season include:

· Washing your hands frequently— Rub hands vigorously with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds.

· Covering your mouth and nose— To stop the spread of infectious diseases through sneezes and coughs, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Then, remember to wash your hands.

If you begin to feel sick and develop cold or flu-like symptoms:

· Avoid close contact with others by staying home from work and/or school

· Drink lots of liquids

· Avoid the use of alcohol and tobacco

· Take over-the-counter pain relievers to help feel better

This year, healthy individuals are asked to forgo their annual flu shot to save the available vaccine for those who fall into high-risk groups. Both the Centers for Disease Control and California Department of Health Services ordered that the available influenza vaccine be offered to people at highest risk of influenza-related complications, like pneumonia. Those at highest priority for the available flu vaccine are:

· All children 6-23 months of age

· Adults 65 and older

· People from 2 to 64 years of age with chronic medical conditions

· Pregnant women

· Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities

· Children 6 months to 18 years of age who are on chronic aspirin therapy

· Healthcare workers with direct patient care

· Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children less than 6 months

Another option for healthy individu

als is the live, intranasal FluMist vaccine, which is approved for healthy children and adults from 5 through 49 years of age. FluMist is not recommended for health care workers who take care of severely immunocompromised people requiring a protective environment.

The flu vaccine shortage was triggered last month when Chiron Corporation, one of the nation's flu vaccination manufacturers, had their license suspended by British regulators. The Chiron factory closure in Liverpool caused a shortage of roughly a half million doses for California.

For more information about this year's flu season and other tips on staying healthy, visit the CDC's Flu Information website at www.cdc.gov/flu.

LMC

continued from page 4

feel could help their team perform even better in the future, and what advice they would give to other teams struggling with working as an effective team.

For more information about the LMC Team Excellence Award, visit the LMC Intranet site at http://balsam/intranet/lmc/default.asp.

change or productive activity…and they certainly seem to be!

In the next issue of "What's Up," the LMC will follow up with an interview with the winners of this year's Team Excellence Award and get their insights on what they

HCA's QM team places 2nd county-wide at UW Jeopardy Challenge 2004

_The annual United Way

Jeopardy Fundraising Chal-
lenge again drew crowds at both the HCA game held on October 14 at the 405 W. 5^th Street building, and during the Countywide games held at the Hall of Administration on October 20 and 21.
Again this year, HCA's Jim Miller had the task of portraying "Alex Trebec" and hosting each of the games, as well as coming up with the unique categories and questions.

On October 14, HCA program teams competed against each other to determine which team would represent HCA at the Countywide tournament. After questions were answered and scores tallied, the Contract Development and Management team took first place, with Quality Management (QM) in a close second.

Both HCA teams headed to the first competition of the Countywide Jeopardy semi-final rounds on October 20 at the Hall of Administration, where they both ended the day among the top five teams who went on to compete the next day in the Jeopardy Finals.

On the final day of the Jeopardy Challenge, the top five final teams were quickly reduced down to the top two, with QM and Auditor Controller vying for first place as the "Ultimate OC World Champion." After a grueling bonus round to determine the winner, the Auditor-Controller team placed first, with QM coming in second.

HCA's QM team placed second in this year's 2004 United Way Countywide Jeopardy Challenge final round held on October 21, and received lucky bamboo plants as their prize after a grueling bonus round against the Auditor-Controller team, who took home first place. Pictured (left to right) are Curt Condon, Howard Sutter, Bonnie Birnbaum, Ron LaPorte and Carol Mintzer.

"

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.

—Edward Sandford Martin

HCA's Contract Development and Management staff were winners of this year's HCA United Way Jeopardy Fundraising Challenge held on October 14. HCA Program teams competed against each other to determine which team would represent HCA at the Countywide Jeopardy Challenge. Pictured (left to right) are David Francis, Rob Balma, Abdullah Akbar, Sandra Corder, and Colleen Van Winkle.

December Health Observances

National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month

Safe Toys and Gifts Month

National Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week 1-7

National Hand Washing Awareness Week 5-11

Celebrating NP Week 2004

_HCA's Nurse Practitioners

(NPs) celebrated Nurse
Practitioner Week on October 25 at the 17^th Street Clinic Facility in Santa Ana. Dr. Mark Horton, Public Health Services Deputy Agency Director, expressed his appreciation to HCA's NPs for their commitment, and the excellent service they provide to the clients they serve.
During the celebration, each NP received a certificate of achievement signed by Agency Director Julie Poulson. Sharon Smith, Vice Chair of Members, honored Lynn Trujillo, NP who passed away in September 2004.

Joining in the celebration of NP Week 2004 on October 25 at the 17^th Street Facility were (left to right, back row) Andrea Anzalone, Sharon Smith, Lilia Witthuhn, Shirley Halbur, Cathy Smith and Judy Davis. Pictured left to right, middle row are Karen Senteno, Ana Pope, Kathy Eldred, Lyvia Villegas, Nancy Pinedjian and Charmaine West, and Michelle from Paraguard who sponsored the event. In the front row pictured (left to right) are Marilyn Edgar, Kathleen Parris, Tony Edmonds and Dr. Mark Horton.

Picking a password that works with new guidelines

_Did you know that HCA has a new password policy? This new policy is in

response to the HIPAA Security Rule requirements and follows the informa-
tion technology security industry best practices model.
All staff must implement the new password policy when their current password expires. In other words, when you are prompted to change your password, you need to be ready with an eight character, upper and lower case, alphanumeric password which also contains a special character. Special characters include: !, @, #, $, % and other symbols found on the keyboard.

Sounds tough, huh? It actually is tough and that is the point. If it's tough to create, then it's tough to break. With that in mind, here are a couple of tips to make this task a little less burdensome.

TIP #1

Write a sentence that means something to you. For example, "Porter plays soccer on Thursdays in 2004." Now take the first letter of each word, ppsoti, and the year 04. Use the $ for the "s" make the "p" in Porter and "t" in Thursday upper case and you have Pp$oTi04. This is a tough password that is easy to remember if you are Porter's mom or grandfather.

TIP #2

Think of what you would like to have printed on a vanity license plate. The tough password is the same concept; you use a limited number of characters to send a message. For example:

trstNO1^40 = Trust no one over 40

lvmiD0G! = Love my dog! (the "0" in dog is the number zero)

Dnta$kmE2 = Don't ask me to

Making passwords that have a special meaning for you make it easier to remember. However, if you must write down your password, please keep it in your wallet or purse, not on your computer screen or under the keyboard. And, do not share your password with anyone, not IT and not your supervisor. If you have trouble with your new password, please contact the HCA IT Help Desk at (714) 834-3128.

The HCA Compliance Program offers a confidential telephone hotline to voice your concerns about any situation that may conflict with Compliance Program principles. You may call the hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at:

(866) 260-5636

What's UP is a newsletter for employees

of the County of Orange, CA, Health Care Agency.

Editors Tricia Landquist Landquist

Howard Sutter

Anne Fialcowitz

Your Input

Phone (714) 834-6644

E-mail TLandquist@ochca.com

FAX (714) 834-7644

Pony Bldg. 38-S, 4th Floor