Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience Information

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A message from the Gender Identity and Expression Working Group

Nov. 13-19 is Transgender Awareness Week, leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on Nov. 20. Observed since 1999, TDOR is an opportunity to remember and honor the transgender and nonbinary people who have been killed in acts of transphobic violence in the previous year. Trans people are more than four times as likely to experience violent victimization than cisgender people, with an outsized impact on Black transgender women. Transphobia can impact anyone who does not appear to fit stereotypical ideas of gender—cisgender people have also been targeted and killed because of their perceived gender identity.

In 2015, a New Orleans youth organization called BreakOUT! made a call to shift the meaning of TDOR to be Transgender Day of Resilience. Many have followed suit since then, choosing to emphasize the community’s strength in the face of such circumstances, rather than their victimization by them. This is also why Transgender Awareness Week occurs leading up to TDOR.

In addition to calling out and educating about hate, violence and discrimination, it is important to find ways to uplift transgender and gender expansive individuals. It is also important to find way to uplift our joy, community and hope. Read trans people’s stories in their own words and learn more below!

Upcoming Events in San Diego County:

Local resources for the transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive community:

Resources for allies:

  • This video (above) from the University of Central Florida explains different aspects of gender identity and expression, how they impact all of us, and how challenging binaries can create more space for everyone to be themselves.

  • If you’d like to learn more about how to be an ally to the transgender and gender expansive community, read GLAAD’s Tips for Allies of Transgender People.

  • The County has a Pronoun Policy to create an affirming environment for all employees. Learn how to use gender pronouns and learn how to practice gender inclusive language in your communications and work.

Get Your Thanksgiving Dessert in the CECO Pie Drive

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Give thanks! You will not need to bake pies this year. The County Employees’ Charitable Organization is hosting a fall fundraiser with Marie Callender’s pies just in time for Thanksgiving.

Pies are $25 each. A portion of the proceeds will benefit CECO.

To order a delicious pie, submit your order form and make payment via Venmo @SD-CECO by noon, Thursday, Nov. 16.

Flavors are apple, French apple, cherry, peach, pumpkin, razzleberry (raspberry and blackberry), and rhubarb.

Pies will be available for pick-up at several County work locations on Wednesday, Nov. 22.

  • County Administration Center: 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 209, San Diego, CA 92101

  • County Operations Center: 5520 Overland Ave., Commons Cafeteria, San Diego, CA 92123

  • Housing and Community Development Services: 3989 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123

  • Mills Building: 1255 Imperial Ave., 2nd Floor, Room 240-C, San Diego, CA 92101

  • Sheriff’s Headquarters: 9621 Ridgehaven Court, HRB Conference Room, 2nd Foor, San Diego, CA 92123

Pick up time is noon to 1 p.m., besides at HCDS, which is 1 to 3 p.m.

For questions, email sdceco@sdcounty.ca.gov.

See the flyer below.

County’s First Tribal Flag Ceremony for Native American Heritage Month

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The County of San Diego’s first-ever Tribal Flag Ceremony was held at the County Administration Center Wednesday morning to honor Native American Heritage Month.

This Tribal Flag Ceremony was held to memorialize the County’s commitment to improving government-to-government relationships and recognize the region’s First Peoples’ resiliency, identity and culture.

Chairwoman Erica Pinto of the Jamul Indian Village and Chairman Bo Mazzetti of the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians joined Chairwoman Vargas and Supervisor Joel Anderson on behalf of the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA).

The SCTCA is an association of all Tribal Chairpersons in the region along with tribes in the San Bernadino and Riverside Counties.

San Diego County includes the most tribes in any one county throughout the U.S. There are a total of 20 tribes with 17 of those having Tribal governments in the region with federal recognition.

See gallery below:

CAO Message: A Thank-you and a New Form of Recognition for Our Veterans

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Message from Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer:

County colleagues,

I hope you’ll enjoy the long Veterans Day holiday weekend, and I also hope you’ll take at least a few moments to feel gratitude for those we are honoring. I want to offer my own thanks to everyone who has risen to this noble form of public service: the veterans in our community, in your families, and the thousand-plus veterans we have working for the County.

To choose military life is to choose sacrifice. It’s long separations from loved ones and missing the comforts of home. It’s hard, dangerous work, with a constant potential for suffering harm or giving one’s life. Their vigilance allows the rest of us to go about our days enjoying the freedoms that we do.

It’s hard to say thank you enough. And singling out one day seems insufficient. We have a couple new ways we want to offer ongoing recognition of the veterans in our workforce.      

One is a Veteran Service Pin. For our employees who are veterans, we’re sending one to each of you. I hope you’ll wear it with pride.

We also invite you to include your veteran status in your email signature block. Depending on your job, co-workers may see that more often than your pin. Our new brand guidelines have an example of how that should look. 

We’re continuing the tradition of recognizing our veterans on InSite. It’s great to look through and see our colleagues and learn about their military careers, which can be such a big part of making someone who they are. Thank you to everyone who’s shared their story, and we invite any veterans to do the same.

Let me add in here my appreciation for all the families of service members. You endure long absences from your loved ones, worry about their safety, and manage households singlehandedly. Your support makes our armed forces more effective, and I recognize the tremendous amount of work and stress that it can be.  

Veterans make great County employees, and we’ve stepped up efforts to get more hired here. I also want to applaud all the work we do on behalf of the more than 200,000 veterans who live in the San Diego region. That includes a new initiative to get permanent housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. Veterans have given so much, and I’m glad anytime we can offer help in return.

To our veterans: We are lucky and proud to have you with us. I invite all employees to join me in expressing our thanks for your service.

Happy Veterans Day!

Know the Code: Protecting Data Privacy

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Know the code is a monthly series highlighting different sections of the County of San Diego Code of Ethics. The mission of the Office of Ethics and Compliance is to assist in fulfilling the County’s commitment to the highest standards of ethics and compliance.   

If you’re like most of us, you try to protect your identity, so it’s not lost, stolen, or used without your permission.

Perhaps you keep personal details about your health to yourself and you’d just as soon not share your mother’s maiden name and your Social Security number to anyone without a need to know it.

November’s “Know the Code” topic involves reporting potential privacy incidents.

In keeping with Policy 400-11 on County Information and other group (i.e., HHSA) and departmental policies, employees must always keep the personal information of others confidential.

The three types of information involved are: personal information, personally identifiable information and protected health information. 

Types of data that fall under these categories include: 

  • Social Security number

  • Driver’s license or other government issued ID

  • Account or credit or debit card number, in combination with security or access code, or password

  • Medical information to include diagnosis and condition, especially sensitive conditions

  • Health insurance information to include ID card number, etc.

  • Unique biometric data used to authenticate, such as a fingerprint. Includes photographs for facial recognition

  • Genetic data

  • License plate information

  • Email or username combined with password or security information to access an online account

  • Birth records

  • Mother’s maiden name

To protect others, you are obligated to report any time you are aware that someone who isn’t unauthorized either receives, accesses, uses or discloses personal information not intended for them. 

As examples, personal information could be received in misdirected emails, letters or faxes; overheard in conversations; or seen on a counter, computer, desk or dry erase board. 

Non-HHSA employees and contractors must immediately report all potential privacy incidents to the Office of Ethics and Compliance Ethics Hotline at 866-549-0004 or report it online.   

HHSA employees and contractors must report all real and suspected privacy and security incidents to the Business Assurance and Compliance Office at its website.   

“Some legal timelines start on the date an incident was detected and not on the date they were reported, so waiting to report could cause additional issues,” said the County’s Chief Privacy Officer Todd Hood.

To ensure transparency and maintain public trust, employees should report all potential privacy incidents. The chief privacy officer or HHSA privacy officer will investigate whether the incident is a breach and determine next steps.  

Check out the OEC webpage on InSite for information about upcoming Ethics and Compliance Program events, training and resources including monthly “Know the Code” articles and micro-training videos.

If you have questions about Ethics and Compliance training or how to access the training and other resources, contact the OEC team at oec@sdcounty.ca.gov or 619-531-5174. 

HHSA staff may also contact the dedicated HHSA Agency Compliance team at compliance.hhsa@sdcounty.ca.gov or 619-338-2807.

VALOR for Our Veterans

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VALOR board members received a proclamation

A message from the VALOR Employee Resource Group

This Veterans Day, VALOR wants to express gratitude to the brave men and women who served our country. Along with their families, they sacrificed, showed patriotism, and a willingness to protect our freedoms. Here at the County, more than 1,000 employees are veterans and each of them deserves recognition.

A growing list of veteran employees have shared their stories. Send one a thank you.

Several activities are planned through the end of the year. VALOR will be holding a holiday mixer on Dec. 1 at the LaFayette Hotel. Additionally, the veterans’ ERG will be  participating in Wreaths Across America at Miramar National Cemetery.

Wreaths Across America is an annual wreath-laying event that takes place at hundreds of locations across the U.S., at sea and abroad on Dec. 16. The event is an opportunity to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families, and  teach future generations about the value of freedom. Please consider sponsoring a wreath now.

The County Administration Center will be lit green this month for Honoring Operation Green Light for Veterans, a program that seeks to empower and connect counties and soon-to-be new veterans and their families through a coordinated and cohesive transition process. 

VALOR is open to all County employees. Membership is free and donations are appreciated. Funding is used for the ERG and scholarship programs. If you are interested in joining VALOR or serving as a board member, email valor@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Learn more about VALOR.

Innovation Day 2023: Shaping the Future Together

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On Nov. 15, all county employees are invited to join Innovation Day, an exciting one-of-a-kind event focused on exploring emerging technologies and collaborating to envision the future of our community.

This full-day event will feature dynamic talks, hands-on workshops, and interactive exhibits from leading vendors including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google, and more. Attendees will get an inside look at the latest innovations in areas like artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, sustainability, digital experiences, and much more.

Whether you work in IT, constituent services, operations, or any department, Innovation Day offers an incredible opportunity to:

  • Get hands-on with cutting-edge technology and new ways of working

  • Gain insights from experts on pivotal emerging innovations

  • Collaborate with colleagues and vendors to co-create solutions

  • Contribute your ideas to shape the strategic direction of the county

Together, we will uncover new ways to enhance constituent experiences, empower employees, drive efficiency, and so much more. This is our chance to collectively imagine - and start building - the future.

Will you be part of the change? Register to attend a session or sign up for the whole day now and unlock your innovation potential at Innovation Day 2023. Let's lead our County into tomorrow, today.

Register | Learn More

All sessions will be held at the County Operations Center, 5520 Overland Ave., San Diego, CA 92123.

County Office Supports Veterans and Their Families  

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The Office of Military & Veterans Affairs (OMVA) serves veterans, their dependents and survivors get the benefits and services to which they are entitled.

The veteran population of San Diego County is the second largest veteran population in the state. 

“Every veteran we work with, when they come into the office or schedule an appointment for one matter or concern, more than likely has two or three other issues,” Ray Flores, San Diego Veterans Coalition Liaison. That’s where the men and women who serve at the OMVA can point veterans to great resources that are out there in the community that veterans and their families may not know about yet.”  

OMVA employees say they feel honored to be able to advocate on behalf of veterans and eligible family members to help them receive the benefits they are entitled to receive. 

“As a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran, it has been a long road, but one element was always clear in my mind; helping my fellow veterans, no matter what era, the best I can,” Timothy Mathues, Retiree, OMVA. 

If you or a veteran you know needs help or are unsure of your entitled benefits, call the OMVA at (858) 694-3222 and connect to resources.  

The County has worked with nonprofits and other partners for years to identify housing solutions and supportive services for veterans living on the street and found success. 

Did you know about the County’s effort to end veteran homelessness? Leave No Veteran Homeless is a collaborative effort of veteran-serving organizations led by the County with OMVA support. Together they built a new regional plan designed to achieve “functional zero." Functional zero is a term to describe veteran homelessness as rare, brief and non-recurring. Learn what you can do to help. 

A number of services are offered through the County: 

County Veteran Outreach Program: The County has a robust Veteran Resources site that was created to provide additional resources for veterans seeking employment. The website includes InService videos of County veteran employees, resource links for resume writing tips, military to civilian career transition weblinks and information detailing the County’s Veteran Hiring Preference Policy.   

Vet Connect & Outreach: This program allows you to apply for veteran benefits at County libraries. Benefits including counseling, public assistance and VA medical care are available for veterans and their families.  

Veterans Court: This program takes veterans with misdemeanor and felony convictions and places them on a separate track, giving them treatment designed especially for veterans. 

Disabled Veterans’ Exemption: The exemption is available for qualified veterans or the unmarried surviving spouse of the veteran to reduce their property taxes. 

Meet the OMVA Team: 

Escondido Office OMVA Team

National City Office OMVA Team

Oceanside Office OMVA Team

San Diego Office OMVA Team

Your View: Diversity Is a Fact, Inclusion Is an Act

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County employees and visitors to the County Administration Center and Waterfront Park are treated to a powerful message of inclusion. This giant, colorful mural represents the County’s commitment to neurodiversity and inclusivity in our workforce.

Learn more about the mural in this short video.

Share your photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or a wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it. Be sure to include information about the photo and your name. One image will be posted to InSite every week and may be shared on social media.

See more of Your View photos.