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| Our EAP program (above) is one of several resources to help you |
We want to acknowledge and thank you all for your dedication to the Department, the County, and most of all our clients during this critical, confusing, and anxious time. Your Executives and Management team have told you in the past how lucky we are to work with such great, dedicated and hardworking employees, and that feeling is reinforced by seeing your efforts these last weeks as the coronavirus pandemic grows.
We know some of you may be confused about why our Department is still open for business during the shelter-in-place order. Read on to learn more about this.
Government and especially the Department of Social Services are considered essential services under orders given at all levels. In fact, the Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency guidance and Governor Newsom’s Executive Order made it very clear that "essential critical infrastructure" industries have a special responsibility in these times to continue operations. We fall under this category, so it is imperative that we all work together to continue supporting the most vulnerable in our community given the fact that our Department provides critical safety net services to nearly one out of every three people in the County. In fact, at Friday’s press conference, DSS was recognized for everything we are doing to help our community (jump directly to minute 12 of the video here).
That said, we acknowledge that staff are feeling fearful, anxious, confused, worried for the future and for family and friends. While fear and anxiety are natural feelings, and can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions, we would like to remind you that it is important that we all work together to continue supporting the most vulnerable in our community. We would also like to remind you all that during this difficult time it is critical that we recognize staff may not be in the office for a myriad of reasons that could be totally unrelated to COVID-19. Please do your part as professionals in human services to model the way and avoid gossip, speculation, and assumptions. Practicing civility and understanding is even more critical during this time. The links below have good information on managing stress and anxiety during this difficult time, and show how to access EAP if needed. Please take a minute to review these resources:
- CDC tips on reducing stress (for yourself and children)
- County HR page of COVID-19 employee wellness resources
- EAP services: click here and use company code COSB, or call (800) 367-7474
Your co-workers and management team have been working to implement measures designed to reduce the risk of exposure to our staff and our clients. Please see these measures we have already put in place, and know we have not stopped looking for more solutions. We continue to look into and implement additional measures as we move through this crisis.
Again, we want to thank you for your incredible commitment and dedication to providing essential services through these unprecedented circumstances. We are grateful to each of you for the tireless efforts you are making every day in spite of the challenges we all face. As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please consult with your supervisor and manager or deputy and they will assist you.