Bexar County Connection News, events, and information for Bexar County employees

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1 Bexar County Connection News, events, and information for Bexar County employees Bexar County Rides On in the Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis The Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach is a well-known cycling event in Texas that raises over $1 million to fight the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis (MS). Multiple sclerosis or MS usually strikes adults in the prime of life (between the ages of 20 and 50). It is a chronic disease of the central nervous system affecting the brain and spinal cord. In October of 2007, employees of the Bexar County once again organized a team to ride in the race just as they had the previous six years. The route goes from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, extending 150 miles. Over 50 riders made up of Bexar County employees serving as civilians, officers, judges, PR trial staff and Above: Corporal Annette Johnson with BCSO Bike Team see Johnson continued on page 2 Commissioner Rodriguez invited Judge Wolff, Commissioners Larson and Adkisson to discuss clinic plans with County staffers. Benefits Spotlight: First Ever Employee Clinic Coming Soon to Bexar County Bexar County Commissioners Court is proud to announce the first steps are now being taken to create an on-site employee clinic to serve Bexar County employees. In the most recent Adopted Budget, the Court allocated funding to establish an Employee Health and Wellness Clinic that will meet the needs of the over 4,500 county staff. Some of the services under consideration to be offered at the clinic are: chronic case management, preventative case management, triage care, wellness programs and other health related initiatives for Bexar County employees. The health and wellness of Bexar County see Clinic continued on page 2 What s Inside This Issue BCSO Ride for MS 1 Benefits Spotlight 1 New FMLA Amendment 1 Training Calendar 3 Komen Race for the Cure 4 Service Anniversaries 5 New FMLA Amendment On Monday, January 28, 2008, changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) were approved and signed into law effective immediately. The Department of Labor (DOL) will be releasing their interpretations and final regulations regarding changes to the FMLA. At that time, the FMLA policy will be updated and Bexar County Connection is produced monthly by Bexar County Human Resources. Send us your news and events information via at CountyConnection@bexar.org or via fax at (210) see FMLA continued on page 5 VOLUME TWO ISSUE TWO PAGE 1

2 Clinic continued from page 1 Johnson continued from page 1 employees is an issue of great importance to Court, said Commissioner Sergio Chico Rodriguez, who proposed the idea in Our goal as we develop this clinic will be to provide access to healthcare while driving down health insurance costs and saving taxpayer dollars. Recently human resources management posted the job for the clinic administrator, and a downtown location for the clinic is being determined. County staff and health related experts will work together to develop the clinic services and scope, to offer the best possible services to meet the health issues specific to our employees. Once approved by Court, a Request for Proposals will go out to health vendors who can offer clinic services to the County. Commissioners have also encouraged staff to work with University Health System (UHS) to help clarify services for the clinic. UHS is a great resource the County can draw upon, said Commissioner Elizondo. Once plans are finalized, implementation will begin and the clinic will go live. We are hopeful to open the doors of the clinic by the end of the year, said Bob Hampel, Human Resources manager. The realization of this long-awaited health and wellness clinic will make Bexar County a better place to work, save County tax dollars on health related costs, and provide employees with access to health care. This project is a history-making endeavor for Bexar County as we continue our trend of providing exceptional employee benefits and services, said Commissioner Rodriguez. REMINDER: Bexar County Night with the San Antonio Spurs is Saturday, February 23rd vs. the Hornets at 7:30 PM. Employees are offered discount tickets that include a free hot dog, chips and soda for every ticketholder. Call to order tickets. UPCOMING SPURS SCHEDULE law enforcement rode as part of the BCSO team in support of a fellow co-worker who suffers from MS, Annette Johnson. Johnson works as a Classification Officer with the. She has been with the department since October of As her fellow brothers and sisters we go every year and take this challenge to ride from here to Corpus Christi, said Lucy Adame-Clark who works as an Automated Latent Print ID Examiner with the and is Co-Captian of the team. Lt. Mike Filoteo serves as Captain. This year was the first year that Annette took on another challenge and actually rode beside her team to challenge herself to ride along with her supporters. That was an awesome feeling that she rode with us, not only to encourage us but for other MS patients that go through the struggle like her, said Clark. The team also had volunteer coordinators including Sgt. Shirley Filoteo and Officer Brian Clark that took on the big responsibility of safety, keeping the team hydrated and picking up the injured if needed. They kept Captain Annette Johnson safe throughout the whole ride. The team plans to ride again in Last year the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach raised $1.5 million to help in the fight for a cure. Whether participating as a sponsor, cyclist or volunteer, you can also play an important role in the fight against MS. For more information visit Funds raised from this year s Bike to the Beach will be used by the MS Society s Lone Star Chapter to support critical research programs to help the 17,000 individuals in Texas who are fighting MS. The BSCO group does not stop with the Bike to the Beach, they also participate in the Texas Peace Officer Bike Ride to Austin which honors fallen officers in the line of duty. To join in their efforts, call Lucy Clark at or Lt. Michael Filoteo at Tuesday, Feb. 19th vs. 7:30 PM HOME Thursday, Feb. 21st vs. 7 PM AWAY Saturday, Feb. 23rd vs. New 7:30 PM HOME Monday, Feb. 25th vs. 7:30 PM HOME Thursday, Feb. 28th vs. 7 PM HOME Tuesday, April 1st vs. Golden 7:30 PM HOME Friday, April 4th vs. 8 PM AWAY Sunday, April 6th vs. 5PM AWAY Wednesday, April 9th vs. 8:30 PM HOME Above: BCSO Bike Team Right: (left to right) Michael Granando, Annette Johnson, and Lucy Clark VOLUME TWO ISSUE TWO PAGE 2

3 Commissioner Adkisson Hosts Jail Symposium and Gathers Experts to Find Solutions to Jail Overcrowding in Texas Commissioner Tommy Adkisson has long been concerned about the increasing jail population, which grows at an alarmingly fast rate. In an effort to find solutions to the on-going problem of jail overcrowding, Commissioner Adkisson hosted experts from around Bexar County and the state to share their ideas on how jail populations can be reduced during his first-ever Jail Symposium held Thursday, February 7, 2008 at the Drury Plaza Hotel. We ve been saying for 20 years that we have a problem we can t build ourselves out of, Adkisson said. So we have to find other solutions to simply warehousing people. Over 200 people attended the event to hear experts and share ideas on how to resolve the problem including Commissioner Adkisson better use of technology to track probationers and creating stronger rehab addresses the crowd. and re-entry programs. A major message for the criminal justice professionals gathered at the symposium was that jails should not be housing for the mentally ill and substance abusers. Dr. Tony Fabelo, Director of research for the Council of State Government s Justice Center, said programs that divert the mentally ill, treat substance abuse and help prisoners reach selfsufficiency once they are released will help ease the jail population growth and the rate of recidivism. Providing adequate transportation options, safe and affordable housing and the requisite after-care treatment of mental health or substance abuse issues are also key. More than 650,000 prisoners are released each year in Texas, a state that is well above the national average of incarcerated people with 687 per 100,000 people. Other solutions to the overcrowding problem discussed during the symposium include more bonding options, better pre-trial services to reduce the number of pre-trial offenders in jails and expanding and using work Conference attendees listen to the speakers panel. release programs, day reporting centers and technology to track probationers and parolees. Attendees included staff from Travis County, the Center for Healthcare Services, the Bexar County, Bexar County District and Criminal Courts staff and many more. Managing jail populations, ensuring that criminals are adequately punished and keeping the public safe is a delicate balance, but not an impossible one, criminal justice experts said. Keynote Speaker Dr. Tony Fabelo shares his views. Legislators Leticia Van de Putte, Trey Martinez-Fischer and Councilman Roland Gutierrez speak to the crowd. A participant has a question for the panel. The 11 th annual Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure is scheduled Saturday, March 29, Register online by visiting or go to your San Antonio area H-E-B to pick up a Race brochure. You can participate individually or set up a team of 10 or more! And there are many volunteer opportunities. After February 5 th, visit for a complete listing. Support of Race helps Komen carry out its promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Seventy-five percent of net funds raised in San Antonio stay right here in our community to provide vital breast cancer screening, treatment and education. Every step brings us closer to finding the cure. See you at Race! Ten years of Race for the Cure pictures from Komen site at VOLUME TWO ISSUE TWO PAGE 3

4 Bexar County Training Calendar - February/March 2008 Date Course/Class Scheduled Time Location February 15 CPR & First Aid 8:00-5:00 Training Center February 19 Beginner Spanish (Pt. 3) 9:00-4:00 Training Center February 20 How to Get Organized 9:00-4:00 Training Center February 21 Leadership Techniques 9:00-4:00 Training Center February 22 Employee Orientation 9:00-4:30 Training Center February 25 Outlook XP Level 2 9:00-4:00 Information Services February 26 Beginner Spanish (Pt. 4) 9:00-4:00 Training Center February 26 Access XP Level 2 9:00-4:00 Information Services February 27 Retirement Seminar 9:00-12:00 Training Center February 27 Retirement Seminar 1:00-4:00 Training Center February 27 Excel XP Level 2 9:00-4:00 Information Services February 28 Self Defense Awareness 1:00-4:00 Training Center February 28 WORD XP Level 2 9:00-4:00 Information Services February 29 Preparing for Promotion 9:00-4:00 Training Center February 29 PowerPoint XP Level 2 9:00-4:00 Information Services March 5 Sexual Harassment 9am-11:30am Training Center March 6 LDP Tour 9am-12pm March 7 Employee Orientation 9am-4:30pm Training Center March 11 LDP Training 9am-4pm Training Center March 12 Professionalism: Building Your Image 9am-12pm Training Center March 12 San Antonio College Counselors 10am-2pm Training Center March 13 Memory Power Tools 9am-12pm Training Center March 13 Designed for Success 1pm-4pm Training Center March 14 CPR & First Aid 8am-5pm Training Center March 20 Employee Orientation 9am-4:30pm Training Center March 21 Good Friday Holiday March 26 Defensive Driving 9am-4pm Training Center Course dates and times are valid as of the date of publication and are subject to change. All classes are available for County employees. Make sure you have your supervisor s permission or the appropriate authority to enroll and attend a class. Register for Information Technology (Computer) classes at ISTrainingRequest@bexar.org. For all other classes, contact Adam Leos at AdamLeos@bexar.org or (210) VOLUME TWO ISSUE TWO PAGE 4

5 SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES FOR FEBRUARY 2008 FIVE YEARS Garcia, Roxana Grewe-Reyes, Michelle Harris, Andrew R. Hunt, Marquita M. Martinez, David R. McCrea, Edward B. Riojas, Peter S. Community Investment Olveda, Joann T. Criminal District Attorney Martini, Jason A. Criminal District Attorney Shaw, Thomas J. District Courts-Civil Shaner, Gay L. District Courts-Criminal Gittinger, Karolyn K. Juvenile Detention Keller, Janet L. Juvenile Detention Lopez, Cynthia Juvenile Detention Robinson, Lakesia Juvenile Probation Jones, Mark R. Road Operations Bartlett, Diane J. Cardenas, Floyd M. Christensen, Teresa I. Garcia, Pedro R. Saldana, Nancy Smith, Bryan J. Vasquez, Gregory Tax Assessor-Collector Sczech, Dorothy L. TEN YEARS Garcia, Ruben S. Building Maintenance DeLaGarza, James R. Building Maintenance Rodriguez, Virgil M. Community Supv. & Correction Linares, Hector L. Community Supv & Correction Montalvo, Arthur E. Community Supv & Correction Murillo, Dora H. Criminal District Attorney Enriquez, Juanita R. Criminal District Attorney Wilson-Ortiz, Wendi K. Justice of Peace-Precinct 4 Trejo, Elizabeth A. Juvenile Probation Martinez, Juan J. Juvenile Probation Parker, David E. Juvenile Probation Sanchez, Sylvia M. Cerna, Fred A. King, Margaret FIFTEEN YEARS Community Investment Gonzalez, Celina Community Supv & Correction Lloyd, Bonnie L. County Clerk Leyva, Janie L. Juvenile Probation Mares, Petra A. Juvenile Probation Silva, Antonio TWENTY YEARS Gonzalez, Janie H. Criminal Justice Planning & Coord. Roberson, Norma Information Services Rose, Gary L. Road Operations Barbosa, Bonifacio Road Operations Morales, Johnny H. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS Van Velkinburgh, Gloria Wendland, William D. Community Supv & Correction Esquivel, Leticia I. Hinojosa, Abel D. Ramos, Alice B. FMLA continued from page 1 posted on the PRM intranet website at PRM/HRPolicies.html. Under the new law, FMLA-eligible employees will now be entitled to the following: Family Leave Due to a Call to Active Duty This benefit provides 12 weeks of FMLA leave due to a spouse, son, daughter or parent being on active duty or having been notified of an impending call or order to active duty in the Armed Forces. Leave may be used for any qualifying exigency arising out of the servicemember s current tour of active duty or because the servicemember is notified of an impending call to duty in support of a contingency operation. (The Department of Labor (DOL) will determine what a qualifying exigency is.) Caregiver Leave for an Injured Servicemember This benefit provides 26 weeks of FMLA leave during a single 12-month period for a spouse, son, daughter, parent, or nearest blood relative caring for a recovering service member. A recovering service member is defined as a member of the Armed Forces who suffered an injury or illness while on active-duty that may render the person unable to perform the duties of the member s office, grade, rank or rating. VOLUME TWO ISSUE TWO PAGE 5