Greetings Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Staff and Contract Providers,
 
The following are newly posted departmental policies, procedures, notices, and forms from Nov. through Dec. 2022.
 
Please review, as each DBH staff member is responsible for familiarization with Department Notices, policies, procedures, and forms. These items can be found on the DBH Website, under the “For Agencies” drop down menu in the section titled “Documents.” You can locate each document by clicking the appropriate tab and typing the title or number into the search box on the right. You can also search by sorting the column titled "Name" (by clicking on it) and locating the document alphabetically.
 
New Policies and Procedures:
• HR4032 Hybrid Telework Policy
• HR4032-1 Hybrid Telework Procedure
• SUDRS0243 Fentanyl Test Strips Project Policy
• SUDRS0243-1 Fentanyl Test Strips Project Procedure

Revised Policies and Procedures:
• BOP3045 Web Blast Policy
• BOP3045-1 Web Blast Procedure
• BOP3047 Request to Change the DBH Websites Policy
• BOP3047-1 Request to Change the DBH Websites Procedure
• MDS2008 Control, Access and Accountability of Medications and Medical Supplies Policy
• MDS2008-1 Control, Access and Accountability of Medications and Medical Supplies Procedure

New Forms:
• MDS032 Non-Medication Resource Log and Instructions

Revised Forms:
• COM041 myAvatar Policy/Procedure Acknowledgement Form

Interim Instruction Notices:
• IIN 22-001 Note Timeliness
• IIN 22-002 Co-Occurring Diagnosis
• IIN 22-003 Treatment Prior to Assessment  

For more information, contact Policy Management Unit by email or phone at (909) 388-0877.
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Thank you!
Office of Compliance

Please join us on Webex for Trauma Informed Approaches to Suicide and Self-Harm training, a two-part webinar presented from 10 - 11:30 a.m. and 1 - 2:30 p.m. on Weds., Feb. 15.  Attendance at both parts is required for credit.

This training provides approaches for understanding trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD as keys to working with individuals at risk for suicide or self-harm. It considers how a trauma informed framework helps prevent suicide and self-harm in trauma-exposed populations and how to develop a relapse prevention intervention that addresses suicide.

This training is currently under review for Continuing Education (CE) credits.

Staff may register at http://dbh.training.reliaslearning.com. For additional information, call (800) 722-9866.
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Thank you,
Workforce Education & Training (WET)

myAvatar electronic health record (EHR) self-guided training modules are now available in Relias.

• myAvatar Basics: The foundational skills needed to access and utilize the system.
• myAvatar Initial Contact Log Bundle: Documenting a client’s initial contact information and entering new clients.
• myAvatar Mental Health Intake & Scheduling: Using the system for client admissions, intake, consents, and scheduling.
• myAvatar Mental Health Treating Clinician: Using the system for the full range of clinical documentation.

The courses are successive and should be taken in sequence. Staff should enroll in the courses that provide the correct level of training for their classification and job duties.

Thank you,
Workforce Education & Training (WET)

​Did you know there are Trainee classifications for many of the positions DBH has? What this means for those hiring is you can increase the number of candidates if you request the traditional position and trainee classification on the Request to Fill. If requesting trainee classification, please indicate under “Special Skills” requesting trainee list in addition to the traditional position. Here is a list of positions within DBH that have a Trainee classification:

• Application Specialist
• Automated Systems Analyst
• Employment Services Spec
• Health Information Coder
• Media Specialist
• Mental Health Specialist
• Social Worker II
• Staff Analyst II
• Staff Training Instructor

For more information about the trainee position, please see the County Human Resources Website for the job description: Class Specifications | Sorted by ClassTitle ascending | Join San Bernardino County Team! (governmentjobs.com) or call DBH Human Resources at (909) 388-0890 for more information.

​Creating a drug misuse prevention and disposal plan is a huge achievement. As part of the departments plan, Deterra will be available for order by all Department programs and clinics. Deterra Drug Deactivation and Disposal System is used by government agencies, healthcare providers, pharmacies, employers, and individuals nationwide to control the misuse of prescription drugs and other harmful substances including opioids, fentanyl, vaping fluids, “gummies” and other street drugs and dispose of them properly.
To order Deterra pouches:

• Email your Program Manager with the following information:
  • First/last name,
  • Requested quantity, and
  • Program and location address,
• Program Managers and above will:
  • Send an email to cultural_competency@dbh.sbcounty.gov.
  • Email will contain quantities of Deterra needed and a pick-up person for their program, or Interoffice Mail Code.

Pick up will be at the Vanderbilt office two days after email was submitted. A confirmation email will be sent to the identified staff member with a Cc to the submitting Program Manager.

Four San Bernardino County individuals were successful in passing the first pilot round of state testing and are now certified Peer Specialists, including DBH Peer and Family Advocate (PFA) Sidney Suarez.

Prior to working as a PFA in San Bernardino County, Sidney worked a variety of jobs that required him to be attentive and understanding of others. He worked many years for the City of Fontana in the after-school program to build and foster curriculum for middle school students. After that, he began helping in Special Day Classes using Applied Behavior Analysis as a special-education paraprofessional.

"This is where my outlook shifted and my heart felt more compelled to help those in need of support with mental health," Sidney said.

​Attention all spirit leaders, morale boosters, and champions for change! The Public Relations and Outreach (PRO) team is looking for enthusiastic staff members eager to inspire others and get involved within the department.
 
If you are the team member who enjoys coordinating activities, then the Employee Action Committee is for you! This committee is open to all positions and all divisions.
 
To join the Employee Action Committee staff must:

• Be meeting performance standards,
• Have direct Supervisor approval,
• Be committed to meeting for one hour a month to discuss and plan department wide activities,
• Serve as an ambassador for your division and provide information to staff on upcoming activities, to increase participation, and
• Work alongside other change champions to spread team spirit, boost morale, and create a positive atmosphere throughout the department.

Effective Jan. 1, 2023, staff must submit all web blast requests via the DBH Intranet. On the Public Relations and Outreach page, staff can submit a  Web Blast Request Form. All web blasts will be published following the PRO 2023 Master Updates Calendar. 
 
For website update requests, staff must submit a Website Update Request Form.

Web blast and website update requests sent to dbh_pio@dbh.sbcounty.gov will NOT be processed and must be submitted via the request form. Click the button below to view an informational video about the process.