A Monthly Publication for Native American Health Center Employees

Vol. 4, Issue 2 — February 2011 Page 1

In this issue:

⇒ Running is my High ..……...…………………...… Page 1

⇒ HR Buzz: Policy & Procedure Updates ……….. Page 2

⇒ FCGC Department Hosts D. Bigfoot…….....….. Page 2

⇒ Employee Spotlight: Mark Espinosa.…….........Page 3

⇒ Employee Anniversaries………………….….…….Page 3

⇒ A New Face at NAHC….……….…….....…..…..…Page 3

⇒ Safety Corner ~ Neighborhood Safety…...……Page 4

⇒ NAHC Upcoming Events Flyers……..…………....Page 4

10th Annual Running Is My High

By Laura McLively, RD

Native American Health Center will be hosting its 10th annual Running Is My High (RIMH) on March 12th, 2011. This 5K or 10K walk or run around Lake Merritt offers our Native American community a fun challenge and promotes physical activity and health for our community. Your presence at RIMH, whether as a registered runner, a volunteer, or as a cheerleader at the finish-line, contributes to the collective energy and togetherness that makes this event a favorite every year.

With the theme “Return to Traditions,” RIMH will highlight some of the many healthy traditions in Native American culture. Stress management, traditional dance, nutritious foods, gardening, and environmentally-conscious practices are just some of the topics that will be showcased at the booths and activities this year.

Last year’s RIMH drew more people than ever, with over 320 people registered to walk or run the Lake Merritt loop. This is great news as it demonstrates that more people than ever are excited about celebrating active, healthy lifestyles.

Please consider signing up to participate as a volunteer or as a walker/runner in NAHC’s tenth annual Running is My High. Whether you sign up to walk or run the course or to volunteer, you are contributing to the strong sense of community that makes this event special, as well as declaring a commitment to health in a place and time that needs it most.

Kids ages 12 and under pay $5 to register for the race. People ages 13 and over pay $10 if they register before March 1st and $15 after March 1st. For more details or to download a registration form go to www.nativehealth.org. For questions or to sign up as a volunteer contact Laura McLively at 510-535-4463 or lauram@nativehealth.org.

Employee Spotlight

Mark Espinosa Page 3

Give Kids a Smile Day

February 4, 2011

FREE! Dental screenings and toothbrush kits

for children ages 0-18!

When: Friday February 4th, 2011 2p.m. – 4:30p.m.

Where: Native American Health Center Dental Department

2950 International Blvd. – 2rd Floor Oakland, CA. 94601

Face painting, Fun, Games, and Educational! CONTACT THE DENTAL

DEPARTMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION 510.535.4450

Valentines Day Monday, February 14, 2011

A Monthly Publication for Native American Health Center Employees

Vol. 4, Issue 2 — February 2011 Page 2

HR Buzz: NAHC’s Policy and Procedures Manual Updates

Harassment Policy Update

Updated Policies & Procedure Manual

NAHC has worked closely with legal consultants and its own internal executive team for the past several months to update the Policies & Procedures Manual (PPM.) The PPM will replace the NAHC Employee Handbook and the former Policies & Procedures Manual effective January 25, 2011 [date of Board of Directors approval.] Executive Directors will roll out the updated PPM to all staff in early February. Updates include recent changes in Leave of Absence laws, as well as other, often more generous policies than those previously cited in the Employee Handbook. The PPM captures items from the union contract (Collective Bargaining Agreement - CBA) such as Employee Birthday counted as a holiday and also makes reference to the CBA where appropriate. Bereavement Leave also includes extended family. All staff will have access to the updated PPM on the shared drive and a hard copy will be available for each department. As always, HR will be available to answer questions on the updated policies.

Harassment Policy Update

HR has created an updated Policies & Procedures Manual that serves as a guide for all NAHC employees to follow. One of the major policies is 208.8 Policy: Sexual Harassment & Prohibited Harassment which states certain behaviors and conduct as prohibited. All supervisors are required to take two-hour training on harassment every two years. This year, HR will train all supervisors on harassment via WebEx. Although the burden of preventing, recognizing and de-escalating harassment-type situations is the responsibility of supervisors, senior management & HR, we all have a duty to understand and stick to the Prohibited Harassment policy. The bottom line of the policy is to treat all people (coworkers, patients, clients, vendors, etc.) with the dignity and respect they deserve. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Here at NAHC, lines can become blurred between workplace, family and friends and boundaries can and do get crossed. That’s why we should all question our assumptions and be clear with our own and others’ boundaries. We are all here to serve the community and we all work toward fulfilling the Mission Statement; these are the threads that hold us together. Questions, comments, or bits of conversation that seem innocent; have the potential to offend other people, such as: comments regarding weight, appearance, diet, age, national origin, disability, etc. Most people are protected by law somehow, whether it’s because of age [40 and over]; gender; minority status; pregnancy; disability or perceived disability, just to name a few. Questions and comments like how old are you? When do you plan on retiring? You look like you’ve lost weight can be perceived as offensive and could result in a harassment claim. Joke emails could fall into the hands of someone who doesn’t find the joke funny, but rather, offensive. The bottom line is for us to try our best to act professional and err on the side of caution. If what’s about to come out of your mouth or the words you are about to type in an email could be construed as offensive, think twice about sending that message. Any questions regarding the harassment policy can be directed to supervisors, department directors, or HR.

FCGC Hosts Dolores Bigfoot By Michele Maas

The Family & Child Guidance Clinic hosted Dolores Subia Bigfoot a well-known American Indian psychologist from the Indian Country Child Trauma Center of the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Bigfoot presented to staff, community members and allied professionals in both San Francisco and Oakland. She provided two system partner trainings and both events were well attended with more than 80 attendees at each training. Her presentations pro-vided an in depth review of genocidal policies that continue to impact the lives of Ameri-can Indian and Alaska Natives and reminded us that our ancestors “prayed for us” explaining each generation is the 7th genera-tion because our ancestors thought about us 7 generations ago. These presentations were made possible through two Family & Child Guidance Clinic grants, Urban Native Center for Life Empowerment (UNCLE) and Urban Trails San Francisco.

For direct service staff and community members, Dolores Bigfoot provided an overview of her adaptation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for American Indian Children, an evidence based practice that has been used in urban and reservation populations. Dr. Bigfoot’s work is rooted in a Medicine Wheel model of well-being. She talked about how well-being is a balance of the relational process, thought process, behavior process and emotional process with the spirit intersecting and connecting each compo-nent. The Family & Child Guidance Clinic is grateful to Bree Desmond and Janet King and everyone else involved in the coordina-tion of a most informative week.

A Monthly Publication for Native American Health Center Employees

Vol. 4, Issue 2 — February 2011 Page 3

Darlene Petropoulos

Billing 02/06/1976 (35 Years)

Susan Jamerson Administration 02/05/1997 (14 Years)

Michele Maas FCGC 02/10/2003 (8 Years)

Monica Marquez Medical 02/02/2004 (7 Years)

Rachel Pede-monte

Medical 02/19/2007 (4 Years)

Jacqueline Lomeli Dental 02/09/2008 (3 Years)

Juanita Giron-Vargas

FCGC 02/23/2009 (2 Years)

Michelle Shawnego

Administration 02/17/2009 (2 Years)

David Kagel IT 02/10/2009 (2 Years)

DeJuana Presley Medical 02/01/2009 (2 Years)

Aurora Mamea FCGC 02/16/2010

(1 Year)

Allison Desmond FCGC 02/08/2010

(1 Year)

David Samlan FCGC 02/08/2010

(1 Year)

Veronica Shawnego

Nutrition / Fit-ness

02/01/2010 (1 Year)

February Employment Anniversaries Employee spotlight: Mark Espinosa, Executive Director SF NAHC

By Catherine A. Marin-Wisdom, Administrative Officer

Tribe: Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (North Carolina)

Title: Executive Director, San Francisco

Site/Department: SF - Administration

How long have you worked @ NAHC? It will be six years in March!

Tell us a little about your job:

As ED, I am responsible for the overall operations of the clinic, from ordering supplies, contracts and grants, personnel, patient complaints – I’ve been known to even paint or clean the bathrooms up a few times! Most importantly, I see my job as supportive to the staff to make sure that they have all of the resources that they need to do their job.

What is the most enjoyable part about your job?

I would say the most enjoyable part of my job is seeing all of the patients come through the door and leaving the clinic feeling better than they did when they came in. I also like interacting with the staff and hearing about their lives and experiences. It’s so amazing that we all struggle in our daily lives, yet we put that all aside to make sure that we provide services to those that have less and depend on us. What do you do to relax on the weekends?

I try to hang out with friends or take short weekend trips. I also like to get household chores done. One thing about me is I am a total homebody. I would be happy being in my house all weekend. I love it – it’s my sanctuary.

What is your ideal vacation?

Someday I would like to go to Spain or Italy – but I have to admit I hate flying over water!

What three things would you take on a deserted island?

My cat – he’s the best hunter ever! Solar powered radio. Water desalination system – ok, I’m being realistic here.

New Face @NAHC:

April Fernandez On-Call Medical As-sistant 7D Medical Dept San Francisco Executive Director

Mark Espinosa

A Monthly Publication for Native American Health Center Employees

Vol. 4, Issue 2 — February 2011 Page 4

Attention Staff: Do you want to contribute to @NAHC?? If you have an article, suggestion, or comment about

future newsletters, please contact Cathy Wisdom at 510-434-5481 or via email: CatherineW@NativeHealth.org

By Dawn Lulua-Claxton

How much do you really know about your neighborhood when you move in? Sure, the landlord/realtor gives you the wonderful statistics about how great the school system is, the easy commute and the nearby activities. But do they share with you information regarding assaults, robbery or sexual predators who live in the vicinity? I’ve learned that if you want to know about something, and it’s important, you had better do the research yourself and not rely on a third party. Before moving anywhere, view the Free Crime Maps & Sex Offender listing on the internet. You should be able to view your neighborhood using several sites. I have to say, I felt much better about my community after having searched my neighborhood. But then I took it a step further and started viewing the neighborhoods of my elderly in-laws & friends with small children. I was horrified to find out in my in-law’s community there were several registered sex offenders within a 10-mile radius! They live very close to middle schools. Now I am glad that I opted for a school where I drop and pick up my children. This has, however, allowed me the opportunity to have a conversation with them about their personal security. Unfortunately, they were the type of people that assume they’ll live forever and nothing will happen. So far, they’re right. But, by viewing a few crime maps with them I was able to review safety measures that should be in place for them. I would encourage everyone to check out their neighborhood and those of family and friends. Some Sites to check:

www.crimespotting.com www.crimereports.com www.crimemapping.com www.meganslaw.ca.gov