Support Report

Newsletter 1 Suppor t Repor tOrange County Department of Child Support Services

2020 SUMMER EDITION2 OC CSS INDEX GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DDC PAGE # 4 STRONGER TEAMS IN A CRISIS PAGE # 5 RETURN TO WORK PAGE # 5 WHAT’S NEW WITH THE FITNESS CENTER PAGE # 6 WHAT’S COOKING IN THE COLLECTIONS & PERFORMANCE REPORTS TEAM (CPRT)? PAGE # 7 STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING COLLABORATION IN A CRISIS PAGE # 8 CALL CENTER READY TO HELP! PAGE # 9 WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY! TEAMWORK IN ACTION! PAGE # 10 ZOOM & TOOLS 2 LEAD PAGE # 11 AROUND CSS PAGE # 12

Newsletter 3 FROM THE DIRECTOR -Steven Eldred Staying Flexible and Healthy in Trying Times In April I wrote that in these crazy times we need to stay resilient – able to flex and change as circumstances require. Had I only known how much we were all going to have to bend! The State and County are reopening for business. Go eat at a restaurant, go shopping, and get a haircut. Keep your kids home; no, part-time school; no, totally distanced learning. Wait - don’t do any of those things. CSS is bringing people back into the office. Uh, – we’re holding off for a month. No, six months. Remember the scene in A League of Their Own where the manager, played by Tom Hanks, and the star player, played by Geena Davis, are giving conflicting signals to the player on third base? Steal; no, hold. Run; no, wait for the signal. The poor woman looked like she was dancing – one foot in, then back. We all feel a little like that this year. So, what do we focus on? I am doing my best to provide some stability and a planning forecast for us. The six months telework extension should allow us to get the right equipment to those who need it, get some procedures for teleworking perfected, and get everyone into the groove of providing high-quality services to our customers. So, keep doing what you’ve been doing – focus on personal health. Get your exercise, make time for your loved ones and your hobbies. If you are stressed, your family and your customers will notice. Secondly, develop a plan for your work and maximize the opportunity. When I work from home, I have to make a schedule of what I will do during the day and assign times and tasks to myself. Others just dive in and before they know it, they’ve missed lunch. Find what works for you. Above all, if you’re struggling don’t do it alone - reach out for help. If you have personal stress call a friend, faith leader, or trusted family member. If you have work issues, reach out to your leaders. They will not always be able to solve your issue to your satisfaction. Sometimes the answer is not the one we hoped for. But trust that your leaders want you to be safe and successful and will try their best to make that happen within the rules we’re given. As to our work, collections are up. Way up, in terms of stimulus checks intercepted. We’ve reopened the lobby and we’re seeing a steady flow of customers every day. We’re filing modifications and are back to generating new summons/complaints. Our Legal Teams are processing parents through court in a virtual setting. And every unit is showing amazing creativity with new tools or approaches to our work. Our customers appreciate that. So, stay healthy, stay flexible, and stay dedicated to our mission. This tough time will pass and we’ll be impressed at how gracefully we handled it. Steven Eldred

4 OC CSS Getting to Know Shawn Davis Your DDC Attorney I Why did you choose this career? I’m very excited to be working at OC CSS because I get to serve families in our community. I chose to study law and dispute resolution because I enjoy working with people and helping them solve problems. What college(s) did you graduate from? I obtained my B.A. in history from UCLA, then went on to earn my law degree and a master’s in dispute resolution from Pepperdine University. Did you practice law prior to working for OC CSS? Years of experience? Prior to working for OC CSS, I worked with lawyers and judges, but in the capacity of a mediation program director and dispute resolution trainer. What attracted you to OC CSS? I grew up in Orange County, so it was really exciting to find a position where I could bring my skills and experience back to serving this community. I love the focus that OC CSS puts on working as a team to serve our customers. What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? I love hiking, climbing and snowshoeing. I also love all kinds of dancing, especially swing and salsa. I really enjoy singing and used to be part of a choir made up entirely of lawyers and judges. My other favorite things are cooking, baking, and hosting parties for my friends and family. What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment(s)? One thing that I am proud of is having been able to make a career out of helping families when they might be feeling their most vulnerable. I spent several years helping families who faced losing their homes to foreclosure. I also ran a program that helped teens and their families deal with mental health and substance abuse issues. Now, at OC CSS, I am able to help families navigate difficult situations, so kids receive the support they need. Can you tell me about your family? My boyfriend Jeff and I met in the Sierra Club, so we love to spend time adventuring in nature. I have two amazing sisters and they are both pregnant. I’m so excited to become an aunt for the first time. I also adore my stubborn, very affectionate American Staffordshire Terrier named Poppy. BACK HOME

Newsletter 5 StrongerCTeramiss IinsA By Casey Aguilar The most effective teams do four specific things consistently well. They trust and empower, share common goals, make decisions in the service of the common good and they foster a sense of belonging. Putting these traits into action/practice: Trust and empower: Faced with so many unknowns, leaders can strengthen their teams by allowing autonomy. This independence will build trust. Share common goals: Shared common goals afford leaders and staff the ability to see the future in the same way and assist with staying focused rather than veering off course. Make decisions in service of the common good: In a crisis, teams must not lose sight of the bigger picture. Pause, ask questions and determine how to balance short-term triage with long-term priorities. Foster a sense of belonging: For teams that have moved to working from home, losing the connection of being together every day can lessen the shared sense of belonging. In crisis, leaders need to be available, stay authentic and find ways to connect! A crisis, such as the coronavirus, will pose challenges to teams, but by strengthening these four traits, teams can emerge stronger. Not only will well-functioning teams be critical to making it through the pandemic, they will be essential for thriving after. Return To Work By Esther Hernandez What does “Return to Work” look like for some of our teams? Though “Normal” day-to-day business practices have changed, our mission remains the same. Finding the perfect balance between all the changes and taking care of our customers can be tough at times - yet CSS can and will succeed! We are resilient. Case Initiation, Establishment and Stipulation Teams successfully returned to the office on a part-time rotational schedule to ensure readiness for our customers when our doors opened on July 1st. Leaders worked together with their staff to implement safety measures. Staff worked tirelessly on preparedness behind the scenes, to ensure the customer service we are known for would remain intact! Things went smoothly on day one (July 1st). The customers we helped didn’t notice any difference to our customer service and staff greeted them with smiling eyes through our masks. The rest is history. Our teams interviewed over 90 customers in the first seven days of the reopening. Kudos to all the hard-working customer service staff. Leadership is very pleased to have you assisting our families. Feel proud! You are providing great service to our customers – and it shows!

6 OC CSS FiWtnhaet’ssNsewCWiethnThteer By Iriss Barriga As a result of COVID-19, CSS’ Fitness Center has implemented new safety guidelines when using the gym. The biggest change is that members will no longer be able to walk in at their leisure and work out in a crowded fitness center. Additional changes include: To maintain social distancing members will need to make an appointment to use the facility up to a week in advance. Access has been restricted to one entry and one exit way - to avoid members colliding with each other in the narrow walkway. Some treadmills will be safely blocked off to maintain 6-feet social distancing requirements between machines. Additional cleaning stations with disinfectant spray, cleaning wipes and extra garbage cans have been added to aid in the clean-up process before and after workouts. Showers have been stocked with a cleaning spray bottle and brush for Fitness Center members to use for pre and post shower cleaning. During this historical period, we are less social, less active, spend more time indoors and eat more comfort food; the Fitness Center reopening could help curb those COVID blues we’ve been feeling. Did you know? Exercise is shown to produce endorphins that typically last 3-4 hours after a workout, and up to 36 hours of increased calorie burn after an intense 30-minute session. Interested in joining the Fitness Center? Contact [email protected] Click here to review the Covid-19 Gym Guidelines BACK HOME

Newsletter 7 What’s Cooking in the Collections & Performance Reports Team (CPRT)? By Jose Najera Decades ago, when I attended chef school, the major mailbox, trainings, team meetings and individual focus was on cooking fundamentals, technique, conferences, CPRT adapted to new technology and and perfection. Aside from learning where the best successfully adjusted to a changed work environment. sourdough bread is made, I was taught that the goal of CPRT’s Federal Fiscal Year 2019 accomplishments cooking should be to bring folks together. Whether it’s a include: good old-fashioned 4th of July BBQ or high-level haute cuisine, the goal is the same, to bring folks together. Collected over $890,174 in credit card payments It was a fun, eye-opening experience that allowed me to sample interesting flavors from around the world Contributed to the following special projects: (e.g., escargot and kale-pache). It also required me to Zero/Reserved Orders Workgroup, Safe acclimate to a new regimented environment. Access Workgroup, Arrears Workgroup, Incarcerated NCP Project and Locate Project The valuable lessons I learned in chef school are applicable in CPRT. Many of the same cooking principles CPRT might not be able to currently hold in-person parallel ours: bring folks together to meet objectives, gatherings or use expensive spices or perishable perfect our product by focusing on the needs of ingredients, but our unshakable fundamentals are customers, ensure the appropriate components the same: passion, servant leadership, commitment, and tools are used, and use correct proportions of community engagement and the drive to perfect our resources. Lastly, the presentation of our completed craft. We continue refining and perfecting our products product - our accomplishments and customer praises. to the point where it will become an art form. Our goal will always be to lead the way. So which ingredients do we use in CPRT? The latest and greatest in CSS technology, teamwork emulsified with know-how and a can-do attitude, enthusiasm, a good serving of open communication, mission clarification, and flexibility; with all that we have a pretty good dish. In addition to our regular duties of working in CMT, COAP, Demand Desk, SET, Here to Help Line, SSA

8 OC CSS Strategies for PromotingICnollaAboCrartiiosnis By Casey Aguilar Effective collaboration is key for long-term success of organizations. During a crisis situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations need to pull together experts with unique cross-functional perspectives to solve rapidly changing and sometimes complex problems that have long-term implications. The diversity of experience allows groups to see risks and opportunities from different perspectives so they can generate new solutions and adapt effectively to changing situations. Research shows that in high-risk situations, such as a crisis, anxiety makes people less likely to seek out differing opinions, preferring to fall back on familiar actions and solutions. Collaboration has a huge impact on whether companies and individuals thrive or just survive. As uncertainty increases during a crisis, highly collaborative people evolve their approach to completing their work. Ways to promote collaboration include: 1 Encourage questions – challenge each other’s assumptions and offer new ideas. 2 Connect with the front-line staff – leaders should make direct contact with each of their team members and see how they are doing; this is especially critical when people are working remotely. 3 Reinforce team purpose and goals frequently – a belief that work fulfills a higher purpose is motivating, and understanding the goals helps people see how they individually contribute to the bigger picture. 4 Have team members reflect on their preferred way of working – when under stress, we are more likely to retreat to our comfort zone so it is important to consider what tendencies come most naturally to us. As a team member becomes more aware of their typical ‘styles’ they can start to figure out how to use those tendencies to work more effectively as a group. 5 Play to your strengths – rather than trying to change your natural tendencies, which is almost impossible during the stress of a crisis, focus instead on consciously using your style to improve collaboration. During this especially difficult time, take time to pause and acknowledge each other. Collaboratively celebrating, even the smallest milestone, supports engagement and will boost team cohesiveness! “A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of others.” – Norman Shidle BACK HOME

Newsletter 9 CCenatlel r Ready to Help! By Patty Rosas-DeLeon, Michele Tsachpinis, Kim Phung and Frances Nguyen Who would have imagined during this year we would be dealing with social distancing, wearing masks, quarantining, not seeing co-workers, friends and family; most of all - our customers! The impact of the pandemic started to set in when our lobbies closed to the public and front-line customer service temporarily shifted to the Call Center. Call Center agents stayed engaged with our customers and community by providing the most up-to-date information. As customers reached out to us, agents continued responding to inquiries related to loss of employment, stimulus checks, and other uncertainties. During these unknown times, empathy and personalization are two fundamental aspects of quality customer service. It’s more than just about knowing someone’s name, it is taking an additional step to provide customized guidance, knowing a payment history, offering options, and being responsive to their unique situation. Customer service remains a priority and Call Center is dedicated to helping one customer at a time to make a difference. What customers are saying: • CP stated she would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank the entire CSS Agency! • “Your office is amazing. So many cases and such a great response time on inquiries. Thank you for your services. Your Department assistance rocks.” Staff feedback: • Since COVID-19 our customers have been very grateful that our Call Center has remained open. It has been rewarding to me knowing we are available and ready to assist our community during these challenging times. • Our customers are thankful that we care and are here to serve them in any way we can. Supervisor feedback: • We are thankful for your commitment, your dedication and skill. Mostly for being here for our community.

10 OC CSS Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way! Team Work in Action! By David Ruvalcaba One thing COVID-19 could not do was stop our herculean efforts of collecting and distributing child support monies to families. The following narrative is a perfect example of teamwork in action, excellent customer service, and proof that where there’s a will, there’s a way. Enforcement Team 3 CSS Trinh Tran received a phone call from the parent paying support who made two credit card payments, one for $200 and another for $2,800, totaling $3,000. NCP stated he would call back in about a week to make another $5,000 payment and should have the remaining balance of $5,000 paid before end of May 2020. The combined total of all payments would be $13,000 – an amount agreed upon between both parents to close the case. All communication and payments were on track per the agreement…until COVID-19 hit. As a result, Trinh began teleworking and did not have access to a County-issued phone. She quickly contacted Enforcement Team 1 CSS Amanda Griffith, who was onsite, brought her up to speed with case specifics and asked her to reach out to NCP regarding his final payment. Amanda contacted NCP to let him know that even though Trinh could not personally contact him, Amanda could assist him with accepting his final payment and paying off his case. Great proactive action and customer service! Because of this collaboration, NCP made the final $5,000 payment and the case is successfully closed. Although collections were credited to Team 1, it was great teamwork and collaboration that allowed us to collect the last of the $13,000 balance. KUDOS and thank you Trinh Tran Amanda Griffith! BACK HOME

Newsletter 11 ZOOM & Tools 2 Lead By Gladys Hayashi Priorities changed when COVID-19 was identified as a pandemic and the Stay at Home order was issued. How do we continue with Toastmasters, a public speaking club, when we can’t meet in the same room due to social distancing? A challenge Tools 2 Lead had to overcome. Amid all this change, the club found a way to stay connected and offer members support with fostering the feeling of normalcy. Of course, safety and health come first, but the human mind needs more than that. In times of uncertainty, we all seek support and some type of routine. We continued to meet, and we started having our meetings using the ZOOM platform. In a time where many use FaceTime on their iPhone or other virtual platforms for video phone calls, it’s natural to assume most members would be used to navigating through this technology. However, most did not feel entirely comfortable “being on video” or using ZOOM. Elected officers did a great job in exploring ZOOM and its features to support club members. Our President, Esther Hernandez, encouraged members to become familiar with the virtual setting in the first ZOOM meeting. Our Vice President of Education, Alex Gutierrez, offered to help members during her break. They helped us feel more comfortable using ZOOM. Now, almost three months since our first virtual meeting, we are giving speeches, sharing our screen and presenting with PowerPoint like professionals! We still encounter minor technical issues, but overall, we are connected, supportive to one another, and continue to develop our public speaking skills. The ability to present in a virtual setting is a skillset we can add to our list of accomplishments. This achievement highlights our club’s ability to thrive, adapt and to see change as an opportunity to grow. Keeping Teams Connected

AROUND CSS12 OC CSS INDEX COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AWARDS PAGE # 14 TEAM OF THE QUARTER PAGE # 15 MANAGER OF THE QUARTER PAGE # 16 EMPLOYEE SUGGESTIONS & GOOGLE REVIEW PAGE # 17 CUSTOMER SERVICE COMPLIMENTS PAGE # 18 GROWTH THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHANGE PAGE # 19 SERVICE AWARDS PAGE # 19

Newsletter 13 CSS Rec2eivAeswards! By the CSS Executive Team Orange County CSS was selected as a winner of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award and the 2020 Western Intergovernmental Child Support Engagement Council (WICSEC) Program Engagement Award, specifically for our Safe Access Program. This program is composed of staff from all over the Department working together to ensure any of our parents or family members who may be experiencing family violence or threats can get the child support services they need without fear. This important program and your actions play a huge part in helping this vulnerable population overcome significant barriers and assisting them with attaining financial stability! This acknowledgement is a testament to your passion, dedication, creativity, and tenacity in serving this portion of our population. Congratulations CSS!

14 OC CSS COMMITMENT TO EX The Commitment to Excellence Award is presented to CSS employees in recognition of outstanding achievement, exemplary attitude or commitment to staff and customers. The following staff being recognized were nominated by their supervisors or peers. SAMANTHA PIO Nominated by Pamela Upton – During my long leave of absence, Samantha Pio was there for me every step of the way - from the beginning to the very end. Her patience, knowledge, and friendly demeanor certainly took the edge off a very difficult time in my life. Samantha would call me to update me on any new policies and procedures regarding my leave. She also provided options on how I could get needed documentation to her to continue my leave without any undue stress. She would always ask how I was doing and had genuine concern for my health and welfare. Samantha has always been respectful and kind. While always being professional, she kept a very stressful time to a minimum and I cannot thank her enough for that. Samantha is a great asset not only to HR but to our Department as a whole. Thank you, Samantha!! Nominated by Erica Louw – I would like to nominate Robin Savage on the Financial & ROBIN SAVAGAE Purchasing Services team for a Commitment to Excellence Award. Some of the timecards we navigate are complicated and we all know those pay codes can be confusing! Robin is a comfort during those times when you have limited time to turn in your timecards and you’re working your way through so many different scenarios. PDLV, FMLV, new pay codes? Then add in all the changes due to COVID-19. Thankfully with Robin’s help I know I’ve got this! Robin takes pride in her work and always displays a friendly, approachable demeanor. She is a benefit to the entire agency both with her superior internal customer service and the knowledge she has through years of experience. Thank you, Robin. Child Support Services is a better place with you in it! VERONICA ESPANA Nominated by Jerry Ocaya – Roni is my go-to resource person whenever I have questions regarding my mail-run duties, and I am impressed by her knowledge every time I ask her a question. She is always ready to help and takes the initiative to ask staff entering the Mail Room how she can help? I have also seen Roni provide guidance and training to her teammates, especially at this time when people are transitioning back to the office while telecommuting on other days. This can be a bit disorienting for some. Finally, when our agency reopened to the public for person-to-person customer assistance on July 1, 2020, Roni agreed to be the contact person at Mail Services. She will receive documents from walk-in customers that may need immediate scanning - so caseworkers assisting customers don’t have to handle the documents brought to them. Thank you, Roni!

Newsletter 15 XCELLENCE AWARDS TEAM OF THE QUARTER Marketing and Communications randon Reed David Ayala Aldenise Bel B cer Violeta Garcia Ruben Padilla Nominated by Casey Aguilar and Diana Orozco, Marketing and Communications Team (MCT) is especially deserving of this quarter’s Commitment to Excellence Team of the Quarter Award for their dedication, outstanding teamwork and ability to shift gears with only a moment’s notice! Violeta Garcia, Brandon Reed, Ruben Padilla, David Ayala and Aldenise Belcer have demonstrated their commitment to the department and to our customers not only for the work they accomplish on a daily basis, but by how they responded to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more than three months, the pace in the marketing unit has been extremely FAST! With so many changes affecting our staff and our customers, communication has been critical. To keep our customers updated with the most relevant information about our services upon the onset of COVID, MCT quickly began posting updates to CSS’ Internet page, sending texts and emails to customers and preparing signs for the lobby. The team diligently monitored and updated CSS’ Facebook page and went the extra mile to ensure customers who responded to the messages with requests for help had their cases reviewed. In support of efforts to ensure our CSS staff was kept updated by our Director and other leaders, MCT assisted with priority testing and videotaping of two virtual Town Halls and assisted with expediting the assembly, editing and releasing of various videos for staff. The team did whatever they could do to support the Department and our customers by learning new duties, coming in early, staying later and by asking, “What else can we do?” As a team, they worked exceptionally well together while remaining calm and focused on Congrats! the important tasks at hand and are very deserving of the Team of the Quarter recognition. AROUND CSS

16 OC CSS Manager of the Quarter Monique Johnson (April - June 2020) Monique demonstrates Senior Leadership overseeing Legal Services, Establishment and Case Initiation, that exemplifies our CSS values consistently. She is committed to our mission at CSS and equally committed to her staff’s individual and collective growth as a team. In her time as a Senior Leader, Monique has onboarded several new leaders and created onboarding practices that set new leaders up in the Department for success. She has delivered presentations on Strengths-Based Leadership and Transition to Leadership to managers and supervisors. Monique is consistently intentional and focused on leader development whether it is through formal programs, projects, presentations on leadership topics or by means of her daily interactions. During the last few months, Monique’s operational units were heavily impacted by unprecedented changes to our core business including COVID-related shutdowns of our OC Superior Court for 60 days and CSS Lobby Closure. Using her strength of Restorative, she was critical in CSS accomplishing our Emergency Telework objectives, working with her leaders and staff to respond quickly to the Court closure while establishing immediate text, email and written communication to customers impacted by closures. Her team quickly set up a Legal Services Hotline for customers to reach us directly with court-related questions and utilized data to develop projected delays in future court dates. This helped us understand the true impact to customers and plan accordingly including finding new ways to help customers obtain orders without having to go to court. Her quick response coupled with her partnership with our internal and external stakeholders on developing a strategy demonstrated her skill at formulating solutions to complex issues. Monique’s relationship-based Strengths of Relator and Connectedness are apparent in her continuous communication with her peers, staff and CSS Executive Team. She has been a key leader in our Employee Engagement initiative, leading the development of employee engagement pulse surveys, focus groups and communication sessions with our leadership team to discuss employee feedback and recommendations with the goal of continuous improvement. She is a trusted leader and advisor, developing trust and credibility throughout her leadership team. She was paramount in transitioning CSS from in-person court hearings to remote hearings, where customers, CSS staff and our Commissioners all appear virtually. To accomplish this transition smoothly, Monique ensured constant communication through formal and informal channels, bringing together experts from the business, technology and legal areas to implement new technology, calendaring methods, business processes, preparing facilities, communicating with staff and establishing methods to track results and challenges. This was critical as the Department had less than 45 days to prepare for this change in how we do business. Her flexibility and adaptability were paramount in continuing to serve our customers the best way we could during challenging times. Monique is focused on providing superior customer service while maintaining cost- effectiveness. She recently developed resource plans that quantify the impact of added or reduced staff to customer service levels. She has analyzed business processes such as “Meet & Confer,” and court workups to reduce duplication and maximize efficiency. She is a key participant in our CSS Customer Survey Governance committee and serves as lead of our NACo award-winning Safe Access Program. Through these initiatives, she continues to make our CSS value of Dedicated Customer Service a top priority. Monique exhibits Teamwork and Collaboration with her peers to create the best experience possible for our customers by partnering with other operational unit leaders and external partners to improve the customer experience. Monique emphasizes quality and strives to improve our customer experience through quality assurance programs within her units. She is committed to learning more about our customers’ needs, walking in our customers’ shoes and ensuring we treat each customer with respect. Monique’s Strengths are Responsibility, Relator, Restorative, Analytical and Connectedness. Monique is a Senior Leader who communicates our CSS vision and mission consistently. From the paragraphs above you can see she is clearly exercising her Strengths daily and bringing our CSS values to life! Please join me in acknowledging Monique on being a values-based leader with a continued commitment to helping CSS achieve our vision and mission.

Newsletter 17 Employee Suggestions The Employee Suggestion Program provides a forum for employees to submit suggestions to enhance customer service, workplace environment, employee wellness and safety; provide cost savings; and boost employee motivation and engagement. We value your ideas and want to hear from you. The Employee Suggestion Program is available for all employees to submit their ideas and suggestions to enhance CSS. These innovative ideas and recommendations greatly help CSS. “Thanks” to Maria for submitting her suggestion. Maria Sanchez suggested to have CSS accept collect calls from jail inmates who have a child support case. This suggestion is very thoughtful and can potentially benefit individuals who would not otherwise have the means to contact our office to request assistance. As a result, operations managers will take a deeper look into the specifics and develop a plan for implementation. Hopefully, this suggestion will improve accessibility to communication between the incarcerated population and CSS, and reduce arrears balances owed by NCP by allowing our office to perform a prompt modification. Great job Maria! Your suggestions and ideas are helping CSS become better and better each year. We encourage you to continue sharing ideas to enhance our workplace environment and customer service. To submit an employee suggestion, visit the Employee Suggestions page on the Intranet. Keep submitting your ideas! Google Review Customer Comment “They have been so helpful from the beginning. Every time I call and speak to someone they are polite and helpful. Always taking the time to listen and help me with my issue. Thank you.” AROUND CSS

18 OC CSS CustomCeormSeprlviimceents “I was in Court like a week before COVID‐19 for a modification. Angelica was AMAZING! She answered all my questions/addressed all my concerns prior to the hearing and, although she remained neutral, I felt very comforted and a lot less anxious going into the hearing. The process for the Safe Access was awesome! The Commissioner and the Court staff made sure the bailiff walked me to my car because my ex was very upset that he did not get the order he was hoping for. This was my first time having to attend Court alone (lawyers are expensive!). Had I not had the opportunity to speak with Angelica prior to my hearing, I would have been a wreck going into Court that day. Angelica was a literal life saver.” Angelica Beltran Supervising Child Support Specialist Legal Services “I have never had such a smooth and grateful interaction with child support services until now. Maria makes me want to deal with child support issues and not dread the problematic side of things. She is non-judgmental, caring, passionate, and understanding. I wish more people in all fields of business would have her approach in deescalating situations, problem solving, and a team mentality. It makes me feel a lot better dealing with child support rather than someone simply trying to collect money. There should be more people like her in this world.” Maria Larrea Sr. Child Support Specialist CPRT C “Vivian has been my angel, she has gone beyond and above her call of duty. She saw I have been struggling to make on-time payments a year ago and has since called me every month help me avoid driver license suspension. I am blessed to have Vivian as my rep, she is understanding and a problem solver.” Vivian Brown Child Support Specialist CPRT D JobWell Done!

Newsletter 19 GDerovweltohptmhroeugnht Opportunities and Change CSS’ efforts to promote growth and development broaden as we explore more ways to leverage new opportunities. There are many ways to grow at CSS and enhance your knowledge and skills. Intra-agency mobility is one way to challenge yourself and take advantage of a path for growth and development. The following individuals have recently taken on exciting new growth opportunities at CSS: 2020 JULY JUNE Employee: From: To: Maria De Jesus Ruiz Executive Management Support Policy & Process Management Maggie Gomez Collections & Performance Reports A Call Center D “Self growth is the driving force behind success and growth.” -UNKNOWN SERVICE AWARDS 30 20 15 5 Paul Cordova Maria Flores Kelly Ramirez Amanda Eighme Michael Velasquez Tatiana Garcia Gustavo Ramirez Yesenia Conrado Phuong Nguyen Thuy Luu Sandra Lopez Victoria Nguyen EDITORS ASSISTANT EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHER PUBLISH DATE VIOLETA GARCIA JAN DUNFORD RUBEN PADILLA AUGUST 6, 2020 CASEY AGUILAR RUBEN PADILLA AROUND CSS

20 OC CSS Our Mission To facilitate the financial support of children by engaging parents and providing professional child support services. Our Vision To be a trusted partner of parents in securing financial stability for Orange County’s children. Are you interested in writing an article? Contact Marketing and Communications [email protected]