At the regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors (Board) meeting, my colleagues and I recognized this month as Mental Health Awareness month. The Board also approved over $18 million in Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) funding toward services to continue to address mental illness for our residents and their families. Many services approved at Tuesday’s Board meeting are specifically for children and includes a Children's In-Home Crisis Stabilization program that provides intensive in-home services to children and their families who have been assessed to be at imminent risk of psychiatric hospitalization or out-of-home placement. The goal of the program is avoiding such placements if provided appropriate support.  Services are provided for a period of three weeks in most instances, though services may be extended if clinically indicated.

I am also proud to say, the Board continues to deliver on its goal of building 2,700 permanent supportive housing units. This morning the Board approved 44 additional units in existing projects to be dedicated to permanent supportive housing for County adult and older adult residents with a severe mental illness who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. In total, the Board has approved project funding for an additional 153 MHSA units in the last year. As of December 2018, 194 MHSA units have already been completed. This is significant progress and I look forward to continuing this effort along with the necessary supportive services.

On Friday, I hosted a small business tax seminar in partnership with Assemblyman Tyler Diep to inform our small business owners on resources available to help grow their businesses and the local economy. Small businesses make up half of California’s economy and are crucial to the vitality of our communities. The Business Tax and Resource Expo had information from the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and other State agencies regarding tax credits, small business loans, and other resources available to help them succeed in our community. Thank you to all involved!

Congratulations to Samueli Academy on the Groundbreaking of three new buildings; a Student Innovation Center, 7th & 8th grade classrooms, and an on-campus residence for in-home foster students. This innovative addition to the school offers unique opportunities for students in our communities.  

Carol Garcia, a 2017 alumni and former foster child, gave an inspiring speech about her journey and how Samueli Academy is addressing students facing home insecurity with this on-campus residence. Thank you to all who made this innovative project possible.

Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA) hosted their annual Drawing Out Stigma event at Bowers Museum on Sunday. MECCA premiered an inspiring new 20-minute film “Drawing Out Stigma: My Story, My Journey,” about mental health awareness through the eyes and experiences of multiple cultures. The film features touching personal testimony from parents of children suffering from mental illness and their daily struggles.

Special thanks to MECCA’s Executive Directors, MECCA’s affiliates, along with Han Yin of the Health Care Agency and former Human Relations Commissioner Eli Reyna for their efforts and contributions to the making of this film!

Today, the Board approved Dr. Kimberly H. Ho’s appointment to the OC Waste Management Commission representing our First District. Dr. Ho currently serves as Vice Mayor for the City of Westminster and has a track record of collaborating with the County, formerly serving on the OC Water Board and Westminster Planning Commission. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at UCLA, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of the Pacific, was a Postdoctoral Fellow at USC, and completed her Executive MBA at UC Irvine. I am proud to appoint the incredibly qualified Dr. Kimberly Ho to the OC Waste Management Commission.

At our last meeting, Duy T. Nguyen was also approved by the Board and appointed to the OC Parks Commission. Duy graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and works as a Commercial Banker and small business owner in the First District.  Mr. Nguyen also serves as a member of the California State Military Reserve and has served as the Vice President and Director of the Vietnamese-American Business Network and the Director of the Vietnamese-American Chamber of Commerce. I am happy to appoint Mr. Nguyen who is committed to improving quality of life for our residents and preserving our open space to the OC Parks Commission.

Warning: OC resident with measles visited public locations in Fullerton and Santa Ana while infectious. Community members with questions related to measles may call the HCA Health Referral Line at 1 (800)-564-8448.

Infants, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk. 

“Measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that causes fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes,” said Dr. Nichole Quick, Interim County Health Officer. Learn more: https://us4.campaign-archive.com/?e=&u=2f2593b644c191a74f2a4d25a&id=48bff52319 and http://www.ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/dcepi/epi/dip/prevention/measles.