DPSS News Nov 2020

SELF-SUFFICIENCY TECHNICIAN FINDS SUNSHINE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN TELEWORK

T elecommuting has become a daily routine for many in the DPSS workforce, and Jenny Hall, an Eligibility Technician II, says she’s benefiting from the new model. Hall used to spend an hour driving to and from her home to the Hemet-based Self-Sufficiency office. Now, she has time to squeeze in a daily 15-minute yoga practice before work. “I can start my day feeling accomplished and focused,” Hall said. Hall says another bonus is that she can cook meals and take her puppy on brisk walks during her 15-minute breaks. “Since I started teleworking, I have dropped two dress sizes,” Hall said. She has created an office near a window to enjoy the incoming sunlight. Overall, Hall says her mood has improved. With no distractions from the traditional office setting, Hall says she can better focus on her customers’

Jenna Hall, Eligibility Technician

needs. She also uses fewer sick days. In her view, there really are no drawbacks to telework. “We are such a go-go society,” said Hall. “I think it is good for us to slow down.”

More than 75% of Self-Sufficiency’s staff began teleworking and providing seamless customer service in March when the coronavirus pandemic hit Riverside County. They processed a record-high number of CalFresh applications at the height of the pandemic, more than any other C4Yourself county in California, with 98% accuracy. “It was a big effort, but we were able to do it quickly so that our team could be safe and not get sick,” said Laura Fuller, Administrative Services Manager, who led the effort in helping her staff set up for telework. The Self-Sufficiency Division employs about 1,500 fulltime workers. Have a telework story you would like to share? Please let us know! Email us at DPSSinfo@rivco.org.

VALLEY-WIDE EMPLOYMENT EXPO HELPS JOB SEEKERS FIND OPPORTUNITIES

W ith thousands of Riverside County workers out of a job or underemployed since the pandemic hit in March, people like Alejandra Garcia found a bright spot of opportunity at the Valley-wide Employment Expo in October. DPSS and Riverside County Workforce Development hosted the 25 th annual job fair online for the first time to safely connect local businesses and job seekers and deter the spread of coronavirus. The expo helped Garcia land a second job with Maxim Healthcare Services, a Palm Desert company that specializes in in-home nursing care. “The virtual job fair was a really easy process and the best part is I got a call back,” Garcia said. Garcia says she’s now in the process of being hired. She was one of four personal care assistants Maxim hired thanks to the Expo.

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