Maricopa Currents: NACo Awards Edition 🏆

Maricopa County Internal sent this bulletin at 09/28/2020 08:46 AM MST

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

COUNTY NEWSROOM | September 28, 2020

NACo Awards -

The Digital Edition

We can't have an in-person ceremony this year, but we don't want to miss an opportunity to say congratulations and thanks.

County departments, elected offices, and the Judicial Branch have worked hard in recent years to create a more responsive, more efficient, more customer-focused government. As a county, we believe in service that helps you solve a problem, move forward with a project, manage a difficult situation, or simply check something off your list. In short, we want to do what we can to make our community stronger and individual lives better. That dedication to exceptional service has been on full display throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also highlighted in this issue of Maricopa Currents, which is all about Maricopa County's 2020 NACo Achievement Award winners!

First, a short message to all of you from Chairman Clint Hickman and County Manager Joy Rich.

Below, some highlights from this year's round of awards.

And whenever you want it, a full webpage dedicated to all 32 award-winning programs. Get an easy-to-read summary of each so you can pass on congratulations to your colleagues in those departments!

We may not be together in person, but we can celebrate as a county family. Congratulations to the 2020 NACo award winners!

DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Public Health

It’s hard to imagine now, but just a few months before COVID-19, there was another outbreak that required a big response from Maricopa County Public Health: an increase in Hepatitis A cases in 2019. That effort netted one of Public Health's five NACo awards this year. Other winning programs trained future youth leaders; educated high school athletes about opioids; helped reduce food waste in schools; and made it easier for businesses to get the training to implement worksite wellness initiatives.

Library District

Winner of five NACo awards this year, the Maricopa County Library District connects residents to their community and to new worlds. In 2019, 2.9 million customers visited a county library and the District held more than 6,700 events for people of all ages. NACo award-winning programs in 2020 include a book club that meets at a bar; a nine-week space mission for pre-teens; a safe, inclusive space for the LGBTQ community; a forum where aspiring writers can work on memoirs and other projects; and an activity program for folks with special needs.

Adult Probation

The Adult Probation Department works to enhance the safety and well-being of our neighborhoods. Among their four award-winning programs this year: expanding access to medical care for individuals on probation; a more efficient training program for the Fugitive Apprehension Unit; a targeted effort to reduce crime and opioid overdoses in one part of the Valley; and a training course to provide better service to clients who have a serious mental illness.

Human Services

The Human Services Department envisions a County where all residents have equal access to opportunities to improve their lives. The department serves vulnerable populations from birth to death. Winning programs this year include a partnership to expand early education in Tempe; temporary housing assistance to homeless youth; a partnership to provide workforce development opportunities to cities and towns; and some much-needed support for case managers in the Senior and Adult Services Division.

NACo Winner: Video Spotlight

Volunteer 13K | Human Resources

Employees helping one another. That’s the idea behind “Volunteer 13K,” a program that provides employees from across the County a chance to assist other departments with important projects. This allows for greater interaction across departments, increased awareness of County services, and an opportunity to fulfill every employee’s dedication to the community. The video above was produced right before the launch of the program last year.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHTS

The Art of Fighting in the Ring and Not in Our Community - MCSO

The Community Outreach Division of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office established a partnership with the Guadalupe Boxing Gym in November of 2018. Through this partnership, the MCSO mentors 30 youth participants of the Guadalupe Boxing Gym.

Read more >

Watch the video >

Harm Reduction: A Response to the Opioid Epidemic in a Large Urban County Jail – Correctional Health

Just a month after the opioid crisis was declared a statewide emergency, Correctional Health Services partnered with the Sheriff’s Office to implement the Harm Reduction Program. The goal of the program is to reduce the risk of fatalities for released inmates suffering from opioid misuse. Between July 2017 and January 2020, 11,465 incarcerated individuals learned how to recognize signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and how to administer a potentially life-saving drug called naloxone.

Early Education Extended Day Partnership Braided Funding Model - Human Services

To get high-quality early education to more low-income kids in Tempe, the Early Education Division partnered with the City of Tempe and Tempe Unified School District to provide full day (up to 10 hours) full year early care and education services. By combining resources, three- and four-year-old’s are able to get a fuller educational experience and their parents are able to receive needed family support services including parent education and workforce opportunities.

AWARD WINNERS IN BRIEF

The Clerk of the Superior Court updated a system that manages tens of millions of dollars in court fees and fines.

Flood Control District replaced a time-consuming data entry system for inspectors.

Our Justice Courts offer continuing education to judicial officers through convenient, up-to-date podcasts.

OET's PCN Recon project automated and streamlined a necessary budget process.

The Office of Medical Examiner added a new position to improve communication and understanding between staff and stakeholders.

BY THE NUMBERS

1,105

The number of fentanyl pills confiscated during
Adult Probation's Mesa
Miles project.
That's in addition to 11 loaded firearms, three stolen firearms,
more than 100 grams of methamphetamine, and more than two pounds of heroin.

4,644

The number of students who learned about the importance of clean air through the
"Be Air Aware" educational program offered by Air Quality.

167

The annual number of hours of administrative time that each case manager within Human Services' Senior and Adult Services Division saved with the addition of a
small team of case aides.

31%

The increase in the number of subdivisions mapped by the Assessor's Office after the implementation of a process improvement initiative called Project Green Line.

FROM THE
ARCHIVES

Planning the NACo Awards Ceremony is a lot of fun for the Office of Communications. If you're feeling nostalgic, you can find a recap from our 2019 awards show and our 2018 awards show. Show opening videos for 2019 (Forrest Gump parody) and 2018 (Host "Arrested") are also available :)

NOTE FOR READERS

Maricopa Currents will be back again in two weeks (October 12) with our regular dose of county news, videos, and yes, the caption contest. Thanks for reading.