May is Mental Health Awareness Month and in Human Resources, we are proud to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of our staff and faculty community through our Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP). Under the direction of Crystal Green, Ph.D., the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program offers a variety of services and resources to help individuals and departments with a range of issues, including trauma recovery, wellness, grief and violence.
FSAP has a broad range of programs and classes throughout the month of May for you to explore. Learn more about this month’s offerings here and the ongoing resources below.
Read on to learn about our programming for Mental Health Awareness Month, along with other happenings in our campus community.
Mental Health Awareness Month
Supporting the Hidden Worker - Supervisory Considerations for Leaders of Diverse Employees: The pervasive impact of the COVID pandemic has far-reaching implications for organizations, especially for diverse-identified employees who face recurrent obstacles caused by minority stress. This presentation will explore some of the main workplace stressors affecting diverse employees due to the COVID crisis, as well as the opportunities that leaders have to provide support for diverse employees. Presented by Dr. Bryan McNutt, PhD, LMFT, CEAP, the session will explore considerations of effective supervisory engagement, including how to foster psychological safety and model a learning culture of work.
Mindful Pause: Learn practical approaches for applying mindfulness-based skills in your daily life. Sessions include basic guided meditation exercises that can be utilized to help nurture more emotional calm, focus, and presence. Mindful Pause is facilitated by Bryan McNutt, Ph.D., LMFT, CEAP and hosted on the third Wednesday of the month. Register for the next session on Wednesday, May 18 from 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Tritons Flourish: Connect with a network of support and accountability to discuss skills and strategies to maintain resilience and flourish while managing life’s many stressors. Tritons Flourish is facilitated by William Youngblood, LMFT and hosted on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Register for the next session on Thursday, May 19 from 12 - 1 p.m.
Get Involved in Our Campus Community
Black Girl Magic - “And Justice for All”: Join the Black Staff Association on Thursday, May 5 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. for a panel discussion about the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation as the first African American woman on the United States Supreme Court. Register for Black Girl Magic: “And Justice for All”.
16th Annual Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Celebration Kickoff and Scholarship Awards: Join colleagues and campus community members for the 16th Annual Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Celebration Kickoff and Scholarship Awards on Friday, May 6 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. at the Price Center West Ballrooms A/B. This in-person event kicks off a month-long celebration honoring generations of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) who have enriched our country’s history.
The event will feature Minh Lê, award-winning author of “Green Lantern: Legacy” for DC Comics. Live entertainment provided by Asayake Taiko, award-winning West-Indian dance team Raas Ruckas and DJ Akrite. To reserve a table of eight or purchase individual tickets, please contact apiahcelebration@ucsd.edu. Proceeds will support student scholarships and programming.
On the Horizon: Dates and Deadlines
Apply for “No Lapse in Pay” for July 1 Retirement: If you’re planning on retiring on July 1 this year, consider applying for “no lapse in pay”, a guaranteed continuation of income and medical and dental benefits (if you’re currently enrolled and eligible for benefits as a retiree) as you transition to retirement. Introduced last year, this option ensures that eligible employees retiring on July 1, 2022, will receive their first retirement benefit payment on August 1, 2022.
Employees interested in this option must submit all required documentation by May 13, 2022 and meet eligibility requirements. Learn more on UCnet.
Performance Appraisals: Performance appraisal season has arrived for all policy-covered campus staff employees and many represented employees. This is a time to reflect on (and make a list of) all your hard work and accomplishments over the past year. It’s also a great time to collaborate and communicate with your supervisor about what’s working well and what challenges you are facing.
The review period is from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022. The deadline to complete and submit performance appraisals is Wednesday, June 15, 2022 (for most units). Learn more about performance appraisals.
Vacation Maximum Accrual Extension Ending: As a reminder, the vacation accrual maximum in UC’s Absence from Work policy (PPSM-2.210), was temporarily lifted effective June 1, 2020, to allow policy-covered staff more time to use their accrued vacation leave to bring their accrual below the maximum. That temporary change was extended through June 30, 2022, by President Drake. Starting July 1, 2022, policy-covered staff who are over their maximum vacation leave accrual limit will no longer accrue additional vacation leave until they bring their vacation leave balance below their maximum. This change applies to policy-covered staff employees. Read the UC Net article describing the change.
Work Location Status Form: All UC San Diego employees, including campus and Health, are required to complete and submit the Work Location Status Form, providing information about your work schedule and location. It’s important for UC San Diego to maintain an accurate database of this information in support of space planning, regulatory compliance and emergency preparedness. Learn more and find step-by-step instructions on Blink.
Staff Learning and Development Opportunities
Get Inspired with the Learning Boost Series: Meet leaders, dreamers, innovators, and change champions throughout 2022 – one talk at a time. Join us for our upcoming talks on:
May 6th with Antonio Nava for “Removing Our Silos Restores Our Humanity: The Special Power of Mapping and Sharing Your Processes.” Register here
May 25th with Lynn Underwood for “A Little Change Management Goes A Long Way.” Register here
Managerial Office Hours: Join us for twice-monthly managerial office hours. Bring your questions and ideas to share to these informal sessions with Campus HR.
