Oct. 20 training day supports resiliency and healthy living

 Jason Gambill, WSDA Safety Program

Over the past two years, many of us have experienced personal and professional challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Therefore, instead of hosting our traditional October safety training day, WSDA Enterprise Risk Management Services (ERMS) will present a day full of training and resources to support employee resiliency and wellbeing. 

Resiliency is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. According to the Department of Health, it is “the process of adapting well during hard times, trauma, tragedy, threats, or major sources of stress. It involves changing behaviors, thoughts, and actions.”

Please join us on Thursday, Oct. 20, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. All WSDA employees have received a calendar invitation to the day’s activities over Teams. Agenda details are included in the invitation. 

Our guest speaker Tony Cloud, who has been training agency employees on de-escalation and mental health response topics, will present two new sessions focused on building resiliency in the workplace and overcoming toxic stress and trauma. 

Other presenters during the day will address resiliency and depression, and work/life resources available to employees. 

Department of Natural Resources image

Also Great ShakeOut 

Oct. 20 is also the Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake drill held each year when we practice drop, cover, and hold on, and review preparedness plans for a future earthquake.

Washington’s more than 3,000-mile coastline is also susceptible to tsunami hazards, so it’s a good opportunity to review your evacuation plans if you live within a tsunami zone.

During the Oct. 20 training day, Brenda Davis, WSDA emergency preparedness coordinator, will review general information on how to prepare for earthquake emergencies and related natural disasters. 

The ShakeOut drill takes place at 10:20 a.m., and employees working in the Natural Resources Building will be prompted to participate. However, those joining the training day remotely will not be required to take part. 

Opportunities to win

If you participate in the Teams meeting throughout the day, you’ll also have the chance to win a donated gift card. ERMS is awarding six cards during presentations, ranging in value from $50 to $200. Employees must be in attendance to be eligible to win. 

So please come listen and learn how to build your resiliency and live healthy! If you have questions, contact ERMS at agsafety@agr.wa. 

In summary: Over the past two years, many of us have experienced personal and professional challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, instead of hosting our traditional October safety training day, WSDA Enterprise Risk Management Services (ERMS) will present training and resources to support employee resiliency and wellbeing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Read all about the day’s sessions and activities in the Insider blog.

Plan for new agency intranet picking up steam

 Kathy Davis, Communications

The plan to create a new WSDA intranet website is progressing and gaining momentum. Over the summer, the rebuild project team gathered employee input about preferred topics and features to include in the site. And recently the team determined the new site will be built on SharePoint.

Employee input

The Performance and Planning Management and Communications offices led an effort to conduct employee focus groups and individual interviews. This input builds on the response from a staff survey issued in March. The combined results present a clearer picture of what agency employees most want in a new intranet website. 

The three focus groups consisted of staff representing field operations, division administrative contacts, and key central services (e.g. Administrative and Financial). Neutral facilitators from the Results Washington office moderated these discussion sessions. 

WSDA project team members conducted one-on-one interviews with those who maintain content on the current intranet, as well as some managers from agency programs and central services. 

Largely echoing what we learned from the spring survey, focus group and interview participants listed their most used or requested content as:

• Policies, procedures
• Forms
• Contacts (who does what)
• Human Resources
• New employee onboarding
• Travel
• Payroll
• Fiscal/budget

Among the most desired features of a new site were:

• Search function
• Kept up-to-date
• Logical, intuitive structure/organization
• Easy to navigate
• Accessible, including off network
• Compatible with other programs 
• Consistent layout and page templates
• Most sought information on homepage

SharePoint

More recently, the rebuild project team decided to create the new intranet with SharePoint, rather than the Kentico platform used to manage the agency’s public website. 

The team compiled pros and cons for each of the two platforms, comparing how they would meet staff interests and technical requirements for a new site. 

A couple important advantages gave SharePoint the edge. Because it is part of our Office 365 package, employees could more easily access the site even when they’re not connected to the agency network. Another plus is that WSDA now has an IT position dedicated to Office 365 support, which includes SharePoint technical support and staff training. 

Next steps

Moving forward, project team members are receiving training on use of SharePoint to both enable building of the new site and determine training needs for those who will keep content updated. 

Using the employee input gathered, the team is also determining the navigational structure for the new site and the most important content to include. Central services programs are assessing their current intranet content and prioritizing what to include on the new site. 

Background

Our existing intranet is more than 20 years old. The homepage and page templates received a facelift back in 2017. However, it is still operating on an older, outmoded framework. 

Recent software updates to web browsers have created even more challenges, making the current site inaccessible using Google Chrome and accessible on Microsoft Edge only when set to “IE mode.” 

In other words, the WSDA intranet is long overdue for a major overhaul. 

If you have questions about the employee input process, or want to offer additional input about a new intranet, send comments to Kathy Davis, internal communications coordinator.

In summary: The plan to create a new WSDA intranet website is progressing and gaining momentum. Over the summer, the rebuild project team gathered employee input about preferred topics and features to include in the site. And recently the team determined the new site will be built on SharePoint. Learn more about what’s happening with this project by reading the Insider employee blog. 

Tim Schultz, man of many interests, moves on from WSDA

 Kathy Davis, Communications

Tim Schultz

As a self-described “farm kid,” Tim Schultz is known for reminiscing about his rural roots in Eastern Washington. As a public employee dedicated to serving the state’s agriculture industry for more than 30 years, Tim is about to begin a new chapter in his life when he retires from WSDA on Oct. 1.

Tim’s final gig for the past two years has been manager of the Pesticide Management Division’s Compliance Program. He started his career at WSDA in 1989 as a pesticide compliance field inspector, and has held various positions within the pesticide area since then. 

Before joining WSDA, Tim was coordinator of the Adams County Noxious Weed Control Board. He spent six years on the State Weed Association’s board of directors, including terms as president and vice president. 

Ag in his blood

While with the weed board, contacts at WSDA recruited him to interview for the field investigator position.

“Having been a fourth-generation farm kid, agriculture is in my blood,” Tim said. “I wanted to work in agriculture, and saw working in WSDA as an opportunity to expand my career.”

Working for the Adams County Weed Board, 1986

From 1993 through 2022, Tim has been involved in creating Pesticide Management Division branch offices in Wenatchee, Spokane, Moses Lake, and Bellingham. A Tri-Cities office is slated to open this year. 

Some of the most rewarding work of his career has been solving complaints during case investigations, and helping farmers and businesses improve compliance with state laws and rules. He’s also enjoyed sharing new information during winter presentations to growers. 

“No two days are the same. One day you are involved with apples. The next day, it is a termite problem,” he reflected. 

From baker to scuba diver; varied interests

Outside of his WSDA work, Tim has a colorful history and many varied interests. 

For instance, in high school he worked as a baker, starting each day at 5 a.m. before heading to class. Also as a young man, he bought a combine and did custom harvesting for four years. 

Young Tim, the baker, in 1974

And did you know Tim’s family on his mother’s side started the lentil industry in Washington?

He’s been a certified scuba diver, helping map the ocean floor off Rosario Beach in 1978, and has traveled to Europe, China and Vietnam. He’s also an avid photographer and helps with his wife’s catering business.

Not surprisingly, Tim has ambitious plans for his post-WSDA life. He wants to visit Hawaii regularly (his “happy spot”), as well as travel in the lower 48 states. He’ll work on family genealogy and lots of home repair and gardening projects. 

He also looks forward to having more time to tinker on his 1946 Chevy truck and 1960 Chevy Cheyenne pickup.  

We know you will stay busy, Tim, and wish you lots of interesting adventures. Thanks for your dedicated service and important contributions to Washington agriculture!

In summary: As a self-described “farm kid,” Tim Schultz is known for reminiscing about his rural roots in Eastern Washington. As a public employee dedicated to serving the state’s agriculture industry for more than 30 years, Tim is about to begin a new chapter in his life when he retires from WSDA on Oct. 1. Read more about Tim in the latest Insider blog post. 

State program aims to prevent suicide in agriculture industry

 Stacy Laney, Wellness Coordinator

Content warning: This post discusses suicide and may be upsetting for some readers. 

Suicide is a tragic loss of life that leaves families and communities grappling with grief and confusion. 

Every year, mental health organizations and individuals work to raise awareness of suicide prevention during September, National Suicide Prevention Month.

Washington pilot program

In 2018, a new law in Washington State created a pilot suicide prevention project offering free resources for agricultural workers. 

The law recognizes that many factors can affect the behavioral health of ag workers, including “job-related isolation and demands, stressful work environments, the heightened potential for financial losses, lack of access to behavioral health services, and barriers to or unwillingness to seek mental health services.” 

The resulting Agricultural Suicide Prevention Pilot Program is a collaboration among the state Department of Health, Washington State University and Skagit County WSU Extension. 

“Agriculture is known to be a dangerous occupation full of potential stressors like weather, changing economic markets and machinery breakdowns,” according to the program’s website. 

“When these start to compound, many farmers experience excessive stress, making it hard to move forward to positive solutions. Due in part to the stresses faced in farming, agricultural workers have high rates of suicide. This loss of parents, siblings, children and spouses can be avoided.” 

The legislation requires making free resources available. These now include stress management tips, confidential self-screening, ways to help someone who may be struggling, risk factors and warning signs, free training, powerful videos, and more.  

More resources

Another new resource became available in July - 988 is the new nationwide number for people to call, text or chat during a mental health, substance use or suicide crisis, providing free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Here at WSDA, 140 employees have taken Mental Health First Aid responder training from the department-contracted trainer Tony Cloud. Course participants learn to appropriately provide aid to someone experiencing a crisis or challenge, until professional help arrives or the crisis resolves.  

The agency’s Enterprise Risk Management Services has also offered Tony’s course titled “How to notice and navigate with someone who may be struggling.” This course teaches participants the signs and symptoms of someone who is struggling and how to respond. 

Both courses have been offered to employees at no cost to agency programs. More trainings will be scheduled in the coming year, so stayed tuned for details. 

In summary: Every year, mental health organizations and individuals work to raise awareness of suicide prevention during September, National Suicide Prevention Month. In 2018, a new law in Washington State created a pilot suicide prevention project offering free resources for agricultural workers. Learn about suicide prevention resources in the latest Insider blog post.