By Dianne Jacob

Protect your family: The county recently mailed 200,000 disaster planning guides to households in high-risk wildfire areas.

These booklets provide critical information on how to prepare for a crisis and how to deal with it once it strikes. They include tips on evacuation, a list of emergency supplies and how to take advantage of programs like Alert San Diego.

If you received a guide, be sure to fill it out. It can also be found at readysandiego.org.

Helping the vulnerable: The Board of Supervisors has added a new tool in its expanding efforts to help those with chronic mental illness and substance abuse issues.

We’re launching a pilot program that will allow the county to name a conservator to oversee treatment and services for those battling co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders. Our aim is to strengthen the social service safety net for some of our most vulnerable residents.

Mental illness and substance abuse are huge concerns in our region and the board action marks our latest step to address them.

Great job, Edgemoor: One of the nation’s top-ranked medical care sites, county-run Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility in Santee, recently marked its 10th anniversary.

County officials, joined by community leaders and residents, recently celebrated the milestone with cake, music and a special tribute to the great, highly dedicated staff at Edgemoor.

The 192-bed facility is a huge improvement over the old Edgemoor geriatric hospital and has been consistently ranked among the top skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. by national organizations and publications.

— Dianne Jacob is chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and represents District 2. For more District 2 news, visit diannejacob.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter. For assistance with a county issue, call 619-531-5522 or email [email protected].