KCIT Partners with Koa Club, Brings Leadership Training to King County Women
by Lindsay Prior, Communications Manager, Department of Information Technology
Women in government are gaining confidence and leadership skills thanks to a unique partnership between KCIT and the Seattle-based Koa Club. Recently, more than 70 King and Snohomish County employees participated in the second-annual Mentorship Huddle challenge. The competition showcased participants’ leadership skills and knowledge gained through the Koa Club’s FollowMyLead training program for women in government.
King County CIO Tanya Hannah approached Koa Club founder Susan Seah in 2020 to design a curriculum focused on women’s career development. “Tanya was instrumental in seeing this need and advocating for implementing the program for the women at KCIT and eventually, other women at King County,” said Susan.
During the pandemic, the program quickly adapted to online workshops without missing a beat. “That turned out well and allowed us to expand the offering to more women,” said Susan. The program has grown rapidly; in 2020, the FollowMyLead program had about 40 participants, and has expanded this year to nearly 70 women.
Participants are assigned to a Mentorship Huddle of 6-8 women and attend a series of 10 online workshops together throughout the year. “Our huddle group has been the best surprise ever. Each one of these women is a true gem,” said Claire Christian, Real Property Agent for DNRP Wastewater Treatment Division and Huddle Mentor for this year’s winning team. “For me, the amazing women in our huddle group have been the icing on the cake. And the filling. And the sprinkles.”
Mid-way through the program, the huddle teams test their knowledge and skills in a fun, collaborative competition in which each team is given a realistic workplace scenario and asked how they would handle the situation; a panel of judges – all impressive women leaders themselves – evaluate each team’s response. Special thanks goes to this year’s contest judges including Tanya Hannah, King County Chief Information Officer; Whitney Abrams, King County Chief People Officer; Kathryn Fugere, Snohomish County Department of Public Works Technology Manager; Lorraine Patterson, King County DNRP Chief Administrative Officer; Devinder Sandhu, Snohomish County Human Resources Operations Manager; and Caroline Whalen, King County Chief Administrative Officer.
“Everyone did an amazing job during the contest,” said Chris Jaramillo, Cable Communications Manager for KCIT. “For me, the program has been really fun and helped me be more productive at work. I’d tell any woman in King County that you should join because of the networking aspects of the program. You’ll come out of it with a few more friends. I think we all need to have some fun in the workplace.”
Congratulations to all the women who participated in this year’s Mentorship Huddle challenge! For more information on applying to next year’s FollowMyLead women in government leadership program, contact Susan Seah at sseah@thekoaclub.com.
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How to provide verification of vaccine status
King County employees must provide vaccination information for verification. To provide proof that they are fully vaccinated, employees have a couple of options:
- Initiating the COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration process through your NEOGOV Dashboard (click on Dashboard > Forms > COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration) and attaching a copy of an official document (see list below), OR
- Showing one of the following to an HR professional or other designated department representative:
- your actual vaccination card, or a photo or a copy of it,
- a copy of your state vaccine record, or
- a verified medical record.
Please note, employees will need to get both doses of a 2-shot vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna), or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson before completing the vaccine verification. Employees can receive their vaccine at several pop-up vaccine clinics hosted by King County, or go to www.kingcounty.gov/vaccine to find a pharmacy, clinic, or community vaccination event nearby. After completing a vaccination series at a King County-sponsored worksite clinic, employees still need to submit verification.
Departments will not keep copies of vaccination cards, state vaccine records, or vaccine medical records; however, they will document that the employee has been vaccinated, which vaccination was received (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson), and the last date of the vaccination.
If you have any questions, please contact your department’s HR Manager.
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July is Disability Pride Month
By Taryn Farley, Disability Specialist, Office of Equity and Social Justice
July is Disability Pride Month, a growing movement to build awareness of the pride people with disabilities feel in themselves. This pride movement recognizes what people with disabilities offer to society through their history, culture, and unique experiences.
Disability Pride Month coincides with the celebration of the anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, better known as the ADA. The ADA has created civil rights protections and better access for people with disabilities. Disability Pride builds upon the legacy of the ADA with the demand for visibility, acknowledgement, and acceptance from society.
Much like other Pride movements, Disability Pride began as a counterculture movement to reclaim one’s disability as a positive aspect of oneself and reverse society’s generally negative views of disability. Zack Siddeek from the Arc of King County and a new member of the King County Equity Cabinet says Disability Pride is “Self-acceptance. Accepting who you are, being OK with who you are, and celebrating our differences.” Society typically views disability under a medical model where disabilities are defects.
Kimberly Meck, the Executive Director of the Alliance of People with disAbilities explains the medical model as perpetuating an idea that “in order to have a high quality of life, defects must be cured, fixed, or eliminated”. To thwart society’s harmful perceptions, the Disability Pride movement promotes and values disability as a natural part of human diversity. Disability is something to be embraced and celebrated without erasing or “fixing”.
One in four adults in the United States lives with a disability and King County is home to approximately 563,000 people with a disability. Disability can be something people are born with or acquire at any time in their life. At some point in their lives, most people will either have a disability or know someone who has a one. Disability spans all races, genders, ages, socioeconomic status, religions, and geographic regions. “The intersection of disability with other marginalized identities compounds experiences of discrimination and creates even greater barriers in achieving equity” says Kimberly. Intersectionality and disability are another critical aspect of Disability Pride because it is an opportunity for people to be proud of all their identities and carrying themselves, wholly, as individuals who can celebrate and love all their unique parts.
Challenging Ableism through Pride
“Ableism is discrimination and prejudices against people with disabilities based on the idea that being non-disabled is superior. In order to combat this, pride must be because of disability and not in spite of it. We must embrace disability as part of a person’s identity and reject the concept that some groups of people are less valuable than others. Disability Pride boldly promotes acceptance and inclusion of difference and celebrates those differences,” says Kimberly.
Disability Pride combats ableism people with a disability experience on a daily basis through affirmation of their self-worth in an ableist society. Disability is more than just a medical diagnosis — it is part of their identity. The Disability Pride movement emphasizes that people with disabilities are proudly living their lives in plain view in the unique way that only they can which brings power perspectives, stories, and voices.
Zack points out that “Independence shouldn’t come with the cost of pain. For Disability Pride to exist, non-disable people have to accept that it’s OK to do things in a different way.” Disability Pride is recognizing that the systems and cultural norms that we exist in don’t allow for people with disabilities to live a good and happy life, he continued, “and that needs to change.”
Disability Pride is an opportunity for everyone to look at their own biases. When a person with a disability expresses pride and self-love, how does that affect individuals and communities to examine how they think about disability and people with a disability? Perhaps this July, there is an opportunity to look at the systems and attitude that try to “fix” or “dismiss” disability and shift the thinking to something of beauty and an asset.
How to Celebrate Disability Pride as an ally
Disability Pride is an opportunity for everyone to stand up in solidarity and allyship with people with disabilities. Here are ways you can do that this July:
1. Call out ableism: Ableism exists throughout society and can take many forms including physical and attitudinal inaccessibility or condescending or abusive attitudes (micro-aggressions) towards people with a disability; it is perpetuated by systems, policies, and personal biases. Take some time to think about ableism, and where you may see it being played out in yourself and your community. Have a conversation about ableism and come up with a way that you can counteract it.
2. Educate yourself on Disability History in the US: People with disabilities have always existed, yet we have not been taught about that history in mainstream education. The Disability Civil Rights movement was fought for decades before the passing of the ADA. Seek out resources and educational materials that are created by people with lived experience and learn something new about disability history.
3. Look through an intersectional lens: As stated earlier, disability is beautifully intersectional but people with disabilities can also experience compounding oppression based on multiple marginalized identities. How can you acknowledge and honor all of a person’s identities and not just see disability?
- Disability and Intersectionality
- Race, Ethnicity and Disability
- Intersectionality: Ask the other question
4. Don’t be a Hero: To be an ally is not to “rescue” people with disabilities. Support the autonomy and voice of people with disabilities and look at the policies and practices in place that perpetuate discrimination.
- Please stop trying to fix my disability
- 10 ways to make society more inclusive for people with disabilities
- Take the time to listen to disabled voices
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Sheriff’s drug dog is on the case
Courtesy of the King County’s Sheriff’s Office Facebook page
Fury, a King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) drug detection K9, is rightfully proud of this bust. His specialized detection skills helped sniff out the perps.
Detectives from multiple King County Sheriff’s Office Special Emphasis Teams (SET), with the support of TAC-30
(SWAT) and Bomb Disposal Units (BDU), executed a search recently in southeast King County.
The work was the result of a months-long investigation into narcotics distribution and firearms-related crimes. The results in this case are impressive and include the seizure of 3.6 pounds of heroin, 5.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 6,471 fentanyl pills and 21.7 grams of crack cocaine. The street value of these narcotics is estimated to be $250,000.
They also recovered 14 firearms, including multiple handguns, shotguns and rifles, which is equally impactful.
The suspect in this case was booked into the King County Jail for multiple felonies including being a felon in possession of stolen firearms.
We congratulate all of our detectives for their work. Every gun, gram and pill the Sheriff’s Office recovers is potentially a life saved. With overdoses and gun violence touching too many of our neighbors, we know this case made White Center, Burien, Skyway, Maple Valley, Covington, and other communities throughout south King County safer.
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Future of Work – what tech to expect back in the office
For employees returning to the office (full time or occasionally), KCIT is committed to making your transition as stress-free as possible. The Future of Work may look a little different for each department, but KCIT is launching new technology to bridge the distance between colleagues and foster greater collaboration. Here are some innovations you can expect in the coming months:
- Reserve your workspace in the office
For employees without a permanent desk, KCIT will offer a new drop-in desk reservation system. The new system, ESRI Indoors, will launch this fall for agencies in Chinook and King Street Station. If you’re part of the initial launch, you’ll receive detailed instructions soon.
- Connect seamlessly in smart conference rooms
More than 125 conference rooms in the Chinook building and King Street Center are scheduled to be fitted with standardized tech hubs that streamlines connectivity and provides a shared experience for employees in the office, in the field, and working from home. To get started, view these Microsoft Surface Hub training videos. - New KCWeb Intranet functionality
King County’s KCWeb intranet homepage is getting a makeover. The new modern SharePoint design will bring timely and relevant information to the forefront, giving you access to your favorite apps, web pages and King County newsfeeds. This will reduce the need for browser bookmarks and email newsletters crowding your inbox.
Look for more detailed updates as each of these new technologies is implemented, or visit King County’s Future of Work intranet site.
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Jaime Deer: Deputy Sheriff, Trainer, Advocate
While serving as a trainer for the King County’s Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), two things happened that helped Sgt. Jaime Deer realize that he could no longer travel the path in life he’d been born to. First, Caitlyn Jenner announced to the world she was transgender and would be transitioning to female. And second, another openly transgender officer came through the class where Jaime was the trainer. Those two events gave Jaime the courage to admit that he wasn’t being true to himself and that it was time to become the person he’d felt he was all his life.
Jaime grew up in a small, midwestern town and tried hard to fit in. He acted as the straight woman in the female body he’d been born with into his 20s, even marrying a man and having a child, before joining the KCSO in 1998. He left that relationship and identified as lesbian, eventually getting married to a woman, thinking that might be the solution. But this did not resolve the emotional and physical longings Jaime had felt as far back as he could remember.
Knowing that transitioning to a male was going to come with some struggles, Jaime was fortunate to have the support of his wife, friends, and community. There were also allies at King County and in the Sheriff’s department. In 2016, Jaime decided it would be better while transitioning to leave his training position and go back on patrol. He asked his supervisor to send his coworkers a message he composed that said he considers them part of his family, and though he was realistic enough to know that not everyone would readily accept him, he wrote “I fully expect your tolerance, and if you can supply it, your friendship.” Upon returning to work, Jaime had messages of support not only from coworkers but also from other employees across King County.
From square one to national resource
When Jaime took this step, the Sheriff’s Office didn’t have guidelines or training on how to handle a situation with an employee going through gender reassignment. Jaime helped KCSO leadership and the LBGTQ+ liaison develop guidelines with some research and support from other agencies that had already taken that step, including the Los Angeles and Seattle Police Departments. “It’s been a learning curve for Sheriff’s office,” he said, “But my superior has been very supportive.”
As Jaime’s story got around, and his coworkers got used to the idea, he became a resource in ways he hadn’t really imagined. “There was a teen who was suicidal about coming out as trans,” Jaime recalls “and the officer on the scene called me to come talk to the teen and the family, to share my experience.”
Jaime has even served as a resource for agencies across the region and nationally. “I’ve been asked to do trainings in Olympia, Spokane, Mt. Vernon” he said, “I also did a live Q and A session with the Jacksonville PD on how to respectfully handle situations dealing with trans people.” The U.S. Department of Justice contacted Jaime to do a virtual talk with officers on how to be sensitive to trans people they interact with.
Trainings cover a variety of topics. Something that might seem small, “like using the appropriate pronouns” can have a big impact. “I’ve had officers ask me how to ask if someone is non-binary, without being disrespectful,” Jaime reflected. “These are valid questions and it’s good they feel comfortable enough to ask me.”
Working with the LGBTQ+ community
Jaime also does training for the LGBTQ+ community on interacting with law enforcement. He said there are a lot of preconceived notions of law enforcement that are usually wrong. The same can be said of LBGTQ+ community and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
“I’ve actually had more negative response from the LGBT side than the law enforcement side,” and he attests that “If you throw down hate toward the people making change you slow the progress.”
Jaime mentions a trans person from the 1960s who told him she thought she’d never see LGBT officers in her lifetime. Jaime agrees, saying that we’re at a point he never expected to see in his lifetime. But he’s realistic, knowing there’s a long road ahead. “You have to acknowledge and accept the progress, so you don’t impede it continuing,” he advises.
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Reminder on mask requirements for employees
On June 30, 2021 King County Executive Dow Constantine announced updated mask requirements for Executive Branch employees:
- If an employee has provided verified proof that they are fully vaccinated (see definition below), the employee is not required to wear a mask while working.
- If an employee has not provided verified proof of full vaccination, the employee is required to wear a mask when working indoors, outdoors, and when in an enclosed space with others (for example, when multiple people are in a vehicle). The only time the employee is not required to wear a mask, is if the employee is working at least six feet from others outdoors.
It is also recommended that unvaccinated employees socially distance from others to further protect themselves and others, particularly when working indoors or when working with the public.
Employees in the following settings are required to always wear a mask while working, per state and CDC guidance, due to the nature of their work: correctional facilities, homeless shelters, schools, public transportation, long-term care facilities, and healthcare settings.
Proof of vaccination
If an employee chooses to do so, the employee can provide proof that they are fully vaccinated by either:
- Initiating the COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration process through their NEOGOV Dashboard (click on Dashboard > Forms > COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration) and attaching a copy of an official document (see list below), OR
- Showing one of the following to an HR professional or other designated department representative: o their actual vaccination card, or a photo or a copy of it, or a copy of their state vaccine record, or o a verified medical record.
Departments will not keep copies of vaccination cards, state vaccine records, or vaccine medical records; however, they will document that the employee has been vaccinated, which vaccination was received (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson), and the last date of the vaccination.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. If it has been less than two weeks since a person’s shot, or they still need to get their second dose, they are NOT fully vaccinated/protected.
If you have any questions, please contact your department’s HR Manager.
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King County Pro-equity Actions
You, as an employee may have different (and better) approaches; but here are some first steps about how you can incorporate the four pro-equity actions in your work at the County. For each approach ask “how will I advance this pro-equity action with the urgency needed to help address the public health crisis which is racism?” If we do these things every day, individually and collectively, WE WILL make a difference and WE WILL reach our True North of “Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.”
- Share power.
Sharing power requires intentionality. It will not happen just because we want it to. Until it becomes automatic, it will require work. Think about the people in the community and your colleagues who are directly harmed by racism and other “isms.” Honor the brilliance and the resiliency of these communities by centering and uplifting their voices.
How are we sharing power at King County?
We have established an Equity Cabinet to partner with and advise the County on how to ensure that our policies, practices, and outcomes align with our intention to lead with equity and racial and social justice.
How will you share power?
- Interrupt business as usual.
We must interrupt the business as usual practices that maintain the systems, structures, and workplace culture that do not advance belonging, true equity, and racial justice. To interrupt them, we have to identify them. In every situation, ask: “What about this situation or actions truly advance(s) equity and racial justice?” If you don’t have an answer, that’s a place to examine further. Then ask, “What can I do to advance equity and racial justice?” Then do that.
How are we interrupting business as usual at King County?
The Executive’s Office is working with Public Health and Jail Health, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and community organizations to divert approximately 1,000 non-violent, first-felony filings from the judicial system. Instead of maintaining the business as usual system, these individuals (who are disproportionately young men of color) will have the opportunity to benefit from a community-based alternative that emphasizes restorative justice and restoration for harmed parties.
How will you interrupt business as usual?
- Replace it with something better.
Removing something bad doesn’t guarantee that something good will replace it. We must take action to ensure that pro-equity and anti-racist approaches, policies, and programs that advance racial equity replace those that don’t.
How are we replacing our business as usual with something better in King County?
The Office of Equity and Social Justice consults with, advises, supports, and trains King County teams to effectively use the Equity Impact Review (EIR) process to center community partnerships and engagement to create pro-equity policies, programs, and practices. The EIR process has been used to develop Open Space Equity, Mobility Framework, Metro’s Subsidized Annual Pass, and Public Health-Seattle & King County’s Food Safety Rating System, among many other areas.
What will you replace with something better?
- Get comfortable with discomfort.
Change isn’t easy, and growth is even harder. Strive to become a change agent and exercise your voice, individually and collectively. We are asking our employees to stretch past your own personal comfort to ensure King County is a welcoming place where every person can thrive. This means, sacrificing our own comfort to address racism – because it IS a public health crisis. For too long, we have considered equity and social justice the responsibility of a designated person or a group. As public servants, we are all responsible for supporting all members of our community.
How is King County is getting comfortable with discomfort?
When racism was declared a public health crisis, a diverse and brilliant group of professionals from across the Executive Branch – known as the Racism is a Public Health Crisis (RPCH) Core Team – was formed to help the Executive address the public health crisis of racism. The Executive centered and uplifted their voices and expertise to develop the 2021-2022 “down payment” budget and policy agenda.
King County is getting comfortable with discomfort in numerous ways, including acceptance of the truth of the following Racism is a Public Health Crisis Core Team Guiding Principle: “We will recognize equity demands sacrifice and redistribution of power and resources to break systems of oppression, heal continuing wounds, and realize justice.”
How will you stretch your comfort to address the public health crisis of racism?
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New process for voluntarily providing vaccination information
On June 30, Executive Constantine announced the next phase in our COVID-19 pandemic, which includes updated requirements for wearing masks and a new process for employees to voluntarily provide vaccination information.
If an employee chooses to do so, the employee can provide proof that they are fully vaccinated by either:
- Initiating the COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration process through their NEOGOV Dashboard (click on Dashboard > Forms > COVID-19 Vaccination Declaration) and attaching a copy of an official document (see list below), OR
- Showing one of the following to an HR professional or other designated department representative:
- their actual vaccination card, or a photo or a copy of it,
- a copy of their state vaccine record, or
- a verified medical record.
Departments will not keep copies of vaccination cards, state vaccine records, or vaccine medical records; however, they will document that the employee has been vaccinated, which vaccination was received (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson), and the last date of the vaccination.
As a reminder, the County’s updated mask requirements for Executive Branch employees are:
- If you have provided verified proof of full vaccination to your HR Manager or their designee, you are not required to wear a mask when working indoors or outdoors, unless you are required to wear masks while working under the state and CDC guidance due to the nature of your work. Employees who are still required to wear masks in their work settings include those in correctional facilities, homeless shelters, schools, public transportation, long-term care, and healthcare settings.
- If you have not provided verified proof of full vaccination to your HR Manager or their designee, you are required to wear a mask when working indoors, outdoors, and in an enclosed space with others (for example, multiple people in a vehicle). The only time you do not need to wear a mask is if you are working at least six feet from others outdoors.
If you have any questions, please contact your department’s HR Manager.
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Jail Health Services new deputy director brings deep background
Cross-posted from Roll Call, the DAJD newsletter
Angela (Angie) Hosking recently joined Jail Health Services (JHS) as Deputy Division Director, offering a wealth of behavioral health experience in her new role.
Before joining King County, she served as the Director of Organizational Development at Western State Hospital – one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in the country.
“I am so excited that she has joined our team, and she has already started immersing herself into our practice and operations,” JHS Director Danotra McBride said in an introductory email.
Soon after being named Jail Health’s permanent Division Director in September, McBride made hiring a permanent Deputy a top priority. She lauded Becca Cole for a “phenomenal job” serving as interim Deputy Director of the Division.
One of Angie’s recent accomplishments was featured in a press release by Gov. Jay Inslee about the implementation of Virtual Reality training. This innovative project supported the agency’s violence reduction initiatives and Angie was part of a core team that included creative directors, psychologists, and a production crew. She transformed her agency’s Employee Development Department, introduced patients into the employee onboarding program to improve employee-patient relationships and reduce violence, and launched the hospital’s first annual in-service program with a focus on improving safety and providing high quality patient-centered care.
Angie also has almost a decade of experience with the Washington State Department of Corrections. She started her DOC career as an officer and ended it as one of the agency’s executive leaders. Her duties included overseeing more than 120 offender programs, administering the agency’s offender classification system, managing a Residential Parenting Program for incarcerated mothers and their children, and other mandated federal safety programs. She served in numerous collateral roles in conjunction with her positions, including chairperson of a Diversity Advisory Council, facilitating several evidence-based programs rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, and implementing a Violence Reduction Team.
Angie is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in the Advanced Studies of Human Behavior.
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