Discounts available for Seattle Children’s Theatre
King County employees can now take advantage of discounted opportunities at the Seattle Children’s Theatre.
Receive 20% off each ticket for performances this season. Performances include Robin Hood and Billy Goats Gruff and Other Tales. Use discount code KING20. Purchase tickets here.
Receive 15% off for upcoming summer camps held at Seattle Children’s Theatre offering engaging, hands-on experiences for young people to build confidence, creativity, and storytelling skills in a fun and supportive environment. Excludes partnership camps held offsite. Use discount code KING15. View available summer camps here.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
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DCHS crisis services are available 24/7
King County voters approved the Crisis Care Centers Levy in 2023. The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) initiative is making it easier for everyone in King County to get the specialized care they need in a moment of crisis, which includes having the 988 crisis line to call or text, trained crisis teams to respond in-person, a network of five Crisis Care Centers to go, and post-crisis teams to follow up.
The first Crisis Care Center, Connections Kirkland, is now open. The next Crisis Care Center will open in Seattle, and future centers in the South and East King County, as well as a dedicated center for youth will open in the coming years.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we want everyone in King County to know that we have more places open for people to get mental health care, more teams ready to respond in-person, and more capacity for routine appointments and support,” said Dr. Susan McLaughlin, Director, DCHS. “This recent progress transforming our behavioral health care system wouldn’t be possible without the steadfast work and dedication of our Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, the Crisis Care Centers Levy team, and all our community partners.”
Anyone in King County, including youth, can walk into any Crisis Care Center for urgent mental health and substance use care. Young people who need a higher level of care will be transferred to the youth Crisis Care Center for treatment once it opens.
The Crisis Care Centers initiative is also investing to expand existing crisis services, including 988 and crisis response teams, create more longer-term residential treatment capacity and strengthen the community behavioral health workforce.
Click below to meet the providers and teams who are available 24/7 and learn about the early progress King County has made expanding local crisis services.
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April is Records and Information Management Month
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay has proclaimed April as Records and Information Management Month. This month-long observance promotes record keeping best practices, provides awareness of the records management profession, and highlights the benefits of proper records and information management on our daily operations.
Rapid technological changes have transformed how King County conducts business, creating both challenges and opportunities for managing records and ensuring records remain accessible for as long as needed to support county business and comply with the law. King County employees create and receive thousands of records every day that are necessary for the delivery of essential county services and programs. As public servants, each of us has a duty to properly manage these records.
The proper management of records and information lowers risks for King County and helps each of us find the information needed to do our jobs. It directly aligns with the “Better Government” pillar of Executive Zahilay’s 4Bs framework. It also supports various other countywide initiatives and values such as Lean/Continuous Improvement, Equity and Racial and Social Justice, and a commitment to transparency.
What you can do
There are many ways that all employees can contribute to good records management:
- Take online Basic Records Management training (15 minutes)
- File inactive electronic records to Content Manager
- Delete transitory records
- Organize/sort records in Outlook or OneDrive
- Review your agency’s records retention schedule
- Review your agency’s standard work documentation (Standard Operating Procedures / SOPs) to ensure that records management steps are captured.
For more information, reach out to the County Records and Information Management Program (CRIMP) for more information on how to manage county records and information.
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Celebrating Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week, April 12-18
Crossposted from the DES Express
You might remember the zebras that escaped while en route to Montana. Who helped corral them? Animal Control Officers from RASKC, along with others. They also help wrangle livestock and investigate reports of neglect, cruelty, and animal bites. In recognition of Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week (April 12-18), learn what Animal Control Officers (ACOs) and other employees at Regional Animal Services do and how they help the community.
A cadre of employees supports ACOs’ work and the animals they care for:
- Animal Care Technicians provide the daily care and assessments animals need while working with members of the public who are looking to adopt.
- Call takers serve as the first point of contact for the community, routing emergency and non-emergency calls to ensure people and animals get the help they need.
- Veterinary clinic staff provide medical treatment and preventative care such as spaying and neutering to help reduce pet overpopulation.
- Coordinators and administrative staff respond to community inquiries, manage campaigns to support pet licensing and outreach, and research ways to place animals with rescue partners and foster homes.
RASKC staff rely on the collaborative efforts of volunteers, foster families, and partner organizations to make this important work possible. RASKC is grateful for their support. You, too, can support RASKC by donating, volunteering or adopting a pet. Thank you!
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Recognizing Metro’s Operators of the Month, January – February 2026
Crossposted from Metro Matters
They play the sax and swim. Collect coins and travel. Garden and produce music. For the people who ride with them they are: “professional and respectful to all the passengers,” treated a passenger who collapsed on the bus with “with so much kindness and dignity” and after helping a rider recover their wallet, had the rider say: “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate his help!”
They’re operators with nearly two centuries of transit driving experience who enjoy meeting with their riders and giving back to their communities.
Meet your Operators of the Month for January and February 2026.
We love to hear from our riders about their operators! Please share your comments about our drivers. Interested in becoming a transit operator? Visit “Start your Metro career” to explore well-paying positions with full benefits and a pension in transit operations, trades, rail operations, customer information and countless other fields. Read more.
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DCHS hits key milestones in response to audit, strengthening oversight and fiscal stewardship
The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) has made significant progress in their response to last summer’s audit.
DCHS recently completed one of the 10 audit recommendations and is actively making progress on all nine others. This includes launching an annual Anti-Fraud Training for all departmental staff, implementing new policies and procedures around contract management, and offering new contract and fiscal management trainings to contracted providers. Additionally, DCHS completed a risk assessment of the hybrid payment model and is boosting collaboration with Public Health – Seattle & King County.
This progress is a testament to DCHS’ commitment to being stronger financial stewards of public funds. Learn more about all the work DCHS has accomplished by visiting the department’s Fiscal Stewardship webpage.
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Executive Zahilay joins partners for a tour of Wilburton Trestle, a project transforming the 1,000-foot-long wooden structure into a scenic trail bridge for Eastrail
Crossposted from DNRP Field Notes
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay joined partners for a tour of a unique capital project that is transforming the 1,000-foot-long Wilburton Trestle in Bellevue – the longest wooden trestle in the Pacific Northwest – into a trail bridge for the emerging 42-mile Eastrail.
Crews are now installing the 20-foot-wide trail surface, railing, and three expansive viewing platforms atop the 122-year-old trestle. They are also replacing deteriorated wood and hardware while reinforcing the pillars with modern safety upgrades that will make it more resilient during earthquakes.
Once complete next year, the 100-foot-tall Wilburton Trestle is expected to be among the most popular segments of Eastrail, offering scenic views of the Bellevue skyline with connections to other regional trails and Sound Transit’s Wilburton Station. Read more.
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Discounted tickets available for Seattle Storm women’s basketball games
Seattle Storm is excited to offer King County employees, family, and friends the opportunity to purchase tickets at a discounted rate for a few games. Purchase tickets here.
- June 12 at 7 p.m. Seattle Storm vs Golden State Valkyries
- Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Seattle Storm vs Dallas Wings
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
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Where is my ballot?
This year, not a single King County jurisdiction filed a ballot measure for the April Special Election, which means there will not be an election this month.
King County Elections will see voters again for the August Primary. Ballots for that election will be mailed on July 15!
For more information visit kingcounty.gov/elections.
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Clean energy projects bring $5.2 million in savings for WTD
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories
If you hike to the top of the Power Quality Facility at West Point Treatment Plant on a clear, sunny day, you’re rewarded with a panoramic view of shimmery Puget Sound.
Turn around, and you’ll see something just as striking: a sea of 140 solar panels. This 80-kilowatt AC solar array helps power the facility’s lighting and HVAC system. And now, clean energy investments like this one are delivering another impressive benefit — real savings for residents in our service area. Read more.
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