Honoring AANHP Heritage Month
Crossposted from Metro Matters
In celebration of American Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pasifika (AANHP)* Heritage Month, please join me in recognizing the cultures, histories, creativity and lasting contributions of AANHP communities who help shape the fabric of King County and our region.
This month is both a celebration and an opportunity for reflection. As we honor the richness and resilience of AANHP heritage, we also recognize the ongoing impact of exclusion, discrimination and systemic racism—from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the scapegoating of Asian communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, to tragedies like the 2023 Monterey Park shooting and the recent attack at Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu Festival. These painful events remind us that the work of creating a more inclusive, respectful and safe environment—within Metro and throughout the communities we serve—must continue.
In 2024, Metro launched the AANHP Visibility Project, recognizing that art can help us survive, heal, and connect in times of tragedy. The project featured employee-created artworks displayed as a bus wrap, a traveling worksite installation and murals on downtown Seattle bus shelters. As part of this effort, Metro also produced a 10-minute, Emmy-nominated video that brings to life the powerful stories and spirit behind the artwork. This project celebrates the history, strength and contributions of AANHP communities and serves as a visible affirmation of our ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion and belonging. To learn more about the project, visit kingcounty.gov/metro/aanhp. Read more.
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Gone but not forgotten – Indigent Remains Ceremony 2025
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Every few years, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (KCMEO) hosts a memorial to ensure that every King County resident is remembered. The KCMEO’s Indigent Remains Program provides burial for King County residents who have died without resources or family to claim their remains for a proper burial.
The next ceremony to remember these individuals will take place on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Renton (100 Blaine Ave NE). It’s open to any member of the public who wishes to pay their respects. Read more.
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First Responders in King County applaud Crisis Care Centers
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
A Crisis Care Center is a place for people experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis to go and receive urgent care. Funded by the voter-approved levy, anyone can walk into a Crisis Care Center 24/7 with or without insurance to get help and a path to recovery.
Crisis Care Centers are also a place first responders can take people in crisis. Now, instead of going to jail or an overcrowded emergency room – which can often make things worse – first responders can easily transport a person to a center to receive proper care. Importantly, first responders can move quickly onto their next call, making our communities safer and their jobs easier.
Our first Crisis Care Center, known as Connections Kirkland, is now open. Already, 12 local police departments including Seattle and Redmond, plus Emergency Medical Services, King County Fire Departments, City of Seattle’s CARE Department, and King County’s Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Teams take people across the county to Connections Kirkland. In the near future, we plan to open four more centers, including one for youth. Read more.
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Therapeutic courts prove people can change their lives
Lane Shaw doesn’t take a moment for granted.
“I am four years, six months, and 10 days clean,” he said to applause at the May 13 meeting of the King County Council. A 2023 King County Drug Diversion Court (KCDDC) graduate who now works as a KCDDC Peer Services Specialist, Shaw said prior to entering KCDDC, drugs and crime were all he knew. The resources, accountability, and support offered by therapeutic court helped him change his life.
“Today I have my own house, my own cars,” he said. “I have a dog, you know?”
Wearing a t-shirt that read, “I recover loudly to keep others from dying quietly,” Shaw was among those present to accept the proclamation made by the King County Council recognizing May as Therapeutic Court Month.
Therapeutic courts in King County are King County Drug Diversion Court, King County Family Treatment Court, King County Regional Mental Health Court, King County Regional Veterans Court, Juvenile Therapeutic Response & Accountability Court (JTRAC) and several District Court Community Courts. Read more.
Pictured: Lane Shaw, a drug court graduate turned peer counselor, with King County Councilmember Jorge L. Barón.
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From extinction’s edge to a promising future: How King County and partners put Lake Sammamish kokanee on a path toward recovery
Seven years after a catastrophic decline in the number of adult kokanee salmon returning from Lake Sammamish put the native species on the brink of extinction, a partnership coordinated by King County is reporting a potential breakthrough for a sustainable recovery.
Biologists reported that more than 8,300 adult kokanee salmon returned to their spawning grounds during the 2024-25 spawning run, a stunning improvement over the 2017-18 run when just 19 returned. It was the second-highest return since King County began monitoring in 1996.
The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks has been working with the Lake Sammamish Kokanee Work Group to enact emergency and long-range actions to ensure the survival of the unique salmon population that is important to the region’s habitat and history. Read more.
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Celebration and support: DAJD’s Honor Guard reaches 25+ years of service
Crossposted from the DAJD newsletter
Like their counterparts in other public safety agencies and the military, this tight-knit group provides official departmental representation at solemn events. They attend awards presentations, promotions, and retirements. Their job isn’t strictly ceremonial. Honor Guard members are often called upon to be there for peers and family members at the most difficult times. They stand by after coworkers have passed and pay respects to peer agencies after line-of-duty deaths. Read more.
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Healing with heart: CCFJC’s exceptional healthcare team
Crossposted from the DAJD newsletter
Running a healthcare clinic at a juvenile detention center involves far more than providing medical care — it’s about creating a space where young people in crisis can heal, receive support, and begin to rebuild their lives. Read more.
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Second 2025 Professional Development Scholarship launches Monday, June 2, 2025
The second application period for the 2025 Professional Development Scholarship Program opens June 2, 2025 – July 3, 2025, for training that begins in 2025. The Scholarship Program is a benefit offered as part of the 2025 Coalition Labor Agreement and is only open to employees represented by one of the unions in the Coalition.
Applicants should visit the scholarship webpage to familiarize themselves with the application submission process, rating criteria, and frequently asked questions. Please check this webpage periodically as it is undergoing updates ahead of the scheduled launch.
The Scholarship Program is designed to assist eligible employees with their professional development by providing financial assistance towards obtaining training, certificates, degrees, licenses, and certifications.
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Free admission to Emerald Downs on Sunday, June 22
King County employees can get free admission to King County Day at Emerald Downs on Sunday, June 22.
Employees may attend for free on Sunday, June 22, by bringing their King County badge, displaying their King County email inbox on their phone, or displaying any other generally accepted proof of employment. Employees may bring up to five members of their family (six total free tickets).
Tickets will be available for pick-up on Sunday, June 22, in front of the general admission gates from 1 to 4 p.m. Emerald Downs’ address is 2300 Ron Crockett Dr, Auburn, WA 98001 and more information about the track can be found at emeralddowns.com.
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Kerry Wade receives Best-Run Government Leadership Excellence Award
For her commitment to enriching the lives of young people in King County and shaping programs and policies focused on children, Kerry Wade, Best Starts for Kids Community Partnership Manager, has been honored with the Best-Run Government Leadership Excellence Award – Individual Contributor. Her leadership helps ensure all children grow up happy, healthy, and thriving in their communities.
The Best-Run Government Leadership Excellence Awards recognize individuals who have made significant and tangible leadership contributions to developing Executive branch values in others, improving workplace culture, and leading organizational change while inspiring others to lead change as well. The Leadership Excellence Award for Individual Contributors honors someone who is not a manager of staff but has demonstrated leadership qualities.
“Kerry embodies our values and demonstrates Best-Run Government behaviors in her work, said Sheila Ater Capestany, Division Director, Children, Youth, and Young Adults Division. “As Best Starts for Kids Community Partnerships Manager, Kerry works closely with county team members from divisions in both the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC), taking a “One team” approach to support outreach, engagement and community relations for all Best Starts strategies.”
She modeled “We solve problems,” “We lead the way,” “We respect all people,” and “We are racially just” values when managing the Youth Bill of Rights project (YBOR). As the project lead, Kerry embraced data collection through surveys, asking youth to identify issues having the greatest impact on their lives. In total, more than 2,000 youth submitted more than 4,100 comments during the input phase of the project.
The King County Youth Bill of Rights brings the county to the forefront, with several other jurisdictions across the nation, to advance organizational priorities focused and informed by insights of youth. It brings awareness to the most important issues confronting King County’s children and youth.
Kerry ensured the voices of young people — especially those most directly impacted — were at the center of the project and policy decisions. The YBOR project team pursued comprehensive geographic representation to reach youth in as many municipalities and zip codes as possible. As a result, participation includes representation from 73 King County zip codes, all nine council districts, all public- school districts, 36 of 39 King County municipalities, and all unincorporated King County services areas.
One of Kerry’s main responsibilities is to staff and serve the Children and Youth Advisory Board (CYAB), an executive-appointed and King County Council-confirmed board of up to 40 individuals who live in the county. Board members share a common goal to ensure every baby born and child raised in King County can reach adulthood happy, safe, and thriving.
In addition to having an impact on youth in the community, Kerry champions Equity and Racial and Social Justice (ERSJ) efforts in the DCHS Children, Youth and Young Adult Division. She was a foundational contributor to the creation of the Sista Let’s Talk subgroup of her department’s ERSJ work group.
Under Kerry’s leadership, the subgroup conducted listening sessions and surveys to gather data on the experiences of Black/African women in DCHS. These findings led to 10 recommendations to address issues that were reported.
“Kerry’s efforts contribute to creating an environment and workplace culture in DCHS where Black/African American women can thrive, grow, and develop professionally while being their authentic selves, said Maria Guizar, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Manager for the department.
Other factors that contributed to Kerry winning this award include:
- Her contributions to the ERSJ workgroup Leadership, Operations, and Services Team
- Serving as the Children, Youth and Young Adult Division’s lead for the department’s Language Access Program
- Serving as the DCHS Employee Giving Program Departmental Co-lead
Congratulations Kerry for your outstanding leadership and contributions to making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
View all the Best Run Government Award recipients here.
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