Meet Errol, the country’s 100th Courthouse Dog
King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Page Ulrey was a handler for Ellie, the nation’s first Courthouse dog, trained by Canine Companions for Independence. Ellie died peacefully on her 13th birthday last November.
This week, Page introduced Errol to the courthouse staff, along with service dogs Molly and Gabrielle from Canine Companions for Independence who came to Errol’s welcome party.
Read more at the King County Prosecuting Attorney Office website.
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ESJ Legislative Branch Committee guest speaker to discuss Dr. King, April 6
The Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Legislative Branch Committee and Councilmember Larry Gossett invite all employees to attend the first event in an ESJ lunch and learn guest speaker series, entitled “The Forgotten King” with author and activist Bill Fletcher, Jr.
The event will be held Friday, April 6, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. in the Superior Courtroom, E-942.
The King County Council passed King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2022 and the goal of the ESJ Legislative Branch Committee is to help advance the vision of the Strategic Plan.
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Submit 2017 FSA claims by March 31
Your 2017 FSA balance disappears at the end of the day on Saturday, March 31.
Claims for eligible FSA expenses incurred by Dec. 31, 2017, must be received or postmarked by Navia no later than March 31, at 11:59 p.m.
For the Health Care FSA only, unused funds up to $500 will carry over to the next calendar year. These carryover funds will be available to you after March 31.
Go to Navia Benefits to check your FSA account balances, learn about eligible expenses, and learn how to file a claim.
If you have any questions about accessing your FSA benefits, please contact Navia at 800-669-3539, Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) or email Navia Customer Service.
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KCIT ESJ speaker series to feature seminar instructor, March 30
The KCIT Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Committee is excited to bring in Dr. Heather Hackman to the ESJ Speaker’s Forum. Heather has been leading a series of three day seminars for managers and staff on “Building a Racially Just King County” that have been very well received by employees.
The event will take place on Friday, March 30, at noon in the City of Seattle Bertha Knight Landes conference room located on Fifth Avenue and James Street.
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Using VR technology to train staff, retain knowledge
VR is not just for gamers! King County is using Hololens technology to capture work processes, capitalize on institutional knowledge and enhance staff training using Mixed and Virtual Reality.
In a pilot project with Microsoft and Taqtile, King County’s Departments of Information Technology and Natural Resources and Parks captured Emergency Bypass Gate work processes, including operations checklists, and made the “stories” editable to allow updates to be made as things change – without the need for a team of technical developers.
Capturing this knowledge will help King County prepare for the passing of institutional knowledge as veteran county employees retire. The editable content will also facilitate lean process improvements, as process steps can be changed by users as improvements are implemented. Click the video below to learn more.
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Interview with Katherine King, DCHS Business and Finance Officer III
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter
What do you do in DCHS?
I am a Business and Finance Officer for the Community Services Operating Fund and the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy. For these funds I assist with the development of the budget, review expenditures for budget compliance, track and analyze expenditures against the budget to assist project managers with strategic decision-making, and I prepare financial reports for both internal and external stakeholders. I also review contracts and conduct site visits with our contractors to test for fiscal compliance.
What’s something about yourself that people may not know?
Growing up in snowy, cold New England my parents wanted their kids to be involved in a winter sport to make sure we stayed active when we couldn’t spend much time outside. I took figure skating lessons for several years and then switched over to playing ice hockey when a girls league was formed in a nearby town. I haven’t played hockey since high school but I still enjoy ice skating and watching hockey in my free time!
To learn more about what DCHS is doing in our community, read the most recent issue of the Touching Base Newsletter (on SharePoint).
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New facility will build on work to keep youth out of justice system
King County is currently constructing a new Children and Family Justice Center to replace the failing Youth Services Center that will help the County build on its efforts to keep young people from entering the criminal justice system, deliver nation-leading diversion programs, and connect youth and their families to services and support.
The CFJC, which is being constructed with funds from a $210 million levy approved by King County voters in 2012, will have space for courtrooms, youth and family program space, a resource center, childcare facilities for families on court business, and a juvenile detention center with 100 fewer beds than the existing detention facility.
About $45 million of the $210 million CFJC project – around 20 percent of the project’s budget – is estimated to be spent on the detention portion of the new center. King County has reduced the number of youth in detention by more than 70 percent since 1998, and the new facility will help the County build on that work.
In a recent interview, Chief Juvenile Judge Wesley Saint Clair said that the new building will “give us a new framework” to help young people and families learn, grow and heal.
“I was in a community meeting last night and someone asked ‘Judge, why are you guys building a new building?’ And I said ‘have you been to our building? Have you seen how disrespectful it is?’ Our building sends vibes that say ‘we don’t care about you families or children.’ Because we’re giving you this raggedy building, where you can’t drink the water out of the water fountain, that leaks, where you are forced to have private conversations in the lobby because there’s not enough space for you to have those behind closed doors.’ So I think when you look at what’s happening it [the new building] will give us a new framework to keep evolving the change model.”
The new facility will provide a respectful and supportive environment to link even more youth and families – court-involved or not – with services and non-profit organizations in their own communities. Learn more.
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Celebrating recently promoted DAJD employees
On November 7, 2017, the Juvenile Division within the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention hosted a promotion ceremony for several employees:
- Randy Green was promoted to Corrections Supervisor
- Belenda Wilson was promoted to Corrections Supervisor
- Rich Reed was promoted to Restorative Justice Coordinator (PPM II). Rich also received his 25 year Service Award.
Congratulations to Randy, Belenda and Rich on a job well done!
Pictured: Left to right are Randy Green, Belenda Wilson, Juvenile Division Director Pam Jones and Rich Reed.
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Kudos! Cecilia Camino, Juvenile Probation Counselor, Superior Court
The Family Intervention and Restorative Services (FIRS) team received this note from a thankful parent:
Parent: Thank you so much Cecilia… As traumatic as this was, the result is already much improved at home. I am so grateful for FIRS – I wish this program existed everywhere. The flow into the prison pipeline for young black males is definitely slowed by this program! Juvenile court should be a prescription for kids getting back on track. Thank you! Barb
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Featured Job: Public Defense Attorney – Recent Fellowship / Clerkship experience
Salary: $65,109.41 – $98,162.48 Annually
Job Type: Multiple job types-career service and/or temp
Location: Seattle, WA
Department: Department of Public Defense
Job Number: 2018IVB07894
Closing: 3/26/2018 11:59 PM Pacific
The Department of Public Defense (DPD) is now actively recruiting Attorney applicants with graduation dates between January 2016 and June 2017 that have been engaged in legal fellowships or clerkships. Individuals would be committed to working in public defense in King County to begin employment in late summer 2018 through early spring 2019.
The successful applicant will have a passion for public defense and a demonstrated commitment to helping those who are less fortunate. He or she will also have a demonstrated ability to receive feedback and integrate that feedback into his or her practice.
For inquiries, please feel free to contact Irma Van Buskirk at 206-263-9002 or Irma.VanBuskirk@kingcounty.gov.
Learn more about this position or all available jobs.
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