King County Information Technology pilots volunteer program
Crossposted from KC Employee Giving
In 2018, the King County Employee Giving Program (KCEGP) is launching its new volunteer program. In partnership, King County Information Technology (KCIT), a department of King County government, and KCEGP are initiating a pilot engagement to accomplish three objectives:
- Understand technology needs of Nonprofits
- Align volunteer services
- Establish an ongoing program
KCIT has more than 400 IT professionals serving King County in the areas of Infrastructure, Network Operation and Business Solution delivery services. These services are delivered by professionals working in different disciplines including Engineering, Application Development, Network Architecture, Project Management, Business Analysis and End User Training.
Read more at KC Employee Giving
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LinkUp: Supporting reuse and recycling markets
Caption: Left to right: Daniel Harding of Salvation Army, Kris Beatty of King County and Liz Fikejs of Seattle Public Utilities
Whether you wait until spring to get your spring cleaning done or chip away at it throughout the year, be mindful of items that have a second or third life before labeling them as waste.
The Solid Waste Division (SWD) LinkUp program works to expand markets for selected recyclable and reusable materials. Through this program, collaboration with businesses, public agencies and non-profits is helping extend the life of the King County landfill.
“Our projects are designed to reduce barriers preventing materials being reused or retained in the economy as a resource through recycling,” said Program Manager Kris Beatty, who oversees multiple LinkUp project partnerships. “The current materials identified as priorities for King County are asphalt shingles, mattresses and textiles, but we’ll soon be adding projects to address wood from construction projects and plastics.”
One recent LinkUp project has focused on textiles. Annually, about 40,000 tons of used textiles generated in Seattle and King County end up in landfills, but it’s estimated that 95% of that could have been reused or recycled.
In 2013, LinkUp set about researching used textiles markets to look for opportunities to reduce waste of that material. “In that process, several of the larger textile collectors, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, reported accepting textiles that are damaged, such has having holes, stains and broken zippers,” Kris said. “Consumer research showed that residents were unaware of that fact.”
As a result, LinkUp worked with Seattle Public Utilities to develop Threadcycle – a public education campaign that encourages residents to donate all their used clothes, shoes and linens to participating organizations for reuse or recycling. Here is a full list of acceptable items.
In 2016, 922,000 tons of solid waste was disposed at King County’s Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, and an estimated 70% of those materials could have been recycled.
“Landfill space is valuable,” Kris said. “Extending the life of our landfill is a top priority for us, and a value to King County residents and businesses.”
LinkUp is one of the Solid Waste Division’s complementary programs that are finding ways to increase reuse and recycling and reduce waste.
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Tech Tip: Scammers impersonate the Social Security Administration
Ralph Johnson, Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer
By Ralph Johnson, Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer
Your Social Security number is an important key for an identity thief. Scammers want it, and they think of all sorts of ways to trick you into giving it away.
The Federal Trade Commission receives reports about calls from scammers claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. They say there’s been a computer problem, and they need to confirm your Social Security number. Other people have told the FTC that they have come across spoof websites that look like the place where you would apply for a new Social Security card – but these websites are actually a setup to steal your personal information.
If you get a phone call or are directed to a website other than ssa.gov that is claiming to be associated with the Social Security Administration, don’t respond. It’s most likely a scam.
Here’s some tips to deal with these government imposters.
- Don’t give the caller your information. Never give out or confirm sensitive information – like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number – unless you know who you’re dealing with. If someone has contacted you, you can’t be sure who they are.
- Don’t trust a name or number. Con artists use official-sounding names to make you trust them. To make their call seem legitimate, scammers use internet technology to spoof their area code – so although it may seem they are calling from Washington, DC, they could be calling from anywhere in the world.
- Check with the Social Security Administration. The SSA provides additional information about these scams here and suggests you contact them directly at 1-800-772-121 to verify the reason for the contact and the person’s identity prior to providing any information to the caller.
If you come across one of these scams, please report it to the Social Security Administration’s Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271/1-866-501-2101(TTY) and then report it to the FTC at www.ftc.gov/complaint.
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Help us name the new King County Employee Health & Well-Being Initiative
Have a say in the new name
King County is changing Healthy Incentives based on what we heard from employees. A new, voluntary Employee Health & Well-Being initiative will start later in 2018. What will the upcoming changes mean for your out-of-pocket medical expenses for 2018 health benefits? Thanks to the collaborative effort between labor partners and King County, King County employees* will have Gold level benefits in 2019. In 2018, you and your covered spouse or state-registered domestic partner will not need to take a Wellness Assessment or complete an Individual Action Plan.
What’s in a name? Help us decide!
The new King County Employee Health & Well-Being Initiative will take a comprehensive approach, focusing on the many aspects of health and well-being. We’ll bring you programs, activities and tools to help you live a healthier, happier life; meeting you where you are, in ways that work with your schedule.
We’d like to hear from you.
The new initiative will be a reflection of the input you provided in 2017, so have a say in the new name, too! We’ve narrowed down the name to a few good choices, but would like your input to help us with the final decision.
Balanced – Description: A complete approach to a more balanced life. Strive for harmony in your health and well-being.
Life Engaged – Description: Live in the moment and take action. Invest in yourself to reach your goals.
Whole You – Description: Connect the many things that contribute to your whole-person. Do all you can to improve your health and well-being.
Click here to vote between Jan. 30 – Feb. 9
You may vote through the online survey, or by paper copy at select worksites. We’ll announce the new name later this spring, along with the introduction of the new initiative!
*Applies to non-represented employees and members of KCPOG, ATU, and unions that have formally signed the 2017-2018 JLMIC benefits agreement.
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Interview with Caitlin Cordell, Career LaunchPad Program Supervisor
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter
What do you do in the Department of Community and Human Services?
I am a program supervisor for a new program within Education and Employment Resources (EER) called Career LaunchPad (CLP). CLP was funded by the Ballmer Foundation in March of 2017 to support more Opportunity Youth in our county to secure employment. Opportunity Youth are 16 to 24-year-olds who are disengaged from school and employment. When I took this position there were no systems in place to run a program like this, so my team and I have worked diligently over the course of ten months to build this program from the ground up.
We have five Career Navigators located across King County, primarily housed in what we call “re-engagement” schools. These schools offer young people, who have left traditional high school, an opportunity to retrieve credits, earn a high school diploma or GED, or even earn college credits and degrees. We have wonderful partnerships with iGrad in Kent, Federal Way Open Doors, YouthSource in Tukwila, Learning Center Seattle and the Salmon Creek Campus in Highline. In addition to these partnerships we also get referrals from many different community-based youth serving organizations. Most notably is our connection to rapid rehousing case managers. We partner directly with them to help young people obtain employment in order to become self-sufficient. CLP serves youth and young adults, ages 16-24, with individualized employment focused case management. We help our participants with job readiness, soft skill development, job searching and job connections. So far our program has secured unsubsidized employment for over 110 young people.
What’s something about yourself that people may not know?
I’m a competitive ultimate frisbee player. I’ve played for Seattle Riot, which is an elite level women’s team. With this team I’ve won two National Championship silver medals, one gold U.S. Open medal and one bronze National Championship medal. At 16 I was chosen to play for the U.S. National Team and went to Germany to play in the World Championships, where we won gold. Now I’m Masters eligible (which means 30+) and this year my team has qualified to play in the Masters World Championships.
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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February 13 Special Election
Message from Julie Wise, Director of King County Elections
Last week we mailed ballots for the February 13 Special Election to around 750,000 King County voters. If you live outside the City of Seattle, there’s a good chance you have something to weigh-in on! Eighteen jurisdictions are asking voters to make choices on a total of 34 ballot measures. These are important decisions about our community and I hope you will take the time to vote and return your ballot.
To learn more about what’s on your specific ballot, see your voting history and registration information, or to track your ballot, you can use our My Voter Information application. It’s available in Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese. If you haven’t yet received your ballot by January 29, you can get a replacement ballot here or by calling 206-296-VOTE.
There are several, convenient ways to return your ballot:
- Through the United State Post Office with a first class stamp, postmarked by Election Day.
- At any one of our 55 ballot drop boxes across the County, one of which is located in front of the King County Administration Building on 4th Avenue.
- You can also use one of our three Accessible Voting Centers.
Please encourage your friends, family and neighbors to let their voice be heard and vote. And, if you aren’t eligible to vote on anything in this election, don’t worry – you’ll have ample opportunities later this year from state legislative races to congressional seats and many more. In the meantime, you can always keep up with the latest election news on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our blog.
Thanks and happy voting!
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Kudos! King County DPD recognized for working to simplify Miranda warning for juveniles
A recent Bloomberg News Article, Kids Need Miranda Rights They Can Understand, highlights the work King County’s Department of Defense (DPD) has done on having developmentally appropriate Miranda warnings for juveniles.
The article states “In effect, in most cases the criminal justice system approaches juvenile suspects with confusing language to advise them of their rights, then proceeds to interrogate them without the benefit of counsel. It’s a recipe for injustice.”
Thank you to Katherine Hurley, DPD Attorney, and Anita Khandelwal, DPD Policy Director, for their outstanding work on this important project.
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Chief gives primer on Airport Rescue & Firefighter unit
Crossposted from the Centerline
By Chief Nathan Elledge, Airport Rescue & Firefighting
For more than a year, I’ve had the privilege to serve as your Chief of Airport Police and Fire here at King County International Airport/Boeing Field. During my tenure, I’ve noticed that there seems to be some confusion as to who has jurisdictional responsibility when it comes to police and fire response at the airport. Given that, I’d like to provide you with an overview of who we are and what we do.
The King County Airport Police and Fire Department, commonly known as the ARFF (Aircraft Rescue & Firefighter) unit, is comprised of 18 men and women from the King County Sheriff’s Office. They are uniquely cross-trained to handle police, fire and EMS duties at the Airport. Our staff includes a fire inspector, as well as a dedicated trainer who helps keep our staff trained to the highest level.
Read more at the Centerline
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Help us “Crush the Crown” in 2018!
It’s been a decade since King County switched to an illustration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as our logo. We take pride in having Dr. King represent our county, the only jurisdiction in the world named for the civil rights icon.
While Dr. King’s image can be found all over King County, there are still a few places where the old crown logo appears. That’s where you come in!
We’re looking to “Crush the Crown” in 2018 – and we need your help to do it. If you see an old logo somewhere, let us know where it is by reporting it at www.kingcounty.gov/CrushTheCrown. Provide as many details as you can about the location – you can even upload a photo! Completed reports will be entered in a random drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. on February 28.
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Featured Job: Patient Services Representative – Float Pool
Closing Date/Time: Wed. 02/14/18 11:59 PM Pacific Time
Salary: $21.23 – $28.25 Hourly
Job Type: Various – See Supplemental Information Statement
Location: Various Locations Throughout King County, Washington
Department: Department of Public Health–Community Health Services
Description: Public Health – Seattle & King County is seeking Patient Services Representatives to become part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and diverse team in our Float Pool. The Patient Services Representative is generally the first point of contact for patients, both in person and over the phone; s/he must consistently maintain excellent customer service standards.
Our clients are culturally, socially, and linguistically diverse. Applicants should be committed to working with diverse populations to provide excellent customer service to people from a broad range of cultures, communities, backgrounds, and experiences, including people experiencing homelessness and/or mental illness. This position supports and advances the Community Health Services Division’s values for fair and culturally-competent service delivery, innovative, effective and efficient application of resources, building a culture of performance, expanding opportunities to seek input, and listen and respond to clients.
Contact: For more information contact Nic Horea at 206-263-8736 or Nicolae.Horea@kingcounty.gov.
Learn more about this position, or view all available jobs.
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