Saying goodbye to a public health hero, “Uncle Bob” Santos
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
By Kalayaan Domingo, Healthy Eating and Active Living Project Manager at Public Health
A celebration and remembrance in honor of Robert “Uncle Bob” Santos will be held on Friday, September 23 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at WAMU Theater at CenturyLink Field (800 Occidental Avenue S., Seattle, WA 98134), located on the corner of S. Royal Brougham Way & Occidental Avenue S. The public is invited to attend.
On August 27th, 2016, Seattle lost one of our hometown heroes, Bob Santos, or Uncle Bob, as he was affectionately called.
If you’ve visited Seattle’s International District, there is a good chance that you met Uncle Bob. I am fortunate enough to have known Uncle Bob since I was a child. My father was one of the many Asian-American activists he inspired and mentored during the 1970s and throughout his lifetime.
A lifelong resident of the neighborhood, Bob Santos was born in 1934 to a Filipino immigrant father and a Native American/Filipino mother and raised in what was then called Chinatown.. The International District was Uncle Bob’s home, and he fought tirelessly to preserve and improve the area for its residents and the larger Asian-American community. He focused on many issues, but was particularly committed to racial equity, including health equity.
Read more at Public Health Insider
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Following the line to inspiration
Crossposted from King County WTD
Senior Gardener Jim Davis can be considered the artist-in-residence at South Plant. If you stop into the lunchroom in the Annex Building you’ll see his unique and interesting contour drawings hanging on the wall. While Jim finds inspiration in dramatic subjects like Seattle Seahawks players, most of his drawings installed at South Plant are of his coworkers.
“There’s something about an ordinary person doing an ordinary thing that is inspiring to me,” he says.
Jim has been an artist ever since his third grade teacher complimented one of his pictures. He’s been drawing ever since, but it wasn’t until he spent some time studying architecture that he chose his preferred style of contour drawing.
Cover photo: Each of Jim Davis’ drawings can take anywhere between 20 and 30 hours to complete, and some have even taken 50 hours.
Read more at King County WTD
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Employees change work environment, open up to new opportunities
Photo by Paul Israel
Working with strong personalities can be challenging, especially when they’re all on the same team. To help create understanding and better work flow, it’s important to recognize what is impacting the group dynamics and address these concerns directly.
One construction crew in the Parks and Recreation Division of King County DNRP is taking on this challenge, working to improve the culture for themselves and build a better, more efficient work environment.
Aaron Hall, the supervisor for this group, worked with staff after the 2015 King County Employee Survey to identify communications as a key area for their work group to improve on.
“We went through our survey results and using the action plan sheet looked at the questions one-by-one,” Aaron said. “We wanted to identify something to work on and realized communications and team building were important to us.”
Using the action planning survey tool, Aaron and his team began to pinpoint areas where there were communications breakdowns. Noticing that these issues happened when interacting with other workgroups, the group decided to start having short all-staff meetings. While it didn’t seem like much, these brief check-ins have dramatically changed the outcome and impact of work being done.
“We’re having more preconstruction meetings and holding smaller safety meetings with our four different work groups,” explains Aaron. “These tailgate meetings go over the safety, workflow, goals for the day and expectations.”
If needed, the group meets at the end of the day as well, to recap the day’s events and issues, as well as go over what will happen the following day.
“It’s our goal to provide a structured opportunity for everyone to be engaged and provide input on project decisions. We’re hoping that this will increase personal influence and team cohesiveness.”
To build on this work, Aaron and his work crew are planning to take the “King County Four Generations in the Workplace” training, use Myers-Briggs tests to identify personal work styles and organize regular team building activities.
“I thought it would be great for our workgroup to attend the Four Generations trainings because it’s beneficial in the long run,” Aaron said. “It would be pretty insightful too since we have people from every age group in our crew.”
“The Myers-Briggs tests will also help us improve our communications between such different personality types.”
While Aaron admits that people seemed initially hesitant to participate, over the last year his crew has come around, and are interested in the meetings and upcoming trainings. He looks forward to the crew growing closer as a team and excelling at their work even more through open, clear and honest communication.
“We had a little bit of pushback, but it’s been nice to get something going,” he said. “This is a great place to work, with good people who want to do their best.”
“It’ll be nice to do some team building events too, like go kart racing or baseball games.”
This DNRP crew is benefiting from improving communications and team building. Pictured left to right: Top row: George Anselmo, Scott Baker, Clayton Peck, Doug Munroe, Rodger Clow, Alex Sirotinskiy, Jason Waters, Charles Kobs, Bottom Row: Aaron Hall, Tim Eldridge, Scott Hill, Heather Simon, Paul Israel, John Jeppesen, Tyler Thompson, Not pictured: Scott Ayers
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Public Health teen sex education program expanding nationally, making difficult conversations easier
“We have been doing this for so long now that kids in King County just call their sex ed FLASH.”
Andrea Gerber says this matter-of-factly. She has good reason to be proud of both the longevity and the quality of the FLASH curriculum. Along with her colleague Kari Kesler, the two led a three-day training in May that attracted 35 leaders and health educators from 14 states across the U.S. to become experts on FLASH, showcasing the success of the curriculum and its far-reaching impact.
“It was amazing to have people from all over the U.S. attend the training. It was really great,” said Kari.
FLASH is a widely-used, and incredibly popular sexual health education curriculum developed by Public Health – Seattle & King County employees. Its four main goals focus on preventing teen pregnancy, STDs and sexual violence, and increasing family communication about sexual health. It is also LGTBQ friendly and designed for use with students from all walks of life. The curriculum covers elementary, middle and high school as well as special education classrooms.
“Many districts in the County use FLASH in some way or another,” said Kari. “So to the kids, sex ed is FLASH.”
Originally created in the in the mid-1980s by Family Planning Health Educator Beth Reis, the curriculum has been updated and revised many times by Health Educators at Public Health as well as by community partners in schools and agencies. The High School curriculum underwent a major overhaul in 2011, and then again in 2014. During this most recent makeover Kari and Andrea worked with another Family Planning Health Educator, Becky Reitzes, as well as community partners Rebecca Milliman from the Harborview Center for Sexual Assault Traumatic Stress and Mo Lewis from the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center to redevelop and improve the curriculum. A comprehensive overhaul of the curriculum was done, with a focus on bringing it to a larger audience through national endorsement.
“We want to bring the curriculum to a wider audience, so we’ve changed the scope slightly and added some new components,” explained Andrea. “There’s been lots of new research on teen pregnancy and STD prevention, and new standards for sexual health education. We wanted to put FLASH in alignment with current research and these new standards.”
“The results from our evaluation will determine if can be listed as an evidence based program, instead of a promising program as we are now.”
Andrea Gerber and Kari Kesler are working to revise the FLASH curriculum for national endorsement.
Andrea is referring to the five-year grant FLASH was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) to evaluate and improve the curriculum. While broadly used since its inception, FLASH will now undergo a formal evaluation process to prove its success in preventing teen pregnancy. This is necessary for it to be included in the elite list of national programs identified by the OAH as evidence-based models of education.
In its second year of the five-year evaluation, the curriculum is still going strong, gaining momentum and followers on its course to becoming one of these “proven” programs.
“It’s comprehensive in scope and covers everything needed in a classroom, like many text books,” said Kari. “It’s just that few sex ed programs have the advantages of a textbook, as well as being practical, which is probably why it was identified as the most ready program to fill that gap.”
“The curriculum is designed with a lot of scripting, which is a big support for teachers who may be anxious about teaching sex ed.”
A topic that can be overwhelming for adults to bring up with teenagers, it is important to provide health educators with the tools needed to do so in a safe and comfortable environment. Andrea and Kari explain that having competent, capable educators means youth are more likely to feel comfortable as well, and open up about their experiences, including those most difficult to speak about.
“FLASH is meaningful and resonates for all students in the classroom,” said Andrea. “We’ve actually heard stories from other states, where people have been using FLASH, where kids came forward and said they were currently experiencing sexual abuse.”
Andrea and Kari share that due to its ability to connect with youth, the curriculum has been used not only by teachers, but also PeaceCorps volunteers, home school programs and parents. It has even received interest from California to become a state-approved curriculum for school-led mandatory sex education classes. While the current version is used in many places, once it is a fully vetted, evaluated program with national endorsement then it can also be used by programs that require an evidence-based curriculum.
“FLASH is already being used in every state at every level, and even internationally,” said Kari.
The two employees look forward to continuing their work evaluating the curriculum and leading the educator trainings. Andrea and Kari understand the work of Public Health as a department and their input on the program are measured not just in awards and national recognition, but in the community impact it has on youth and families.
“This has brought positive attention to King County in such a great way,” said Andrea.
“We love to hear from students and teachers who have enjoyed the curriculum because it was meaningful to them,” said Kari. “It’s very satisfying to do this work. We are lucky we get to do it.”
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Third Annual Veterans and Military Spouses Career Expo draws a crowd
More than 250 veterans and military spouses converged upon the Washington State Convention Center August 10 to take part in the Third Annual Working with our Troops Career Expo – an event cosponsored by the King County Veterans Program, WorkSource Seattle / King County, and the Washington State Convention Center.
In addition to King County, the employers in attendance included more than 120 major corporations, small businesses, and Federal, State, County and City agencies; including Amazon, Boeing, Starbucks, ThyssenKrupp, Tommy Bahama, Weyerhaeuser and first responders. King County was represented by the Human Resources Division, the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Metro Transit and the Sheriff’s Office.
When asked why the County includes those who’ve served among the talent pools actively recruited from, Business Outreach Coordinator Rich Garmong of the King County Veterans Program said, “Because (we) understand the value veterans add to the workforce. The skills and discipline that veterans bring is in line with the Lean model that the County is moving to. Servicemembers have been working and training in elements of the Lean philosophy for several years, so the transition and mentality is built in.”
When asked why Amazon actively recruits military talent, Military Recruiting Manager Colby Williamson said, “Because of their people-leadership skills, their ability to deliver results, and their bias for action.” He added, “Last year, we hired Morgan Patty who – at the time – was a transitioning first lieutenant. She is now a leader on our military recruiting team.”
Detective Carrie McNally of the Seattle Police Department’s Recruiting Unit said S.P.D. is actively hiring military talent because of the dedication to serve, ability to lead, and follow direction and chain of command. “We also find that they have a high level of stress tolerance, conscientious work habits, excellent decision-making and communications skills and ability to work in a team environment.” S.P.D. is hiring about 100 officers each year for the next few years.
Brant Merritt, a store manager with Seattle-based Tommy Bahama, is hiring military talent because, “They have shown that they have a high attention to detail, and are flexible workers that will take on any task.”
Not all the tables were staffed by recruiters and human resources professionals. Weyerhaeuser was represented by three veterans from various non-HR functions. These ambassadors were able to connect on a personal level with the attendees and share their stories and experiences with those looking to join their team.
One of the County’s areas of focus for hiring was for the Vets 4 HIRE program, for which the County will hire 16 veterans this year. The Vets 4 HIRE Fellowship Program was created to support military service personnel and veterans in making a successful transition from military to civilian employment, and to provide a pipeline of skilled veteran talent for positions within King County. The program has been funded in part by the Veterans and Human Services Levy.
There were also one-to-one resume writing and review sessions tailored for the job seekers. Rich, who also managed the event, said volunteers from King County, WorkSource, Pacific Associates, The Washington National Guard, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Hire America’s Heroes and the Wounded Warrior project did remarkable work at the resume and interview support tables.
The Convention Center went above and beyond again this year (as they always have) by providing space and staff, reduced parking rates and IT support. They also provided boxed lunches for all.
Learn more about area services for veterans by visiting the County’s Veteran Programs, Vets 4 HIRE, and WorkSource sites.
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Seasonal Home Maintenance Class
Whether you own your home or are renting, make sure your home is ready for the seasons ahead! This seminar is presented by HomeStreet Bank to help you learn basic home maintenance, what you need to do when the temperature changes, covering the cost of home maintenance, and you’ll be provided with a home maintenance checklist.
This class will be held at King Street Center, Thursday, September 22 from noon to 1 p.m.
Registration for this event is required. Please call the Hometown Hotline at (888) 425-6990, or go online to www.homestreet.com/KingCo.
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Social Media Spotlight: King County Department of Transportation Facebook
Our job is to provide mobility for the people of King County in a way that protects the environment, helps manage growth, and reduces traffic congestion.
Follow the King County Department of Transportation on Facebook today!
Click here to view all King County social media pages.
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Kudos to KCSO’s dedicated unit in the fight against domestic violence in King County
Pictured: King County sheriff’s Detectives Ben Wheeler, left, Robin Ostrum and Senior Deputy Prosecutor David Martin. Image courtesy of Seattle Times.
The Seattle Times profiled the King County Sheriff’s Office Domestic Violence Investigations Unit in Saturday’s edition, highlighting the reformation of the unit and the hard work being done to protect victims of domestic violence and convict DV offenders.
The article speaks with Detectives Ben Wheeler and Robin Ostrum, Senior Deputy Prosecutor David Martin and Sheriff John Urquhart.
The article goes on to say “Though there isn’t money to expand the unit, Urquhart said he plans to formally offer the unit’s services to the 12 cities that contract with the Sheriff’s Office for police services.
“It’s something I intend to do going forward because it’s been so successful,” he said.”
Read more in the original Seattle Times article.
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Featured Job: Regional Services Manager
Closing Date/Time: Sun. 09/18/16 4:30 PM
Salary: $52.69 – $66.79 Hourly, $109,595.20 – $138,923.20 Annually
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Location: Chinook Building – 401 5th Ave, Seattle, Washington
Department: King County Department of Information Technology
Description: King County Information Technology (KCIT) is seeking an effective leader to join our department as the Regional Services Manager. This is an exciting, strategic role that plays a key part in regional partnerships and collaboration around the County. The Regional Services Manager is responsible for overseeing several functions that provide services to both King County Government and our region. This includes; the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Center, King County’s Radio Shop which includes the 800/MHz Emergency Radio System, the Institutional Network (I-Net) Business and Cable Communications franchising. You will be responsible for driving forward our regional strategy, strengthening partnerships to grow our client and revenue base, and representing King County by participating in regional collaborations and serving on boards.
Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.
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Employee Discounts to Seattle Symphony
Seattle Symphony – Get 15% discount on most Seattle Symphony performances. Go to www.seattlesymphony.org | Click on: Concerts and Tickets | Enter Promo Code: Conductor1617 to receive 15% discount on most Seattle Symphony performances.
Discount is good on: Masterwork, Seattle Pops, UnTuxed and National Geographic Live performances. Note: The discount will not work on: Yo-Yo Ma (Sold Out) Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, Hilary Hahn or “Live at Benaroya Hall” performances.
Special discount for the Opening Night concert only (Sept. 17): Use Promo Code: OpenNight16 for September 17 Opening Night of the 2016/2017 Seattle Symphony season. This will give the employees 20% off concerts tickets for this night only. Not good on Opening Night GALA fundraiser tickets.
Find all discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
Employee News 