Public Health outreach approach hailed as statewide model
The County’s Department of Public Health Access and Outreach team has earned designation as a Washington Connections Community Partnership Champion!
Washington Connection advances health and reduces inequities by helping people access medical, food, and other types of assistance, and Public Health’s team was recognized as a leader by the state’s Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
“This recognition is extremely gratifying because our goal is to improve the lives of King County residents, and Washington Connection is one of the tools to help us do this,” said Daphne Pie, Access and Outreach Program Manager. “Being recognized as a champion allows us to model the way for our community partners so they, too, can be successful helping their clients.”
To earn the Champion designation, the Access and Outreach team needed to not only demonstrate success in enrolling clients through Washington Connection, but also earn the respect of colleagues and our communities as experts in the field.
“The A and O team works to eliminate all barriers to enrollment in public benefits. We don’t just submit applications, we follow-up for approval. When clients are unfairly denied, we advocate for them so they can obtain their benefits. In addition, we build strong lasting relationships with our State DSHS partners so we can work together to help our residents,” added Daphne.
In addition to helping members of the community enroll in classic Medicaid programs, the Access and Outreach team also helps enroll them in Basic Food, Cash Assistance, various childcare programs, and Medicare assistance programs.
The designation doesn’t bring any additional funding, but it does allow our Public Health department to represent Washington state DSHS at special events, and to train and help other community partners in the understanding and use of DSHS rules and policies.
Public Health’s Access and Outreach site explains the program in detail, and provides contact information by location and language.
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Featured Job: Environmental Scientist III
Closing Date/Time: Tue. 01/24/17 5:00 PM Pacific Time
Salary: $38.71 – $49.07 Hourly
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Location: King Street Center – 201 S Jackson St, Seattle, Washington
Department: Department of Natural Resources & Parks – Water and Land Resources Division
Description: This position will be part of a team of river engineers, scientists, planners, and other program staff in the River and Floodplain Management Section (RFMS) in the Water and Land Resources Division. In collaboration with other professionals, the position will participate in design, permitting, monitoring, construction management, and technical analyses to support the implementation of projects and programs identified in the Green River SWIF Interim Report and the King County Flood Hazard Management Plan in support of the King County Flood Control District. The position will be assigned to the Green River basin team. The majority of work duties will be focused geographically, with opportunities to work across the County as well.
Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.
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Social Media Spotlight: King County Medic One Twitter
King County Medic One (KCM1) is a publicly-funded Emergency Medical Service that provides world class Advanced Life Support (Paramedics) in King County, WA.
Follow the King County Medic One on Twitter today!
Click here to view all King County social media pages.
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Spike in King County flu cases
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Influenza is hitting hard in King County. We caught up with Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, to get his take on the flu season so far.
What kind of levels of flu are you seeing in King County right now?
Over the past two weeks we’ve seen flu activity take off with marked increases in positive laboratory tests for flu and people seeking medical care. The number of people seen at hospital emergency departments with flu-like illnesses to-date is more than we’ve seen at this time of year for the previous five years, but we haven’t peaked yet and I can’t predict when that will happen or how high it will be compared to other years. We’re also tracking an increasing number of flu outbreaks in long term care facilities.
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Use it or lose it: Last chance to use your excess vacation hours!
Reminder: If you have accrued vacation in excess of 480 hours, you must use it by Jan. 13, 2017, unless contract provisions provide otherwise.
King County allows employees who work 40 hours/week to accrue up to 60 days of vacation (prorated to reflect schedules less than 40 hours/week). Any time over 480 hours after Jan. 13, 2017 will be forfeited. Work with your supervisor to schedule some time off and reduce your balance so that you won’t have to forfeit time
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Reminder: CPR classes available this winter
King County employees are welcome to sign up for available CPR classes hosted in the Chinook building January- April. Class dates are as follows:
Basic Heartsaver CPR/AED Training (Open to all King County employees), register with andrew.burns@kingcounty.gov:
- Monday, January 9, 2017- 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Chinook Bldg., Room 126
- Wednesday, February 22, 2017- 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Chinook Bldg., Room 126
- Thursday, March 23, 2017- 11:30 a.m.- 2:30 pm, Chinook Bldg., Room 126
- Monday, April 12, 2017- 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 pm, Chinook Bldg., Room 126
Refresher Heartsaver CPR/AED Training (Open to all King county employees) register with andrew.burns@kingcounty.gov:
- Monday, January 9, 2017- 9:00 a.m.- 11:00 am, Chinook Bldg., Room 126
- Wednesday, February 22, 2017- 1:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. Chinook Bldg., Room 126
- Thursday, March 23, 2017- 9 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. Chinook Bldg., Room 126
- Monday, April 12, 2017- 1:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. Chinook Bldg., Room 126
BLS CPR (Healthcare Provider) Training (Open only to Public Health Certificated staff) register with maryalice.allenbach@kingcounty.gov:
- Thursday, February 16, 2017 – 9 a.m. to noon, Chinook Bldg., Room 126
- Tuesday, March 7, 2017 – 9 a.m. to noon, Kent East Hill Public Health
- Tuesday, April 25, 2017- 1 p.m.- 4 p.m., Chinook Bldg., Room 126
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Featured Job: Noxious Weed Control Specialist II
Closing Date/Time: Mon. 01/6/17 11:59 PM
Salary: $25.22 – $31.97 Hourly
Job Type: Seasonal, benefit-eligible, Full Time Equivalent (FTE)
Location: King Street Center, 201 S Jackson St, Seattle, Washington 98104
Department: Department of Natural Resources & Parks – Water and Land Resources Division
Description: The King County Noxious Weed Control Program works to prevent and reduce the economic, environmental and social impacts of noxious weeds in King County. The program’s focus is to achieve voluntary control of noxious weeds through education and technical assistance to landowners. Where this fails, regulatory compliance procedures may be used. The person hired for this position will work closely with the Regional Specialists Supervisor, Program Manager and other agencies and private landowners to develop and implement noxious weed control activities in a defined region of the county. The person will be responsible for the noxious weed control outputs in that region.
Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.
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County launches Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative with grants to 27 local agencies; Executive also announces $41M for affordable housing and homeless services
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter
Executive Constantine announces the launch of the Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative.
The first strategy funded by Best Starts for Kids, the Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative (YFHPI), was formally launched at a news event on Dec. 15 at Mother Africa in Kent, one of the 27 agencies selected through a competitive process to administer $4 million in funds in the community. The new initiative is designed to help families on the verge of being homeless. The individualized approach is based on a highly successful pilot project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Agencies receiving the funds are now receiving training to prepare for providing the case management services for youth and families at highest risk of homelessness.
At the same event, Executive Dow Constantine announced $41 million in funding to create affordable housing and provide services to help people succeed once they have a place to live. The package includes $14.2 million to build 549 units of affordable housing located near major transit centers throughout King County, made possible through the county’s new Transit Oriented Development bonds. The housing announcement also included $12.1 million to build 279 affordable housing units in Renton, Bellevue, Seattle, Auburn and Tukwila, including housing set aside for homeless veterans and their families, people with mental illness and people with developmental disabilities. A total of $10.2 million will provide supportive services that help people succeed in their housing, including behavioral health and other services. The announcement also included new and renewed funding for homeless shelter, transitional housing and rapid rehousing. Council Chair Joe McDermott and County Councilmembers Larry Gossett and Dave Upthegrove also attended and spoke at the event. Many members of the community, including other recipients of the homeless housing funding also attended. Kudos to Kim Dodds, lead for the YFHPI and to Mark Ellerbrook and his team in Housing Finance and Homelessness Services for their great work in conducting successful competitive processes for the housing rounds. Read more in the official press release and the Seattle Times story.
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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