Leading with racial justice in King County
Crossposted from Public Health Insider On June 11, 2020, King County Executive, Dow Constantine, and Public Health Director, Patty Hayes, declared racism is a public health crisis. They heard the call-to-action from the community and have resolved to hold all of King County to a higher standard. King County is committed to providing the resources needed to equitably address the damaging effects of racism and will do the necessary work, long-term, to create and affect tangible change. Read more.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 2020
National Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. This month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the long, important presence and contributions of Hispanic and Latino and Latina (Latinx) Americans. A video to celebrate Latinx/Hispanic Heritage month was produced by Latino Northwest Communications in collaboration with Utopia Media and Entertainment and King County Metro, Sound Transit, and Seattle Department of Transportation and will be airing on Univision. View the video in English below and in Spanish here.
My proposals for anti-racism and criminal legal system transformation in upcoming budget
Dear fellow King County employee, Today I announced a package of proposals that transforms the criminal legal system and funds ongoing work to confront racism as a public health crisis. There is increasing acknowledgement of the brutal reality of racism and bias throughout our society, and the imperative to be deliberate and steadfast in our commitment to anti-racism. That is why I joined with Public Health Director Patty Hayes in June to declare that racism is a public health crisis, and that all of King County government is committed to implementing a… Read More
Mental Health resources for Black and Brown employees
The combined impact of police violence, a pandemic disproportionately affecting People of Color, and centuries of systemic racism place undue stress on Black and Brown communities. Balanced You stands with Black Lives Matter and recognizes the resiliency and strength that lies within the Black and Brown communities. Balanced You also recognizes that, because you and your community are sacred, caring for your well-being is an act of resistance. In the event that you are seeking additional support, we have partnered with the King County Black/African Affinity Group and Dr. Gloria Ngezaho, Workforce Equity… Read More
King County Celebrates Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, September 15 – October 15, 2020
National Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. This month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the long, important presence and contributions of Hispanic and Latino and Latina (Latinx) Americans. You are invited to participate in the many events hosted throughout the month by the King County Latinx Affinity Group (KCLx), Sound Transit Latinx in Transportation (LiT), and the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Latinx Caucus. The first event is a Kickoff for Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month: A Celebration by KCLx hosted on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from noon to 1… Read More
Join Balanced You for a Panel Discussion on Suicide Awareness and Prevention, September 22
In honor of Suicide Awareness & Prevention Month, King County employees are invited to join Balanced You for a virtual panel discussion featuring speakers from the Native American community, LGBTQ community, Black/African community, and others. The event will provide an opportunity for King County employees to normalize the conversation around mental health, learn how to identify early warning signs of suicidal ideation, and learn more about resources available to support the mental health of employees and their loved ones. We hope you will join us for this important discussion. Tuesday, Sept. 22,… Read More
Building Bridges Between Cultures, online training Sept. 18
The King County Native American Leadership Council is sponsoring “Building Bridges Between Cultures.” This free learning opportunity is open to all King County employees and is limited to 300 participants. This workshop will assist participants to understand and acknowledge the unique history and experience of Indigenous Peoples and learn about allyship responsibilities. The training will be hosted by Ellany Kayce and Jonathan Betz-Zall of the Seattle based Nakani Native Program. “Nakani” is a Tlingit word for a person or an entity that serves as a go-between or connector for different people and cultures. Friday, Sept. 18 from 10… Read More
30 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Sunday, July 26, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which enshrined the civil rights of people with disabilities into law. King County Executive Dow Constantine filmed a short message to celebrate the milestone, which you can watch here, or below. We also put together a short video that highlights some of the County’s work to expand opportunities for people with disabilities, which you can watch here.
Future of Work podcast hosted by PEAT
The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) posted a new episode of its Future of Work podcast series on “The Role of Universal Design in Workplace Inclusion and Accessibility.” In the episode, Brook McCall, Director of the Tech Access Initiative at the United Spinal Association, discusses workplace technology challenges for mobility disabilities. Listen to the PEAT podcast here, and learn more about PEAT at their website.
Individual Placement and Support webinar, July 29
The Employment First Community of Practice will present a webinar on “The Americans with Disabilities Act and Individual Placement and Support: Improving the Working Lives of People with Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders.” This webinar will be held Wednesday, July 29 from 11 a.m – 1 p.m. Register here. This webinar will discuss how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to individuals in recovery from substance use disorders in three phases of employment: pre-offer, post-offer, and work. They will use scenarios to discuss and illustrate the application of the ADA. It will also highlight Individual… Read More
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