King County commemorates National Gun Violence Awareness Day, June 2
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider In honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day this Friday, June 2, Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Regional Gun Violence program is partnering with community organizations to host gun lockbox giveaway events throughout the county and promote Wear Orange Weekend. The shared goal is to promote gun safety and raise awareness of community organizations working to address gun violence in the region. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the US. Over the past three years, we have seen an uptick in the… Read More
Juneteenth an observed County holiday on Monday, June 19
King County government will observe Juneteenth as a paid holiday and most King County offices be closed on Monday, June 19. King County officially began observing Juneteenth (June 19) as a paid holiday in 2022 for King County employees who are eligible for comprehensive leave benefits. Due to the nature of county work, some services will continue as normal while others will operate on a reduced schedule. Metro will remain on regular weekday service. The establishment of Juneteenth as a holiday – in addition to Indigenous Peoples’ Day (second Monday in October) – reflects our… Read More
Join the King County Ragnar Northwest Passage Relay Team
Following the success with a King County team in the annual Ragnar Northwest Passage Relay from Blaine to Langley, the team wants to gauge interest in adding a second King County team of runners this year. The race is July 14-15; a team is 12 runners in two vans, each taking on three legs. There is still time to register another team by the June 9 deadline. If you’re interested joining, email Seth Watson.
Balanced You Burnout and Resiliency Training: Now available as an online course
While the COVID-19 emergency order has ended, the sense of burnout has not. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Balanced You has led live trainings to teams across the county about burnout and resiliency. Now King County employees and teams can take the Burnout and Resiliency training online and on-demand through NEOGOV Learn at a time that works best for them. People managers can also take an add-on to the course to learn how to support their team in preventing burnout. Burnout and compassion fatigue are conditions that can lead to long-term… Read More
Mental Health Month Recap
As Mental Health Month comes to a close, we wanted to recap some of the key resources we shared this month. Bookmark these pages below to return back to in times of need. How to find a mental health care provider: Whether your insurance provider is Kaiser or Regence, there are robust tools at your fingertips to connect you with a mental health care provider. Mental Health resources for children and teens: We are seeing a growing concern around children and teen mental health. Washington state has a free referral service that helps families… Read More
DLS Participatory Budgeting Project Team receives 2022 Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice
The Department of Local Services (DLS) Participatory Budgeting Project Team has been honored with the Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice. This award, part of King County Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards, is one of the of five Innovation Awards highlighting department teams whose projects, improvements, and ingenuity deliver exceptional, measurable results. “We solve problems” and “We drive for results” are core values at King County, and these award recipients met challenges in creative and impactful ways. Read more and watch the video here.
Executive Constantine proclaims June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month
Acknowledging that King County is a leader in advancing equitable policies and practices based on sexual orientation and gender identity, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed June 2023 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month. “I urge everyone to honor the fight against discrimination and the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people to our County and our society,” the Executive said in his proclamation. Read the full proclamation below.
KCSO Crisis Negotiation Team, Part III
Part I explored the evolution of the King County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT). Part II told the story of how a mental health professional became an official part of the team after years of volunteering. The final segment illustrates how they put it all together. An incredible partnership Over the last several years, there have been many improvements implemented in the partnership between TAC 30 and the Crisis Negotiation Team that have made KCSO into a leader in the crisis field. “We’re ahead of our peers in having a mental… Read More
Changes are coming to Fleet Motor Pool vehicles
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express The Fleet Services team is working to update technology that will allow motor pool dispatch users to reserve and access the vehicles using their mobile phone, making access to vehicles more efficient than the current system using lock boxes in our King County garages. The next phase of the project is to pilot this new technology with customers. Fleet Services is looking for frequent users in King Street Center and Goat Hill Garage to test out the new process and provide feedback. Read more.
New IT Helpdesk feature offers faster ticket submissions, workarounds
The IT Helpdesk homepage (Cherwell) now offers a “Known Issues” section that lists non-urgent issues impacting employees. The next time you experience a tech issue, quickly scan the Known Issues list to see if the problem has already been reported. If so, you can click the “View Knowledge Article” link to learn more about any available workarounds. A handy “This Affects Me Too” button automatically generates a pre-filled Helpdesk ticket that quickly routes your ticket directly to the technicians working on the issue. This new feature is designed to streamline your ticket submissions, and… Read More
Employee News 