Mental Health Month week one: Owning your feelings
Mental health affects how we think, feel, and act. It also influences how we cope with stress, make healthy choices, and relate to others. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and, due to the stress brought on by COVID-19, this is a particularly important year to focus on this aspect of well-being. Balanced You is here to support employees and their loved ones in taking care of their mental health. During the month of May, Balanced You will focus communications on mental health tips and resources. For the first week of Mental… Read More
King County Parks to re-open parks and trails on May 8: ‘Recreate Responsibly!’
King County Parks announced today that on May 8 it will re-open its parks and trails, including regional and backcountry trails, with some restrictions. The county cautions, however, that keeping parks and trails open will depend on visitors practicing safe distancing and following public health guidelines. Parking lots and trailheads will be open, as well as fields, docks and boat launches, and the off-leash dog area at Marymoor Park. Visitors are asked to “Keep it Moving!” and refrain from gathering or playing team sports or pick-up games on the fields. King County… Read More
Featured job: Nurse Supervisor for COVID-19 Response – Strike Teams and Recovery Centers (PHSS)
Salary: $46.16 – $59.96 Hourly Location: Multiple locations in King County, WA Job Type: Short Term Temporary, Part Time, Std Wkly Hrs Vary Department: DPH – Public Health Job Number: 2020NH11609 Division: Community Health Services Closing: Continuous Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
Supporting you this Mental Health Month
Dear King County employee, May is Mental Health Month, an opportunity for us to not only learn more about how we can help those affected by mental illness, but also strengthen our own mental health and resilience. The coronavirus pandemic has changed our everyday lives – at home, at work, and in the community. It’s brought new fears and anxieties, and interrupted many of the things we love. But it has also a brought new opportunities to strengthen our personal connections, to look at how we can help our community through this… Read More
Employee profile: Stepping up highlights commitment to public service
During this difficult time, King County employees continue to be examples of true leadership and dedication to our public service mission. From nurses to front-line staff, the current situation has provided an opportunity for employees from all different backgrounds and abilities to continue giving their time and energy to overcome this virus. One such employee is Angela Jimenez, a nurse in the Children with Special Health Care Needs program (CSHCN) within Public Health – Seattle & King County. A Seattle native, Angela has been with King County since 2018 and has enjoyed… Read More
Featured job: Epidemiologist I – Analytics and Informatics-COVID-19
Salary: $37.42 – $47.43 Hourly Location: Seattle, WA Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT) Department: DPH – Public Health Job Number: 2020AB11601 Division: Prevention Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
Interactive webinar series for managers and supervisors kicks off May 26
The Learning and Development Team within the Department of Human Resources is offering a live, interactive webinar series for managers and supervisors entitled Leading the Way. The first webinar in this series, Staying Steady for Yourself and Your Team, will be held Tuesday, May 26. This first webinar will focus on how being a leader is a tough job during the best of times. In order to effectively lead a team, it is helpful to use self-care skills that can enable leaders to stay steady during the COVID-19 response- and beyond. By the end of this session, participants will be able to describe the importance of self-care as… Read More
Making meaning of the COVID-19 race and ethnicity data: A conversation with our health officer and our equity officer
Crossposted from Public Health Insider A recent analysis of updated data by Public Health shows that in King County, COVID-19 is disproportionally impacting communities of color. Our recent blog post dives into the data. We found rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases that are significantly higher for Hispanic/Latinx, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders and Blacks and higher for American Indian/Alaskan Natives (though not statistically significant due to the low population numbers) as compared to Whites. To gain a better understanding of disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 by race, we sat down with Matías Valenzuela, Equity Director for Public – Seattle… Read More
Keeping you updated on COVID-19 personnel guidance
Last week, King County extended its mandatory telecommuting for Executive Branch employees who have been telecommuting through Sunday, May 31, 2020. Gov. Jay Inslee has also extended Washington’s stay-at-home order through May 31 and released plan for a phased approach for re-opening the state’s economy. Here is a reminder of our key guidance for County employees. This guidance is subject to change and will be reissued if conditions warrant, and we will update you of any changes: Telecommuting through May 31: King County has extended mandatory telecommuting for Executive Branch employees who have been telecommuting through Sunday, May… Read More
OESJ is confronting hate and bias by strengthening communities
In response to community concerns over the rise in hate and bias incidents in our region, the Civil Rights Program at the Office of Equity and Social Justice (OESJ) recently launched a new community-based reporting system for communities experiencing acts of hate and bias. This system is unique to the region and focuses upstream on empowering communities, rather than heightening enforcement through the criminal justice system. Currently, data collected by law enforcement agencies does not accurately portray the realities of hate, bias, and discrimination that many communities face. Underreporting due to tenuous community-law enforcement relationships, lack of… Read More
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