A leader in secondary trauma provides insights and support to DPD staff
By Leslie Brown, Department of Public Defense Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, a pioneer in the field of trauma exposure, visited the King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) last month, where she led a spirited, provocative, and often humorous exploration into the impact of secondary trauma on one’s life. The genesis for the training came out of the Secondary Trauma Care Work Group, recently organized by SEIU Local 925, Teamsters Local 117, and DPD. Laura discussed common responses to trauma, from guilt and hopelessness, to chronic exhaustion, to feelings of depression. When trauma is… Read More
2019 Employee Survey: How it works
The 2019 Employee Survey is now underway and you should receive your unique link from kcemployeesurvey@us.confirmit.com by the end of today. Why take the survey? How will your responses be used? Watch the short video below to find out. The survey runs through Friday, March 29 (March 22 for Metro paper surveys), so please take 15 minutes to have your say and make a difference in your workplace.
Featured Job: Medical Assistant – Eastgate Public Health
Salary: $22.40 – $28.40 Hourly Location: Bellevue, WA Job Type: Term Limited Temporary, Full Time, 40 hrs/wk Department: DPH – Public Health Job Number: 2019-09266 As the only county in the United States named after Martin Luther King Jr, one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nations’ history, King County is a vibrant community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures. We continue to build on an enduring legacy of shared values of… Read More
2019 Employee Survey kicks off today
Dear fellow King County employee, The 2019 Employee Survey kicked off today and you will soon receive an email from our survey consultant asking you to participate. This is now our fourth successive survey and each year your responses help us make King County a better place to work and a more effective service provider for our residents. Your responses have already had an impact. Almost 8,000 employees participated in our last survey and 290 action plans were implemented to address the issues you raised. As a result we’ve made many changes,… Read More
Pet of the Week: Dexter
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Who’s a handsome boy? Why, it’s Dexter, our Pet of the Week! This young pittie is full of energy and loves to play! That’s why he’s one of our “Rambunctious Red” pets. He tends to calm down more when people around him stay calm. Dexter also does best when he gets lots of exercise and something to keep his mind busy. Read more.
Training Spotlight: Conflict Awareness in the Workplace and Introduction to Organizational Performance Measurement
Conflict Awareness in the Workplace, April 18: We all encounter difficult people. Whether you are a supervisor, a customer service professional, or have a challenging co-worker, it’s important to know how to rise above your initial emotional reaction and turn negative situations into positive outcomes. Topics include understanding why we label people as difficult, types of difficult people, tools and techniques for resolving issues, coping strategies for dealing with the effects of difficult people, and conflict management strategies. Register and learn more. Introduction to Organizational Performance Measurement, May 8: Have you ever struggled to create… Read More
Remembering Bernice Stern for Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month, and as we celebrate, we want to introduce you to Bernice Stern, who in 1969 became the first woman elected to the King County Council. Online encyclopedia History Link has a great piece about Bernice’s life and legacy. Read it here. Photo courtesy of King County Archives.
Accepting applications: Art of Facilitation Training spring and fall cohorts
The Art of Facilitation is a six-session training, hosted by the Office of Equity and Social Justice, for King County employees that is rooted in experiential learning. The training is designed to increase effectiveness in working in cross-racial teams, combining skills in group facilitation, communication, and presentation with self-development and resilience building. The learned skills are transferable across all areas of work at King County. Applications are now being accepted for the spring and fall cohorts: May through June and September through November. This training opportunity is limited to 30 people per… Read More
2018 King County Sheriff’s Awards honors employees
Get to meet some of the amazing heroes who work hard to keep our region safe everyday in this video of the recently held 2018 King County Sheriff’s Awards. View the video here or below.
King County Wastewater Treatment highlighted for diversity through Operator in Training Program
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories Check out this article about how King County Wastewater Treatment is working to recruit employees that represent our diverse and growing communities through the Operator in Training Program, featured on the WEF Highlights website, the news site for the Water Environment Federation. Read the full article here.
Employee News 