Why now is a good time for a flu shot?
Crossposted from Public Health Insider With the holidays drawing near, many of us look forward to travel or seeing family and friends. And just as our schedules get busier, it’s also the time of year when the flu starts to circulate. We turned to Libby Page, manager of our immunizations program, to get the scoop on flu vaccine . Why is it important to get vaccinated now? LP: Autumn is often the time when flu activity picks up and it can take at least two weeks from the date of vaccination for most… Read More
Water Taxi’s fresh new look earns international award
Crossposted from The Captain’s Blog When we unveiled our new branding earlier this year, our riders offered rave reviews. This month, our new look received even more recognition when we were named a MarCom Gold Award Winner, an international marketing and communications competition! The honor is especially meaningful for us because our branding campaign – which features a new logo and program mark –was entirely an in-house effort that saved an estimated $30,000. We designed, produced and implemented the rebrand solely with King County talent. Read more at The Captain’s Blog
Executive Constantine directs Public Health to oversee King County juvenile detention reorganization
As part of King County’s commitment to reduce traumatization of youth in detention, eliminate racial disparities in the juvenile justice system and advance the goal of zero youth detention, Executive Constantine directed a multi-departmental team under the oversight and direction of Public Health – Seattle & King County to draft a proposal reorganizing juvenile detention services. In addition, Executive Constantine announced that King County will contract with a third-party validator, New York-based Vera Institute of Justice, to review its juvenile detention policies and practices, and recommend potential reforms. “By adopting a public… Read More
King County partners with Ballmer Group to expand access to outpatient mental health and addiction treatment
As many as 22,000 low-income people in King County will be eligible for same-day outpatient treatment for mental health and addiction services under an innovative new program announced today by King County, Ballmer Group and Third Sector Capital Partners, a San Francisco-based nonprofit advisory firm that collaborates with communities on how to contract for social services. The “Pay for Success” model will allocate $1.4 million a year in incentive payments to mental health and substance use treatment agencies that provide outpatient treatment on demand for people in need. “We are combining County… Read More
Special holiday discount for King County employees to upcoming Seattle Symphony performances
Employees are welcome to take advantage of an offer to receive 15% discount to select performances at the Seattle Symphony. Using promo code COMPOSER18, employees can purchase tickets to upcoming performances including: The Tenors: Christmas Together Tour – Saturday, November 25 Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 – November 30-December 2 Jeremy Denk in Recital – Sunday, December 3 Holiday Pops – December 8-10 To buy tickets employees can visit the website at www.seattlesymphony.org, contact the symphony at 206-215-4747 or 1-866-833-4747 (toll-free) or visit the ticket office at Benaroya Hall, on the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
Happy Thanksgiving to our employees, their families and community
We would like to take the time to say how thankful we are for our employees and their dedication to making King County a welcoming community and a great place to live, and for supporting and serving the 2.1 million people who call this part of the world home. You drive the way that we innovate, connect and excel in our service to our community and people across the region. King County never stops serving, and we send a special thank you to the employees – bus operators, jail guards, sheriff’s deputies,… Read More
Tech Tip: Unplug and take a break from technology
Did you know over 40 percent of us check our phones within five minutes of waking up in the morning, and nearly half check up to 25 times a day, according to a 2015 study by Deloitte? Consider detaching from your phone and other electronics this upcoming holiday season. This will give you more time to spend with loved ones, and help you sleep better. To get started, here’s seven ways to break your technology habit: End idle moments. Use tech to help you stay off tech. Don’t rely on willpower. Unplug before bed. Start small. Turn off notifications. Plan… Read More
Departments recognize employees for military service
In honor of Veteran’s Day, county agencies are recognizing their veterans and reservists throughout the month of November in unique ways. The Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) held a department-wide recognition event on November 13. The event acknowledged employees based out of King Street Center who are veterans and reservists. DNRP Director Christie True and management team members provided their veterans and reservists with the King County “Veterans” thank you card and pin to commemorate their service. Employees were from the four DNRP divisions: Solid Waste Division, Wastewater Treatment Division, Parks Division and the Water… Read More
Giving inmates the skills to clean up at work and in life
This article is shared from the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s In Depth column and is featured courtesy of Linda Robson, Communications Specialist with the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. Martin Douthit teaches janitorial vocational classes at RJC “I’m grateful. Truly grateful.” “I feel like being here is kind of a blessing in disguise.” “Extremely grateful.” “I really feel blessed to be here.” It was still early on a Wednesday morning, but the face of every student-inmate in Martin Douthit’s janitorial class was alert, intent, focused, and full of emotion. When… Read More
Join us in planting a million trees
If you are looking for a fun and rewarding team-building activity, how about boosting esprit de corps by helping King County plant a million trees? As part of the County’s “1 Million Trees” initiative, King County Parks is currently signing up volunteers for tree planting events this fall and winter on many of its properties. Planting a million trees by 2020 is a target action in King County’s 2015 Strategic Climate Action Plan. “Whether pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, cleaning contaminants from the air and water, preventing flooding, providing shade or… Read More
Employee News 