Employee working to end veteran homelessness featured in Lean blog
The Lean in King County blog recently featured Dawn Barrett – who we featured in our “Five Questions with… ” segment on November 10 – in an article called “Turning an (Almost) Impossible Goal into Concrete and Solvable Problems.” Barrett is working on King County’s ambitious goal of ending homelessness among an estimated 1,100 veterans by the end of 2015. “If we keep doing business as usual, we’ll keep housing as usual,” says Barrett. Barrett and her team are using Lean to identify small, solvable goals with the aim of achieving the really big, audacious… Read More
And… We’re Off!
We revealed the 2015 Employee Survey Results today and now we’re embarking on an unprecedented effort to respond to the results. This is going to be exciting. For the first time ever, we’re responding at every level of the organization. That means that departments, divisions and work groups will each have action plans to address issues that came up in the survey. And at the countywide level Best Run Government Employees will respond to the survey results. This blog will follow our journey to address the results. I anticipate we will share successes and… Read More
Veterans Court helps veterans in criminal justice system
For most, the court system can be complicated, confusing and scary. For many veterans, the process now comes with a sense of comradery and hope. The King County District Court Regional Veterans Court serves veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or other disabilities from their time in service. In 2008, a judge in New York launched the first Veterans Treatment Court. Recognizing a need, King County launched a study in 2011 to determine the best treatment option, and in 2012 officially opened King County District Court’s Regional Veterans Court. The Regional Veterans Court is classified as a therapeutic court, where individuals are served by… Read More
Explore Race and Social Justice through Literature Out Loud
“We are human only if I see myself in you and if you see yourself in me.” These lines are from a poem called “Dialectic” by Quenton Baker, one of eight literary artists selected to present their work to King County employees in a series of symposia in 2016 called “Reflecting on Race and Racism through Spoken Word, Story, and Conversation.” The presentations offer King County employees the opportunity to explore equity and social justice issues through the personal and intimate art of “literature out loud.” Writers will read or perform their work… Read More
Five Questions with Dawn Barrett, Social Worker/Veterans Program, Community & Human Services
1. What was your first role at King County? My first role for King County was in 2004 as a Social Worker for the out-of-school young adults enrolled in our YouthSource program in Renton. I recall my fascination with the size of the team and the innovative and creative programs they were implementing such as Youth Build and Digital Bridge; both aimed to achieve education and employment outcomes to combat income inequalities for this population. The team was incredible at creating a safe and fun place for learning while investing in the… Read More
Job opportunities for veterans ease transition from military
Making the transition from military to civilian life can be a difficult one for many veterans but finding a meaningful job where they can utilize their skills while learning new ones can ease that transition. That’s why King County launched the Heroes Employment Reintegration Opportunity (HERO) Program back in 2012. “Veterans returning from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan face a job market with high unemployment rates, and a civilian workforce where their valuable skills may not be recognized,” Councilmember Reagan Dunn said. “We have a responsibility to support those who have fought… Read More
Honoring our veterans and ending veteran homelessness
Dear fellow King County employee, Each year, we pause as a grateful nation on November 11 to salute the men and women who answered the call to serve in our nation’s armed forces. Of the 122,000 veterans of all ages who call King County home, I am proud to say that 931 of them are our fellow King County employees, including 27 who were called to active duty over the past year. Along with our respect and appreciation, we best honor their service through our actions. Through our King County Veterans Program… Read More
It’s Official! Happy Volunteer Appreciation Day
Post by @iheartkcparks. Source: It’s Official! Happy Volunteer Appreciation Day
Employees earned the public trust needed to pass Best Starts for Kids
Dear fellow King County employee, Based on the latest vote count, it appears that voters have approved the Best Starts for Kids levy! We now have the opportunity to help put more children and youth in King County on a path toward lifelong success. It’s a victory you helped make possible. Voters approve initiatives only if they believe we are effective stewards of taxpayer dollars. This vote is a reflection of the public trust we’ve earned, and it demonstrates that they appreciate the positive difference we make in people’s lives – and… Read More
Goodbye mainframe, hello data
On Monday, November 2, King County IT shut down and turned off the aging King County mainframe (think extra-large refrigerator-sized, pre-PC computer), an important step in Executive Constantine’s goal of making King County a best-run government. This was truly a historic occasion, and marked the final ‘go-live’ stage of a multi-year Mainframe Rehosting Project. To give some context, a mainframe is not a machine built for everyday workload; it is designed to run big, complex jobs. King County’s mainframe was being used for large-volume critical business applications such as property tax payments… Read More
