Behavioral Health Legislative Forum: A community conversation about mental health and substance use recovery, Nov. 8
Are you interested in learning more about funding and services for mental health and substance use disorders? Come to the 2018 Behavioral Health Legislative Forum at Seattle Center on November 8.
Thursday, November 8, 6-8:30 p.m. Program begins at 7 p.m. Seattle Center Exhibition Hall – 301 Mercer St, Seattle
The forum will include:
- Opportunities to meet with legislators before the program
- Remarks by King County Executive Dow Constantine and King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg
- King County’s proposed 2019 behavioral health legislative priorities
- Compelling personal stories from individuals in recovery
- Legislative Round Table
Interpretation available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, and American Sign Language.
For those who can arrive early, an interactive Recovery in Action event will begin at 4:30 p.m. Event is free – registration requested but not required.
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“Who has the best job? I do!”
Chief Administrative Officer Caroline Whalen recently toured King County International Airport, and posted this ‘thank you’ on LinkedIn: “Who has the best job? I do! Today I got a tour of King County International Airport (aka Boeing Field) from the cab of the Crash Truck. Thanks Captain Greg Thomas of the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Unit for showing me around. KCIA joins the department I direct at King County in January and I’m stoked! #kingcountyisagreatplacetowork”
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CPR/AED Training registration available
Registration is open to all King County employees for Basic CPR classes offered in the Chinook Building. Classes cover Adult, Child and Infant CPR, AED, and Choking Rescue. Spots are still open for the November class and classes in 2019.
- Wednesday, November 7 , 2018 from 9 a.m. to noon, Chinook Building, Room 126
- Tuesday, January 29, 2019 from 1-4 p.m., Chinook Building, Room 126
- Monday, February 11, 2019 from 1-4 p.m., Chinook Building, Room 126
To register, go to www.kccpr.eventbrite.com
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Q&A with Elections translators: Nhien Huynh, Vietnamese
Crossposted from Election Connection
We’re highlighting the great work our translators do helping to make our elections and services accessible to every member of the community. Here we sit down for a brief Q&A with Nhien Huynh, our Vietnamese language translator.
What is your background and what brought you to working in local government at King County?
I was the Student Government Community Service Chair at South Seattle College. That experience taught me the importance of being involved and making a difference in the community. For that reason, I was attracted to working in local government. Additionally, King County was a good fit for me, because we share many of the same values, particularly those related to diversity and inclusion.
Read more at Election Connection
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Prepare for winter weather conditions before a storm hits
It’s that time of year again. Fall and winter months typically bring a variety of weather conditions to our region – flooding, freezing temperatures, high winds, snow and ice – that can impact your home, commute, and workplace with little notice. King County Emergency Management urges everyone to take time now to get ready and stay informed.
Take action now
Your safety, and that of your family, is a top priority. Taking a few steps now to plan ahead will give you peace of mind and help you make good decisions in an emergency:
- Talk to your supervisor about your role in an emergency and know how to contact them.
- Ask your supervisor about workplace policies, procedures, and how you will be notified if there are weather-related impacts to your worksite. (Also check out HR policies linked below.)
- Learn what your child’s school and daycare policies and procedures are for possible early release and facility closures.
- Locate flashlights, radio, and extra batteries should you experience a power outage at home.
- Store non-perishable meals for your family that don’t require a stove-top, microwave, or oven to prepare.
- Make sure pets have appropriate shelter to stay warm and safe.
- Get more tips, utility contacts, and weather preparedness checklists at takewinterbystorm.org.
Stay Informed
During a severe weather event or other emergency, make sure you’re getting the latest King County information on how you are affected, at work and at home:
- Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it to your phone now!).
- Check your King County email for specific directives and updates. Log on at outlook.kingcounty.gov.
- Go to kcemployees.com/emergency-info for answers to frequently asked questions.
- Contact your supervisor for instructions.
- Follow King County on Twitter—@kcemployees, @KingCountyWA, and @kcmetrobus.
- Check your agency website or Intranet (if applicable), and monitor local media channels.
- Visit the Emergency News page at kcemergency.com for regional impacts.
- KCInform: Make sure you can be reached in a major emergency. If you haven’t yet registered your personal contact or work cell information in KCInform, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov anytime or 206-296-3830 between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit our website.
HR Policies: When an agency remains open, but conditions prevent you from reporting to work or from reporting on time, notify your supervisor as soon as possible. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Sick leave may not be used. Refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather (Sheriff’s Office employees refer to KCSO Inclement Weather Policy; Superior Court and District Court employees please see check court policies).
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Training Spotlight: Basic Data Visualization and Critical Thinking
Basic Data Visualization, Nov. 8: Our ability to gather and collect data has steadily increased over the past decade. But data alone is not information and does not easily convey a compelling story. This half-day introductory course will allow participants to understand why data visualization is important, explore ways to tell a story with data and mock up data visualizations in whiteboard exercises, using tips explored in class. Register and learn more.
Critical Thinking, Nov. 8: Critical thinking is one of the most valued skills in today’s workplace. Employers need employees who can analyze situations, gather the facts, generate creative solutions, use good judgement and turn mistakes into new opportunities. In this workshop, learn the Critical Thinking 6 stage model, the 7 powers of questions, and focused brainstorming techniques to critically analyze problems and situations. Register and learn more.
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Superior Court CASA Program needs volunteers, open house Nov. 7
If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity that will have an impact on a child’s life, the King County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program is calling your name.
The program will be holding an informational open house on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 1401 E. Jefferson, Suite 500 from 10 a.m. to noon.
CASA volunteers are the independent voice that judges and others depend on to represent the best interest of children under 12. Currently, there are more than 600 children who need someone to speak for them in court.
CASA welcomes all applicants and is actively recruiting people of color and men. To make a difference, or refer someone who would like to become a CASA, contact the Annie Williams at Ann.Williams@kingcounty.gov, at 206-477-4245 or visit the website.
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Exec discusses Zero Youth Detention on King County Connects
Could there be a time when we no longer need to incarcerate youth? Executive Constantine outlines his plan to help the County reach its goal of Zero Youth Detention in this episode of King County Connects.
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Featured Job: MLA Professional Development Scholarship Fund
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Temporary
Department: Department of Executive Services – Human Resources Division
Job Number: 2018PDFS08581
Closing: 11/4/2018 11:59 PM Pacific
Summary: As a part of the Master Labor Agreement and Investing in You, we are proud to announce the opening of the 2019 Professional Development Scholarship Fund Pilot Program.
Applications are now being accepted for professional development training opportunities that will occur between January 1, 2019 and March 31, 2019 ONLY.
This Professional Development Scholarship Program is funded in the amount of $150,000 for 2019 and is available only to current King County career service, civil service or appointed employees who are in the Coalition of Unions who:
- have completed at least one year of full or part time King County employment in a position eligible to receive all county benefits (this includes any time spent in a Term Limited Temporary position); AND
- have completed their initial probationary period, if applicable; AND
- have no documented performance or discipline issues for at least one year from the date of submitting an application form for the Scholarship Fund
There will be a maximum allotment of $2,500 per qualified employee in 2019 for approved training opportunities.
Learn more about this position or all available positions.
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From ‘the Jungle’ to a Job: Behavioral Health Supported Employment
The King County Behavioral Health Supported Employment Program serves 800-900 job seekers per year who have chronic mental health and substance use conditions and are getting back to work with the support of the program. This is just one success story, as told by Stephen McLean and supported employment partners at Sound, a King County contracted provider of mental health and substance use disorders.
After struggling for years with alcohol addiction, Robert moved back to Seattle in 2016 when his mother died in Arizona. Although he was working day labor in construction, he was only receiving minimum wage – not enough to rent an apartment. So he found himself living in Seattle’s infamous “Jungle,” a homeless encampment at South Royal Brougham Way.
“I was determined to get out of that situation,” Robert says, so he stayed out of the mix of personalities in the encampment and focused on work. That all changed when he had a bad, mixed-drug reaction to one dose of Suboxone that landed him in the emergency room at Harborview Medical Center. After his release, he spent several days at Fairfax Hospital in Kirkland, an inpatient behavioral health facility.
From there, he was referred to Sound and assigned to clinician Meagan Narvaez for case management and Leslie Lee, a vocational specialist at Sound working within the King County Behavioral Health Supported Employment Program for job support.
Within six months the team found housing for him in the Central District, and he was one of the first to apply at a new low-income facility. Lee was able to advocate for him and secure a job with Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes Catering. He graduated out of the SEP program in November 2017 after completing 270 days of full-time employment and he now aspires to gain more responsibility within the company.
“I have been blessed,” he says. “I was determined to do anything I had to do to get housing and employment.”
“Working with Robert has been impactful for both of us,” Narvaez emphasizes. “He knew what he wanted, housing and a job, and worked hard to get them. He maintained sobriety, showed up for appointments, and survived. A lot of where Robert is right now comes from his resilience.”
“Robert is a gem,” enthuses Lee. “I knew he was serious and motivated to get a job. He did not want to backslide into homelessness again. We were able to move him into housing and a job very quickly. He has future goals, such as possibly getting another job, traveling, and reconnecting with his family.”
Now that he has a roof over his head and a job that keeps him motivated, Robert is turning to improving other aspects of his life. This includes working on his physical well- being and behavioral health issues.
“I like it here in Seattle,” he says. “I want to save money, take care of myself, and see my family.”
Robert is just one of the many individuals benefiting from the inclusion of employment services in “best practice” behavioral health treatment. For more information about the program, visit www.kingcounty.gov/employmentpartners or contact Lisa Floyd, BHRD Supported Employment Program Manager.
Employee News 