King County’s Priority Hire program has been featured by the White House as one of six examples from across the country to share how evidence can inform practices and policies.
The White House’s recent Year of Evidence for Action Summit highlighted leading practices from Federal Agencies to generate and use research-backed knowledge to advance better, more equitable outcomes for all of America. As a lead up to the Summit, the White House Evidence Team solicited examples of evidence in action from invitees. Read more.
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Connecting families with support
Recently, Sound Transit Resource Deputies Steve Wright and Marshall Smith were assisting BNSF Railway police with contacting the occupants of a homeless encampment, located on rail property near Skyway.
However, Deputies Wright and Smith found a woman and her 21-month-old son living there. The woman said she and her son had been living in the encampment for over a year. Deputies Wright and Smith knew they needed to step in to get this mother and her son some help, so they reached out to the Salvation Army Street Level Group. Read more.
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Jail employees boost COVID-19 vaccinations with benefit program
Jail Health Services recently wrapped up a successful month of COVID-19 vaccinations, building on a program that used financial incentives to encourage vaccine uptake among people in custody.
As part of the COVID-19 Vaccine Benefit Program, from May 19 to June 21, staff administered 500 vaccine doses, which represents a 66% increase in vaccines administered compared to the same period in April 2022. Read more.
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July is Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride celebrates the important history of the disability civil rights movement and recognizes contributions that people with disabilities make in workplaces and communities.
All King County employees are welcome and encouraged to participate in Disability Pride Month events.
Movie and Discussion: Crip Camp
Watch and discuss the Sundance Festival award-winning documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, which tells the story of Camp Jened, a summer camp where teens with disabilities found and built a community that ignited the disability rights movement.
For more information about accommodations and Disability Pride Month events, click here.
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Balanced You Coffee Connections: Mindful Summer
Summer is finally here! Join Balanced You staff for a special Coffee Connections with Mindfulness Northwest. During this virtual gathering, instructors will guide participants through mindfulness exercises to help employees welcome sunny days from a calm and grounded perspective.
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Upcoming mindfulness events
Balanced You continues to partner with Mindfulness Northwest to offer free mindfulness classes and workshops to King County employees. All classes are held live on Zoom.
Mindfulness is a practice that can help you quiet your mind, find focus, and reduce some of the stress many of us experience.
This summer, we have classes available for all employees that will teach techniques such as mindful movement, mindful relationships, and more. These classes are open to all employees.
Mindful Self-compassion: Learn how to befriend yourself, especially when things are tough.
Mindful Leadership: Learn how mindfulness can help you become a more effective and compassionate leader.
Introduction to Mindfulness: Simple practices to use at work and home in this hands-on workshop.
Visit the Balanced You blog for the complete mindfulness class schedule and registration details.
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Disabilty Equity Network meeting July 12
King County Disability Equity Network (formerly the King County Disability Affinity Group) meetings are open to King County employees. The purpose is to center and support those employees who self-identify as a person with a disability. Employees will not be asked to disclose any information regarding one’s disability.
The Disability Equity Network will host its next meeting:
- Tuesday, July 12 from 1 to 2 p.m. via Zoom, passcode Sunshine
Closed captioning will be available. If you need other reasonable accommodations to fully participate in the meeting, please email disabilityequity@kingcounty.gov. Future meetings are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m.
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Mental Health First Aid@Work
To increase awareness about mental health and highlight supportive resources, Balanced You has partnered with the National Council of Behavioral Health to offer Mental Health First Aid@Work trainings.
These trainings teach participants about mental health and substance-use issues, including the common risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder. The program then offers concrete tools for supporting those in need.
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Register now for July retirement classes
Check out the following educational opportunities to help you prepare for retirement. These online classes will be held on Zoom or Teams and are provided by your King County Retirement Team.
Introduction to Social Security: Join this 90-minute class if you are interested in learning more about Social Security. Guest speaker Kirk Larson from the Social Security Administration will discuss your options as a King County employee and answer your questions.
Road to Retirement: This 90-minute class is designed for employees who are planning to retire from King County in the next six months. It covers procedures, forms, medical coverage options, and pension plans—so you’ll be on a smooth road toward a happy retirement.
Registration is required. Use the registration links above, then select the date you’d like to attend. Before classes start, you’ll receive a meeting invitation at the email address you register with.
Please note, attendance at retirement classes is strictly voluntary, on your own time, and non-work related.
For additional information, visit the King County Retirement page, refer to the Retirement Guide, or contact Carmen Johnson, retirement navigator.
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Free admission to Emerald Downs July 10
King County employees and their families are invited to attend the Emerald Downs racetrack for King County Day on Sunday, July 10. They will receive free admission and should check in at Will-Call to receive their tickets. Employees will need to show proof of current employment, such as an employee badge or recent paystub.
Part of the Family Fun Weekend event, gates open at 9 a.m., and the first race of the day is at 2.15 p.m. Throughout the day from 1 to 5 p.m. children can also participate in several games and activities held in the park. Read more.
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Career Support Services:
Strategic Interviewing Tips and Techniques: Two-hour online workshop provides strategies and tips to help you to do your best during the interview. Multiple dates are available. The next session will be:
Creating Effective Application Materials: two-hour online workshop will provide you tips and strategies on how to make your application materials stand out. Multiple dates are available. There are multiple dates available. The next session will be:
For additional learning and training opportunities, click here.
Training Spotlight:
Cómo Prepararse para Hablar en Público - Online - North Seattle College – Spanish language public speaking class. ¿Se pone muy nervioso al hablar en público?¿Ha sido invitado a dar una presentación, pero no tiene idea de cómo comenzar a prepararse? Entonces, este curso está diseñado para usted! Aprenda a mejorar sus técnicas de oratoria, a manejar el nerviosismo al hablar y a conectar en un nivel más profundo con su audiencia. En este curso los participantes aprenden a presentar con más confianza, reciben herramientas para mejorar su dicción, estructurar una presentación efectivamente y tienen la oportunidad de practicar y recibir retroalimentación sobre sus presentaciones.
This class takes place over three consecutive weeks. There is a $129 registration fee and attendance all three days is required for completion of the class.
Please visit the King County Eventbrite website and the Learning and Development website for more learning opportunities. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Featured Job: Human Resources Supervisor
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