The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans and those with lived experience.

King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, and connected to community.

The Diversion and Reentry Services section, within King County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD), administers programs at the intersection of behavioral health and criminal legal systems to support people in pursuing recovery and thriving in their communities. Multiple current programs divert people with serious mental health and substance use conditions from legal competency services and the state forensic mental health system, and additional services are planned for the King County region in 2021-2022 as a result of the Trueblood et al vs. State of WA DSHS class action lawsuit and subsequent Contempt Settlement Agreement.

The DRS Program Specialist position will administer behavioral health and legal diversion program contracts, coordinate with an array of system partners, connect individuals to care, and assist behavioral health providers and legal partners in navigating each other’s systems and accessing homeless housing, healthcare, and social service resources for people who can avoid incarceration and hospitalization through generous support in the community.  

REQUIRED MATERIALS: Candidates who wish to be considered for this position must submit an online King County application and respond to the supplemental questions. Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the requested and relevant information in the online application and supplemental questionnaire. Applications and/or supplemental questionnaires that state, “see my resume” are considered incomplete and will not be considered to be competitive.

WORK SCHEDULE: This is a Special Duty or Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) position, anticipated to end on December 31, 2022, but is subject to be extended or to end prior, dependent upon funding availability and operational need. This position is scheduled to work 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm.  This position meets the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is overtime eligible with supervisory pre-approval.

Teleworking Requirement 
The work associated with this position will be performed through a combination of teleworking complemented with onsite work and meetings as needed. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Please note that when an employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required, including the wearing of masks in some situations. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.  

Administer and support programs

• Monitor contracts including conducting site visits, managing contract amendments, processing invoices, and continuous quality improvement activities.
• Provide technical assistance to providers and remove barriers to support the delivery of high quality and effective services and access to resources.
• Manage projects including budget monitoring, tracking deliverables, and coordinating multiple project elements such as sub-contracts, data reporting and analysis, fiscal oversight, etc.
• Assist PPM III in data management and report development, including drafting external and internal reports and correspondence. 

Coordinate care and resources

• Provide care coordination for individuals on priority lists or enrolled in contracted services, across a behavioral health continuum of care and with the state Health Care Authority, Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), jail health services, and other service providers.
• Participate in Coordinated Entry for All (CEA) and assist behavioral health providers in navigating homelessness resources.
• Navigate multiple databases and develop custom reporting and notification/tracking systems.
• Assist PPM III in coordination with stakeholders with lived experience, jurisdictional courts, tribal entities, and other concerned partners.

Overall

• Work with program partners to develop trainings, materials, and presentations representing behavioral health services and diversion programs, including public speaking.
• Integrate an equity and social justice framework into program duties and communications.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Demonstrated commitment to Equity and Social Justice principles and practices.  
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and three years of experience in program management, grant management, or direct service in behavioral health, homelessness, or other social services; OR equivalent combination of education and professional and lived experience.
• Demonstrated strong organization skills, ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders, ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines, strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, strong interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and other applications.
• Strategic problem-solving skills – ability to anticipate future challenges/opportunities and integrate into analysis, design, and implementation when addressing current problems.
• Knowledge of behavioral health recovery principles and practices.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Must possess (or able to obtain) a valid Washington State driver's license or have the ability to attend meetings at various locations throughout the county in a timely fashion.

Desired Qualifications:

• Lived experience of behavioral health conditions and/or involvement in criminal legal systems.
• Familiarity with King County’s complex criminal legal system.
• Knowledge of local behavioral health and social service continuums.
• Passion for system reform, racial justice, and helping people access resources to lead healthy and meaningful lives.

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement

As of October 18, 2021, most* King County employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If hired, you will be required to submit proof of vaccination by October 18th. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine. Employees may make requests for a reasonable accommodation based on a medical disability or for sincerely held religious beliefs. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation.

This directive applies to employees in the Executive branch*, the Assessor's Office, Elections, the King County Sheriff's Office, and the Executive Office.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact your recruiter listed on this job announcement.