Education Specialist - Harm Reduction

About the Department

This position reports to the Drug User Health Manager in the Public Health – Seattle & King County Robert Clewis Center. The Robert Clewis Center provides harm reduction supplies, Naloxone distribution and health education and disease prevention information to persons who use drugs. This position works with a multi-disciplinary team that is responsible for daily operation at the Robert Clewis Center as well as van-based delivery services.

Temporary opportunity. Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) positions are "at-will" positions but are eligible for benefits. This TLT is currently anticipated to last one (1) year. However, funding sources for this work remain uncertain and dependent upon decisions actively being made at both the federal and local levels. As a result, the end date of this position may be adjusted based on those decisions. The County and the Department continue to work to secure long term funding sources.

This vacancy can also be filled as a Special Duty opportunity. For Special Duty Assignment interest, you must be a Career Service, Career Service Exempt or other regular (non-temporary) employee in King County who has completed their initial County probation. You must have supervisor approval prior to taking a Special Duty Assignment.

Note: This posting will create a list of qualified candidates that may be considered for selection of additional vacancies of the same position type over the next 6 months.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice

Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

Position Duties

• Provide Harm Reduction services to people who use drugs 
• Provide information and service referrals to outreach contacts, peer educators and Robert Clewis Center customers
• Conduct street and van-based outreach to engage persons who use drugs in targeted communities, 
• Distribute accurate and culturally and linguistically appropriate education materials and information targeted to persons who use drugs. 
• Train and provide on-going coaching and support for Robert Clewis Center customers on how to administer Naloxone. 
• Stock and maintain exchange supplies 
• Ensure proper disposal of bio-hazardous waste 
• Collect naloxone distribution data 
• Participate in administration of surveys to people who use drugs. 
• Attend and participate in staff meetings 
• Contribute to an environment that fosters open communication, teamwork, commitment to quality service, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Required:

• Experience in an urban social service setting or related experience with persons who use drugs in a harm reduction setting. 
• Current knowledge of HIV/AIDS, STDs, hepatitis and other blood-borne infections, particularly in relation to drug use; street life; slang vocabularies; drug use practices; harm reduction concepts and principles; local drug treatment; health care; and criminal justice systems and resources. 
• Fluency in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, and Excel) 
• Valid Washington State Driver's License (or ability to obtain upon hire) and the ability to drive a ½ ton county van to locations in and outside King County. 
• Ability to lift 30-pound boxes over one's head.

Desired:

• Demonstrated effective communication skills with the ability to communicate complex information in a culturally appropriate, consistently respectful, and non-judgmental manner to a wide variety of audiences including people who may be drug impaired, mentally ill and/or angry. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Experience with resolving conflicts and defusing aggressive and/or violent clients.
• Demonstrated skill in delivering harm reduction interventions to people who use drugs. 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing, with supervisors, co-workers, health care providers, and the public. Demonstrated ability to work independently following established protocols and policies and work effectively as a member of a team.
• Demonstrated ability to carry out assignments and responsibilities reliably in a thorough, accurate, and timely manner.

Other Qualifications

Forbes 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.

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 the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• NEOGOV Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Resume 

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

Necessary Special Requirements

• The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience.
• The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation, but findings may not necessarily disqualify an applicant for employment. 
• Pre-employment Physical
• For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring. For tips on interviewing, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/audience/employees/learning-and-development/Interview_Tips.ashx?la=en. 
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
• When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CBA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department. 
• 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.

Work Schedule

This position will work Friday-Tuesday, 40 hours a week, hours will vary. This position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime.

Work Location

This position is in-person and located at Robert Clewis Center - 2124 4th Ave Seattle, WA 98121.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. 

Union Membership

This position is represented by ProTec 17 Labor Union. 

Contact

For questions about this recruitment, please contact Sarah Dunkinson (sdunkinson@kingcounty.gov). 

Local government providing public services for King County, Washington.