Social Services Specialist

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

Our Behavioral Health and Recovery Division is looking for people to join the Behavioral Health Outreach Program (BHOP) team! The Behavioral Health Outreach Program consists of three teams that respond to behavioral health crises that occur in assigned patrol areas within King County. The teams provide assistance and/or intervention to people who are experiencing crisis, homelessness, and/or behavioral health issues. Interventions include community engagement, outreach, de-escalation, screening by visual inspection and brief conversation to determine the need for services, and referrals for service.

There are three teams within this program:

This recruitment is to fill up to six (6) Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) positions. We are looking to fill up to four (4) full-time positions (TLT/SDA), and two (2) .8 positions (TLT/SDA). The Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) positions are anticipated to end 12 months after start date. If filled by a King County employee who has passed their initial probation, the TLT will be as a Special Duty Assignment (SDA).

To be considered minimally qualified applicant must demonstrate a background that provides the knowledge, skills and ability to: 

• Patrol assigned areas on foot and provide outreach and engage with individuals in the light rail stations or on the trains.
• Assist transit security in responding and engaging with individuals who are experiencing behavioral health crises
• Provide crisis intervention/counseling to individuals.
• Offer service information and linkage to shelter, housing, behavioral health, medical, and employment services.
• Provide information and education about health/behavioral health issues.
• Serve as liaison to and represent the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division within community groups.
• Develop trusting relationships with individuals through respectful outreach and client centered engagement practices in order to assess their service needs and respond with appropriate referrals and linkages to resources.
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with community partners, shelters, direct service providers, and other service or resource organizations to ensure continuity of care for individuals.
• Perform job responsibilities in a manner that respects and promotes individual dignity at all times even when challenged by others.
• Monitor and intervene using de-escalation techniques which includes the use of least amount of physical force when physical or verbal altercations occur.
• Maintain the safety and security of individuals by using visual and auditory cues that indicate whether or not individuals are stable and safe during outreach services.
• Complete paper written reports with handwriting that is legible, grammatically correct and complete.
• Enter electronic data by typing and saving data via computer to record information as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES WHO HAVE:

ADDITIONAL POSITION INFORMATION:

• This position has been designated Non-Mission Critical. Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather. For more detailed information, please visit HR Policy County Operations During Emergency Situations and the King County Guidelines for Workforce Management in an Emergency.
• These positions work on site at various locations throughout the county.
• These positions may work between the hours of 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM. These positions mees the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and are overtime eligible with supervisory pre-approval.
• These positions are not represented by a union.
• Classification: Social Service Specialist
   

WHO MAY APPLY:
This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. Interviews for this selection process will take place on or around September 9, 2026. 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. If you have any questions, please contact Alicia Larsen, [email protected].

This selection process will fill our current vacancy but also create a pool of qualified candidates should additional Social Services Specialist positions open up within the next 6 months.

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.

Application Process

If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Alicia Larsen at [email protected].

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

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.