Substance Use Disorder Evaluator (Social Services Professional)

Public Health – Seattle & King County is seeking a Career-Service Social Services Professional (Substance Use Disorder Evaluator) to provide substance use disorder diagnosis, assessment, and inpatient placement and coordination for individuals housed in the 2 county and 5 other municipal jails within King County. This position will work on the Substance Use Disorder Evaluator Team and provide ASAM assessment and placement into inpatient SUD treatment for individuals in custody referred by our various referral partners. Assessments are conducted primarily in person and depending on the facility requirements, virtually. People with lived experience of substance use, incarceration, houselessness, and/or sex work; people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities; and people living with HIV/AIDS and/or hepatitis C are strongly encouraged to apply. This emphasis on diversity and inclusivity reflects a commitment to providing equitable and just health and human services to all individuals, regardless of their background. This position demands a commitment to equity, social justice, and a deep understanding of the complex challenges faced by individuals in the criminal legal system.

This position offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact within correctional health systems in King County. We prioritize dignity, equity, and evidence-based care. As a Substance Use Disorder Professional working to assess, diagnosis, and place individuals into Medicaid SUD inpatient facilities, candidates join a team that is committed to improving health outcomes for some of the most underserved individuals in the community. This role provides the chance to deliver person centered and trauma informed care at a critical moment in people’s lives, supporting recovery, stabilization, and continuity of care and placement into treatment as they transition from jail to community. The work environment is collaborative and fast paced, supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes medical providers, behavioral health clinicians, nurses, care coordinators, and social workers.

JHS provides needed health and social services to the incarcerated population located in the King County jails – King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle, WA and Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent, WA. The primary services we provide include medical, dental, mental health, social and release planning services, treatment of substance use disorders, and pharmaceutical services. We care about the patients we serve and their health outcomes. Our division includes over 250 employees and an annual budget of over $60 million.

The purpose of JHS is to assure that high-quality health and human services are available to the incarcerated population in the King County adult correctional facilities: the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent. The JHS vision is Opening doors to healthier, happier lives, and the mission is to assess and stabilize serious health problems for the detained population of the King County Correctional Facility and the Maleng Regional Justice Center with a focus on transition from jail.  

Staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, JHS provides a broad range of health care to all individuals booked into the jails. For patients with serious mental health or medical conditions, special housing units (psychiatric and infirmary) along with a higher level of services and medical monitoring are provided. Since the patient population varies both in numbers as well as in acuity of health conditions, staffing is adapted and flexed to meet the constantly changing needs of the population.

JHS staff manage the complex health needs of underserved populations, many of whom come to the facility without access to care in the community and with decompensated acute and chronic health conditions.

Note: This recruitment will be used to create an eligibility pool to fill additional Career Service, Term-Limited Temporary (TLT), or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) vacancies that may occur over the next six 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

• Conduct comprehensive substance use disorder assessments and make appropriate DSM-5 diagnostic and ASAM level-of-care recommendations.
  Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to honing your clinical skills, especially those related to cultural humility, anti-racist practices, and shared decision making.
• Engage with people who use substances in a collaborative, person-centered approach grounded in harm reduction and trauma-informed practice.
• Promote diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, patient preferred languages, health literacy, and other communications needed for participants referred to care.
• Responsible for placement into inpatient treatment, which includes determining the appropriate level of care, type of service, length of stay, and the most appropriate facility using ASAM placement criteria.
• Facilitate shared treatment decision making and help participants understand the benefits of assessment and accessing the appropriate level of care.
• Work collaboratively with funding sources to obtain initial authorizations for reimbursement.
• Work cooperatively with the referral sources, providing clinical consultation as needed.
• Monitor patient access to care and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to eliminate barriers to treatment.
• Maintain working knowledge of drug and alcohol treatment agencies and programs.
• Document patient contact and services delivered in electronic health record system.
• Help maintain clinical workflows, policies, procedures, and documentation standards.
• Ensure clinical documentation supports medical necessity and meets licensing, Medicaid authorization standards, and audit standards.
• Support compliance with applicable WACs, RCWs, and Department of Health requirements.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and help strengthen client engagement, retention, documentation quality, and program outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Required:

• Must possess an active and unrestricted Washington State Substance Use Disorder Professional credential through the Washington State Department of Health. WAC 440-22-240.
• Two (2) years of experience in the last 5 years, relevant work experience with people involved in the criminal legal system within King, Pierce, or Snohomish County with priority given to people with experience providing harm reduction and recovery-related services for participants with substance use disorders.
• Two (2) years of experience in the last 5 years conducting comprehensive SUD assessments, treatment planning, and ASAM level-of-care recommendations.
• Strong knowledge of applicable Washington State WACs, RCWs, and behavioral health requirements.
• Experience managing a clinical caseload and facilitating placement into Medicaid eligible inpatient treatment facilities in Washington State.
• Strong clinical documentation skills and knowledge of medical necessity, treatment planning, progress notes, continued-stay documentation, and discharge planning.
• Knowledge of specific challenges, trauma responses, behavior and needs for people experiencing legal involvement, housing instability, poverty, substance use disorder and mental health diagnoses that are compounded by discrimination and systemic oppression.
• Demonstrated clinical skills, experience, and knowledge of the following:
  • Participant-centered concepts and approaches to case management, including outreach, screening, intake, assessment, intervention, and referral
    Trauma-informed care concepts, approaches, and trauma responses.
  • Recovery-oriented concepts and approaches.
  • Crisis intervention and suicide risk assessment.
  • Building and maintaining appropriate boundaries with participants.
• Familiarity with Microsoft programs such as Outlook, and the ability to use drop down menus, point and click software, and multiple screens.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to drive a county fleet vehicle to multiple jail locations within King County on a flexible schedule during work hours.

Desired:

• Bilingual/ bicultural/ individuals with diverse backgrounds, including people with lived experience with behavioral health and recovery, incarceration, houselessness, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities.
• Experience working in a position where you routinely coordinated inpatient SUD treatment for individuals with complex medical, mental health, substance use, and other impactful barriers to care for Medicaid eligible individuals in King County. 
• Experience working in a position where you routinely coordinated with the criminal legal system in either King County, Pierce, or Snohomish (courts, defense attorneys, prosecution, probation, correctional institutions).

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.

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 

Please note: Cover letters and additional attachments will not be reviewed as part of the evaluation process if not outlined as a required application material as outlined above.

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.

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 Sarah Dunkinson ([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.

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 provide proof of Basic Life Support (BLS) / CPR.
• The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation and Pre-Employment Physical, but findings may not necessarily disqualify an applicant for employment.
• 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 CLA 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 the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Additional Information 
Public Health - Jail Health Services follows and maintains federal and state requirements standards including, but not limited to, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards which apply to all public and private institutions that house adult or juvenile offenders. PREA standards preclude the department from hiring or promoting anyone who has engaged in, or been convicted of any conduct which would violate PREA standards related to sexual assault including:

• Sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution.
• Convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or,
• Has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described above.

Additionally, PREA standards require that the department consider any incidents of sexual harassment involving an inmate or detainee in determining whether or not to hire or promote anyone.
  
The above is in compliance with PREA and its implementing regulations, 28 C.F.R. Part 115, Subpart A, Section 115.17, Hiring and Promotion Decisions.

Work Schedule

This position is Monday through Friday and works a 40-hour work week. Typically, 8am-4:30pm. Alternative work schedules are permitted including 4/10’s or rolling 9’s within the team's business hours. This position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime. 

Work Location 

This position is based out of King County Correctional Facility (500 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104) and Maleng Regional Justice Center (620 W James St. Kent, WA 98032). 

Remote and Onsite Work:

The team works in a hybrid model, with 3-4 days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is building name and address.

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

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Union Membership

This position is represented by PROTEC 17 Labor Union. 

Contact

For questions about the application process contact [email protected]