Social Worker/Release Planner

About the role

Empower Lives, Evoke Change: Join Our Public Health Social Work Team Today! Jail Health Services (JHS), a division of Public Health - Seattle & King County, is actively seeking four (4) career service compassionate Social Worker (Release Planners) to join our dedicated Social Services section. Joining our dynamic, multidisciplinary healthcare team, you will play a crucial role in assisting individuals to access resources for healthier and more meaningful lives, making this position both rewarding and impactful.

In this role, you'll be deeply engaged in a harm reduction, trauma-informed, and patient-centered approach. Your key responsibilities include facilitating referrals, connecting individuals to medical care, behavioral health treatment, and various benefits and social services. Actively working to eliminate barriers, you will provide essential support such as medication, transportation, cell phones, clothing, and assistance with benefit activation upon release. This support ensures a smooth transition to community from one of two King County jails located in Seattle and Kent, WA.

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.

Additional Incentives

• Public Health employees classified as Social Worker shall be eligible upon approval to receive a 5.5% Master Premium above their current base pay rate on all earnings subject to QUALIFICATION AND APPROVAL as set forth in the Agreement (King County and Union).
• Certification & Licensure Premium pay: upon approval and verification of State of Washington associates license (LMHCA, LMFTA, LICSWA, LMFTA, LSWAA) or recognized equivalent) employees are eligible to receive a premium of ($50.00) per biweekly pay period while certification/licenses are current good standing.
• Clinical supervision offered for licensure (as staffing permits).

Work Schedule

Typical work schedule for this position is 40-hour work week, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. May involve weekend work. This position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime.

Work Location

Work locations for this position will be based at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle at 500 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 and at the Maleng Regional Justice Center located at 401 Fourth Avenue N, Kent, WA 98032. However, candidates will need to be available to work at either site if needed. There will also be minimal work in community locations to meet with patients.

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

This position is posted as open until filled. First review will be conducted of applications received by July 31st at 11:59 pm PST.

• Equity and Social Justice: Applying equity and social justice principles and practices and understanding of the effects of place, race and policy and systems-based oppression for people experiencing legal involvement, housing instability, economic insecurities, substance use and mental health conditions.
• Comprehensive Assessment: Providing culturally sensitive bio-psychosocial-legal evaluation to assess the legal context in conjunction with biological, psychological, and social factors that identify immediate concerns and long-term goals informing a patient-centered release plan.
• Clinical Interviewing: Ensuring the patient feels heard, respected, and supported. Focus on both verbal and non-verbal cues amid noise and distractions. Quickly address immediate concerns while staying aware of their overall needs. Being mindful of cultural differences, even in a fast-paced setting.
• Case Management: Assessing, planning, coordinating, implementing, tracking, and evaluating the services and resources necessary to ensure successful referrals and linkages for individuals at time of release for a full caseload with complex needs.
• Multi-System Coordination: Collaborative service planning with a diverse team of legal personnel, medical, mental health, and social service providers with the goal of seamlessly ensuring care for patients at release.
• Discharge Planning: Implementing personalized release plans to facilitate a seamless transition from custody to the community. Ensuring suitable referrals and connections to medical care, behavioral health treatment, and a range of social services based on patient-assessed needs and goals.
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintain accurate and up-to-date case records, documenting interventions, progress, and outcomes, and reporting on patient status to support effective case management in an electronic health record.

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the following (Minimum)

• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, or counseling from an accredited university or equivalent.
• State of Washington associates license (LMHCA, LMFTA, LICSWA, LMFTA, LSWAA) or recognized equivalent) OR ability to apply for licensed agency affiliated counselor (LAAC) within 30 days of employment.
• Two (2) years’ full-time work experience (within the last 5 yrs.) in a counseling, social work, or case management capacity with adult populations experiencing severe and persistent behavioral health conditions.
• One (1) year full-time work experience (within the last 5 yrs.) providing psychosocial assessment and managing a caseload where you routinely coordinated medical, mental health, substance use, and other social services.
• One (1) year of full-time work experience (within the last 5 yrs.) in a counseling, social work, or case management capacity in King, Snohomish, or Pierce County OR ability to demonstrate knowledge of local social and behavioral health services.
• Experience working in a position where you routinely coordinated with the criminal legal system.
• Knowledge of specific challenges, trauma responses, behavior and needs for people experiencing legal involvement, housing instability, economic insecurities, substance use disorder and mental health conditions compounded by discrimination and systemic oppression.
• Pass a security clearance and/or background check to secure access to the jails.
• Proficiency in the use of personal computers, with working knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel, database programs, Internet, cell phones, and Outlook, electronic health record.
• Ability to travel to various sites within Seattle-King County.

The most competitive applicants will have the following experiences and qualifications:

• 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 medical, mental health, substance use, and other social service resources in King County for Medicaid-eligible adults.
• 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).

Work Environment Requirements

• Position is based in a secure jail setting with frequent walking, stair climbing, and navigating confined areas.
• Includes conducting cell-side visits through pass-through slots, often in noisy or low-privacy conditions.
• May require assisting individuals with mobility needs (e.g., pushing wheelchairs) and occasional lifting (up to 25 lbs.).
• Requires emotional resilience, sound judgment, and flexibility, with professionalism and compassion essential for success in a dynamic care environment.

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.

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.
• 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.

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.

Additional information

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.

Union Membership

This position is represented by the PROTEC17 labor union.