WA Department of Children, Youth, and Families

On Wednesday, July 18th, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Jilma Meneses and Dr. Tonik Joseph, assistant secretary for the Developmental Disabilities Administration, led a ribbon-cutting ceremony this afternoon in the City of Burien to officially announce the opening of the innovative Lake Burien Transitional Care Facility. State of Washington Governor Jay Inslee led off the opening remarks for the event, while representatives from the WA Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Seattle Children's Hospital and MultiCare Health System also spoke about the partnerships supporting the new therapeutic facility. The facility will provide intensive behavioral support for youth in crisis, serving as a critical resource for those who have had prolonged stays in emergency rooms, out-of-state placements, or other temporary accommodations not requiring acute medical attention.  #YouthSupport #CommunityCare #BehavioralHealth #WashingtonState #PersonCenteredCare #RibbonCutting

“SPEAR was natural…Verbalcraft was natural” Kacey from WA Department of Children, Youth, and Families shares her experience after the Agency provides four days of training in personal safety, fear management, and crisis de-escalation. It was an incredible week in Eastern Washington with the selfless people of DCYF serving youth and families and in the summer HEAT!!! Serving the State’s workforce that serves youth and families is some of the most meaningful work that we can perform as educators and trainers. Special thanks to Jeffrey DeTeso, Ph.D., Johnathan Jones of Blauer Training Systems’ SPEARCARE and Candis Hannah and Dan Gapsch, CDP of JUMPSTART’s VerbalCraft for a job well done. As usual, every single course evaluation extols the incredible team that does this work. Tony Blauer and I are available to any agency for consultation about what the magic is all about and why human services organizations are lining up for this combination courseware.

We're looking for a Social Service Specialist 4 to join our Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS) Team at our Lakewood Office! The ideal candidate is experienced in Child Family Welfare Services and is ready to take on a supportive, mentorship role. If you have the necessary skills and are passionate about helping children and families, apply here: https://lnkd.in/gyJSCAjH #werehiring #washingtonstatejobs #statejobs #governmentjobs #childwelfare

Looking for an exciting opportunity to support DCYF legislative efforts, providing consultation to the Early Learning Division leadership? This position is responsible for project management, coordination and oversight of legislative proposals, and management of implementation timelines, among other important tasks! Do you enjoy working in a fast-moving environment with a dedicated and supportive team? If so, find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gbRshabH #washingtonstatejobs #governmentjobs #earlylearning #werehiring

Our colleagues at the HKS Government Performance Lab recently released a new case study on their work with WA Department of Children, Youth, and Families on investing in culturally responsive services. Procurement and equity were integral components of the project: two procurement pilots were designed to reduce barriers for proximate service providers and to allocate money for new services focused on Black and Native families.   "I would hope that other jurisdictions understand that to address racial disparities and equity issues within the populations that our systems serve, we have to do things differently. States have to be willing to listen and be responsive to local communities when they’re telling us what they need. It takes time, but as we find things that work, I hope that we can learn from each other." - Maria Zdzieblowski, LICSW, Director of Service Continuum   Read the full publication here: https://lnkd.in/ekVvC_f5

Don't miss out on this opportunity to join our amazing Aberdeen Team as a Social Service Specialist 3! In this role, your primary responsibility is to ensure that children on your caseload receive timely and permanent outcomes. To achieve this, you will need to engage in critical thinking, exercise independent judgment, and protect children from harm. If this sounds like the right role for you, apply here before July 11th: https://lnkd.in/g-ZVfgX3 #werehiring #childwelfare #socialservices #governmentjobs #washingtonstatejobs

DCYF is accepting applications to the Tribal Early Learning Fund (TELF), which is designed to provide resources to Tribal early learning and other programs that work with Tribal children so that they can better serve them in a culturally appropriate and inclusive manner. Applications are due Wednesday, July 24, by 5 p.m. https://lnkd.in/gkSdBpNq

All child welfare cases in Washington state will now be considered an Indian child welfare case if there is reason to know a child may be an Indian child, or until it can be ruled otherwise under the newly revised Indian Child Welfare (ICW) policies and procedures that go into effect on July 1. https://lnkd.in/g9k8kPeA

Child welfare leaders in the WA Department of Children, Youth, and Families recently launched two procurement pilots that intend to provide nearly $3 million for new services and supports focused on Black and Native American families — in direct response to provider feedback asking for more culturally responsive and specific services.     Our newest case study, Investing in Culturally Responsive Services: Lessons from Washington, details how DCYF used community engagement to shape its approach to addressing service gaps that may contribute to racial disproportionalities in child removals. For child welfare and jurisdictional leaders, the DCYF story offers ideas on how to collect and elevate insights from service providers and community members — and then act.     The publication draws upon the Government Performance Lab’s field work and a recent panel discussion with service providers and agency leaders from the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Family, including Maria Zdzieblowski, LICSW, Tleena Ives, Tessa Velasco, and Camie Goldhammer. Read the publication here: https://lnkd.in/gjY8t_xc

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) celebrated the first cohort of young people to earn their bachelor’s degrees while at a juvenile rehabilitation (JR) facility. https://lnkd.in/gEfEYq4A