Substance Use Disorder Care Coordinator (Social Services Professional)

Full Job Description

Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Jail Health Services Division is seeking a Substance Use Disorder Care Coordinator (Social Services Professional) to fill one (1) Career Service vacancy.

This is a unique opportunity for someone who wants to be part of a multidisciplinary health team that works to remove barriers to medical, behavioral, treatment and social services and is committed to reducing stigma and building power with people who use drugs.

This recruitment will be open until the position is filled, with first consideration given to those applicants who apply before 11:59pm PST on March 17th, 2026.

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.

Position Summary

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Care Coordinators provide a broad range of services, including screening for substance use disorders, connecting patients with community medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) treatment providers, distributing naloxone, and providing overdose prevention and response education. The SUD Care Coordinators engage with participants while they are in-custody and as they connect with health and social services upon release to provide patient-centered, trauma-informed care.

This position offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact within a correctional health system that prioritizes dignity, equity, and evidence-based care. As a Substance Use Disorder Professional working in the jail setting, candidates join a mission-driven organization committed to improving health outcomes for some of the most underserved individuals in the community. The role provides the chance to deliver person-centered, trauma-informed care at a critical moment in people’s lives, supporting recovery, stabilization, and continuity of treatment during reentry. The work environment is collaborative and fast-paced, supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes medical providers, behavioral health clinicians, nurses, care coordinators, and reentry specialists. Team members benefit from strong clinical leadership, ongoing training, and a culture that values professional growth, shared problem-solving, and compassionate care. Because the organization is expanding Coordinated Discharge services, new staff have the opportunity to help shape workflows, contribute to program development, and be part of a team that is actively improving systems of care. For candidates seeking meaningful work, a supportive team culture, and the ability to influence positive change at both the individual and systems level, this role offers a rare and rewarding professional environment.

Background

Jail Health Services (JHS) provides needed health and social services to the incarcerated population located in the King County jails.

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.

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".

We are staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, providing 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.

Our division includes over 250 employees and an annual budget of over $60 million.

Public Health – Seattle & King County ("PHSKC", "Public Health", or "the department") is the Public Health Department for King County, Washington which includes 39 cities, including the City of Seattle, and unincorporated areas. Public Health is one of the largest metropolitan health departments in the United States with over 1,600 employees. With a biennial budget of nearly $1 billion, the department serves approximately 2.3 million people of King County who reside in urban, rural, shoreline, foothill, and mountain communities with distinct environments and unique public health needs. We operate primary care, dental, sexual and reproductive health, parent child health, and other health care-related services throughout King County across 40 sites and mobile clinics. King County is an international port of entry, welcoming nearly 40 million visitors annually. Over 100 languages are spoken by King County residents.

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.

Work Schedule
This position is a 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). The typical work week is Monday through Friday, 8:00am–6:30pm (4/10 schedule); 40 hours per week. Future program expansion may involve weekend work and expanded hours. This position is designated as hourly/non-exempt under the regulations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which means it is overtime-eligible. You must receive prior approval from your supervisor before working any necessary overtime hours to meet your position responsibilities.

Work Location
King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) – 500 Fifth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104

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

Work Conditions

JHS Employees are Mission Critical Employees.

A Social Services Professional may be required to report to the jails or alternative sites in the event of an emergency situation (including Public Health emergencies).

Staff may be required to play an active role in the event of a Public Health emergency, which may include changes in responsibilities, work location, and working hours.

This position is based in a secure jail setting with frequent walking, stair climbing, and navigating of confined areas which could include 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.

Requirements

• Engage with people who use drugs (including alcohol) using 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.
• Conduct standardized screenings to identify emergent social, physical, and behavioral health needs and determine if referrals are necessary.
• Facilitate access to care, including access to community and recovery resources using standard case management practices (e.g., outreach, screening, assessment, brief-intervention, crisis counseling, and psycho-educational support services).
• Facilitate shared treatment decision making with participants by sharing information and providing education on the in-jail and in-community options to treat opioid use disorder.
• Advocate for participants while in custody and as they transition back to the community, to include assisting with enrollment in healthcare coverage and disability-related benefits, linkage to substance use disorder treatment, accessing community resources, and communicating with partners in the criminal legal system.
• Distribute harm reduction supplies and provide accurate health and safety information using established messages on safer drug use and overdose safety planning.
• Adapt health information based on clients’ priorities, cultural beliefs, and value systems using accessible realistic language to convey pertinent, complex information.
• Assist participants as they release from custody with resources, referrals, and scheduling same-day or next day appointments.
• Document patient contact and services delivered in electronic health record system.
• Other duties as assigned.
  

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the following (Minimum 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, Pierce, or Snohomish County (courts, defense attorneys, prosecution, probation, correctional institutions).

Additional Information

To ApplyIf 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.

Who May Apply

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants.

We value diversity, diverse perspectives, life experience, and encourage 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 to apply.

Application Process

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 resume should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Letter of Interest – Please speak to why you are interested in working with vulnerable and marginalized populations related to this body of work.

(Please note: Cover letters, resumes, 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 your 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.

ContactIf you have questions or would like more information about the application process, please contact Falisha Forgash, HR Analyst at fforgash@kingcounty.gov.

Union Membership This position is represented by Professional and Technical Employees, Local 17 (PROTEC17). 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 – Seattle & King County 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 – Seattle & King County 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 a disability accommodation in the application or testing process, please call the contact number listed on the job announcement.

Public Health – Jail Health Services follows and maintains federal and state requirement 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,

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.

Forbes recently 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) EmployerNo 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.