Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies at the locations below.

Division of Youth Services

Job Duties:

• Provide approved treatment services to youth who have engaged in delinquent behaviors, in a secure state operated treatment facility.
• Provides treatment planning, individual, family and group counseling, ongoing assessment, case management, record keeping, and service coordination in conjunction with a Multidisciplinary Team.
• Responsible for the overall treatment, supervision and transition of the youth.
• Completes an integrated and comprehensive strength-based treatment plan and provides expertise in the area of mental health, co-occurring, special needs and family issues.
• Utilizes the Colorado (YASI) and other validated assessment tools to address criminogenic risk factors and what is driving underlying behavior by using a strength based approach and a youth’s protective factors and resources.
• Utilize a case conceptualization model which gathers the facts about the youth, determines needs, identifies strengths and develops treatment plans.
• Provides training and consultation to staff in regard to treatment and milieu interventions specific to juveniles who have complex mental health needs.
• Responsible for the development and implementation of transition plans in coordination with the multidisciplinary team of client manager, family, youth facility staff and community programs.
• A lead role on the clinical team in the unit, assists in conducting in service trainings and communicates youth’s needs to milieu staff.
  
• Within the first 30 days of a youth’s arrival, this position thoroughly assess youth’s treatment needs by reviewing the youth’s main and medical files and making initial and collateral contacts as appropriate.
• Collaborate and coordinate treatment needs of youth with DYS client manager, and assessment services to match treatment with estimated length of stay and client need.
• Interview the resident ensuring that the assessment data is as reliable as possible.
• Contact/engage parents/family members, significant others, guardians, and referring agents to interview and obtain relevant collateral and supportive data to enhance the understanding and dynamics of the youth’s situation.
• Collaborate with and coordinate with direct staff, education, client manager, youth, and other pertinent treatment team members in the development of a treatment service plan.
• Provide oversight to the treatment plans and identify goals and measurable objectives, interventions and those responsible for providing them.
• Utilizes a case conceptualization model in gathering facts about the youth, determining needs,
  identifying protective factors and developing treatment needs.
• Guides transition planning and services to aid in successful youth reintegration into the community.
• Collaborate with client manager and MDT in recommending transition and aftercare programming as appropriate.
• Participate in the assessment of safety and intervention/and monitoring plans for suicidal youth, with the direct supervision of a licensed behavioral health specialist, only for youth on their caseload.
• Conducts counseling in accordance with training and expertise gained through specific training and knowledge of Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) standards and ethics.
• Conducts treatment needs include substance abuse, mental health issues, trauma histories, cognitive limitations, offense specific services for sexually abusive or violent youth.
• Consults with supervisor about treatment issues, problems, expectation, and changes in behavior for residents and families.
• Documents the youth’s response to specific interventions toward meeting the objectives and goals of treatment plan.
• Treatment will incorporate and address the youth’s risk/needs and protective factors and how criminal conduct, sex offense specific, substance abuse and mental health issues are related.
• Consults and collaborate with medical team and psychiatrist regarding psychotropic medication use in treatment.
• Collaborates with client manager and assist in developing wrap-around transition and aftercare services for the youth nearing parole.
• Collaborates with educational/vocational systems to ensure appropriate academic services are provided.
• Discusses in supervision and identify any need for additional resources as necessary to ensure the best approach to treatment with the youth based on their developmental and neurocognitive ability.
• Provides psychotherapy in a manner that is consistent with the youth’s ability, taking into account any necessary modification needed as a result of trauma, substance abuse, brain injury and mental health disorders.
• Supports agency services of cognitive behavioral based interventions, social learning theory, and motivational interviewing.
• Actively engage family/care givers in the process of treatment with the youth and transition to the community.
• Facilitates daily groups and multi family group as necessary.
• Documents summary of progress in monthly treatment plans for youth on caseload. Documents all assessments, sessions, court reports, transition plans, community passes and staffing sessions in a timely manner as indicated in policy to be within the next working shift
• Communicates effectively in verbal and written formats, that demonstrates progress youth has completed while in treatment.
• Participates in orientation, educational workshops, mental health, co-occurring disorders, and family department meetings, and trainings to ensure and maintain competency in the provision of evidence-based mental health services.
• Work in conjunction with the agency clinical director and clinical team in the development of agency treatment programming.
• Provide information to Youth Services Counselor I’s and milieu staff to assist in the implementation of youth treatment goals and objectives.
• Participates in family department meetings and trainings in order assure and maintain competency and possibly attend Ancillary department meeting.
• Supports and promotes Division and agency initiatives and must be knowledgeable of and in compliance with all DORA standards, DYS policies and audit standards.
• Responsible for maintaining all professional certifications.
• Actively participates in own professional growth and continued trainings, research, and Continuing Education Unit’s.
• Participates in clinical supervision with the clinical director/assistant clinical director.

Social work assignment ONLY:

Experience:

Social work assignment ONLY:
Current, valid licensure as a Social
Worker (LSW) from the Colorado State
Board of Social Work Examiners.
One year of experience as a social
worker or have a current and valid License as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), or Licensed Family and Marriage Therapist (LMFT) .

Substitutions:

NONE


**** MUST ATTACH A COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS TO YOUR APPLICATION****

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to communicate effectively in potentially high-stress and confrontational situations
• Ability to facilitate therapy groups
• Ability to multi-task and stay organized despite interruptions
• Excellent customer service skills
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with individuals with diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds

Conditions of Employment:

• Must be willing to submit to a background check
• Must be willing to travel
• Shift work may be required to work different shifts
• Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion of the DYS Pre-service Training Academy, Field Training Program (FTO) and mandatory annual training in all subject areas.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify the applicant from the current position. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.

APPEAL RIGHTS:

If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email ( dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us ), postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov ; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.


For additional recruiting questions, please contact Elizabeth.v.ortiz@state.co.us.

About Us:
If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Human Services(CDHS). Our professionals strive to design and deliver high quality human and health services that improve the safety, independence, and well-being of the people of Colorado. In addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:

• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan www.copera.org plus 401(k) and 457 plans
• Medical and dental health plans
• Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
• BenefitHub state employee discount program
• Employee Wellness program MotivateMe
• Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more
• Remote work arrangements for eligible positions

*Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more
information, go to https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhr/student-loan-forgiveness-programs.

Our Values:
We believe in a people-first approach: To serve the people of Colorado, we develop a culture and work environment that creates an energized, inspired, and healthy team capable of giving their best to Coloradans.
Balance creates quality of life: We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility, health and wellness, and employee engagement.
We hold ourselves accountable: We take responsibility through our actions, programs, and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.
Transparency matters: We are open and honest with employees, our partners, the Coloradans we serve, and the public.
We are ethical: We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right, not what is easy.
Collaboration helps us rise together: We work together with all partners, employees, and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.

ADAA Accommodations: CDHS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Nancy Schmelzer, at cdhs_ada@state.co.us or call 1-800-929-0791.