This position is open to current Colorado residents only.
Located within the Colorado Department of Human Services, Civil and Forensic Mental Health (CFMH) is responsible for policy development, service provision and coordination, program monitoring and evaluation, and administrative oversight for the public behavioral health system. CFMH funds, supports, and monitors numerous mental health and substance abuse community programs and providers. CFMH also operates the Colorado Mental Health Hospitals at Fort Logan and Pueblo, the Mental Health Transitional Living Homes, and the Forensic Services Division. CFMH executes the State’s federal responsibilities as the State Mental Health Authority and the State Substance Abuse Authority to administer federal block grant funds for mental health and substance abuse.
The Forensic Services Division is responsible for six departments, including Forensic Community-Based Services (FCBS), Jail-Based Evaluation and Restoration (JBR), Outpatient Restoration (OPR), the Forensic Support Team (FST), the Court Services Department, and the Operations Department.
Our teams work within various settings, including community agencies, jails, courts, and hospitals. The locations can include locked units and secure facilities, and our clients may at times be unpredictable due to their mental health needs. Our team is required to make critical decisions in dynamic, fast-paced environments to ensure a high level of accountability in patient care. Our staff is required to maintain updated skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies necessary to the position through continuing education, clinical supervision, literature review, and discipline and team development. This position may require traveling throughout Colorado to meet the needs of the department.
The JBR Program is the only program providing jail-based competency restoration services for individuals found incompetent to proceed by the courts and ordered to undergo restoration treatment in the State of Colorado. In addition, the JBR department provides oversight to contracted private hospital programs. The program additionally provides treatment to individuals ordered by the courts to undergo initial competency and mental condition/sanity evaluations. The JBR Program serves as the State expert on restoration and competency in a jail-based setting and collaborates with numerous other entities and governmental agencies to ensure best practices in admissions across the State, best practices in competency restoration treatment, and continuity of care and follow-up care for individuals discharging from the program. The JBR program oversees all contracts associated with these programs, coordinates admissions, conducts program audits, establishes best practices, and engages in site visits.
Weekly Hybrid Working Arrangements
Minimum 3 days in the office and Maximum 2 days of remote work
This position will comply with the Forensic Services Department's current
working arrangements.
Please note: Work arrangements are subject to change at any time.
This position directly reports to the Clinical Director and has second-line supervision to the JBR Director. This position is responsible for the direct oversight and monitoring of the 110-bed program located at Peak View Behavioral Health, the 78-bed restoration program located at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility, and the 18-bed restoration program located in Denver County. Specifically, this position is responsible for conducting regular program site visits to ensure adequate care and treatment, provide coaching and guidance, and identify, create, and facilitate program training. In doing so, this position is responsible for establishing processes designed to meet established expectations, guidelines, and treatment standards. The position is responsible for knowing and incorporating person-specific and programmatic-level interventions based on evidence-based guidelines. With support from the department’s leadership, this position will engage in program auditing, identify deficiencies, provide recommendations, and determine action plan needs to ensure fidelity to the contractual agreement and best practices within service provision. This position provides direct clinical treatment oversight and must offer consultation as needed or requested. As a primary point of contact for select programs, this position shall also assess, identify, and report patient transfer needs due to increased stabilization or psychiatric decompensation to provide an adequate level of care for all patients within our programs. In addition, this position joins the department’s on-call rotation to provide after-hours support to our programs. Along with other team members, this position will assist staff with the coordination of programmatic functions across various entities (e.g., communicating changes in patient treatment needs to inform patient movement to different treatment programs/level of care), track data, and engage in daily communications with various agencies and departments. Lastly, this position assists in the creation of departmental policy and procedures and assists the team with gathering data to report to OCFMH and CDHS management about the program's performance and compliance with policies and procedures. Other duties include:
Program Implementation and Monitoring Contractor Performance:
- Serves as the contract monitor for program performance using program and individual client data, site visits, and audits to assess contractor performance at the jail-based and hospital-purchased bed locations. Along with the Clinical Director, this position will take a primary role in audits of jail-based and private hospital partnerships and in clinical oversight and support for these partnerships.
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Promotes operational and administrative compliance with appropriate CDHS policies and procedures.
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Serves as a liaison between the contractors, CDHS court services department, CMHHIP, CMHHIFL, jail-based and private hospital partnerships, CDHS outpatient restoration department, and the Director of Jail-Based Restoration.
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Participate in on-call responsibilities on weekends and evenings for situations requiring an immediate response.
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Assist with data collection, tracking, analysis, and interpretation.
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Assists with reporting to CFMH and CDHS management about the program's performance and compliance with policies and procedures.
Program Consultation and Patient Movement:
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Use established criteria to make decisions about transfers to and from the jail-based restoration and hospital-purchased beds in a timely and efficient manner.
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Meets with current patients as needed, analyze patient records, and use clinical judgment to make decisions regarding placement needs.
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Needs to respond quickly to the changing needs of a patient’s placement or the program and frequently will be required to make decisions based on clinical judgment and expertise.
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Assess referrals for transfer to and from the State hospitals and determine whether those referrals are appropriate and the level of urgency for the transfer. In doing so, this position shall provide coaching and consultation to the treatment staff to ensure interventions are optimized and tailored to individuals' needs.
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Responsible for on-call rotation in order to provide after-hours consultation, crisis management, and reporting.
Communication, Training, Education, and Data:
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Identify, create, and facilitate training needs for programs to include clinical training, disposition training, legal training, and other competency-related training.
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Establishing clear guidelines for those conducting the work on our behalf, ensuring fidelity to relevant evidence based modalities, and creating training to foster the growth.
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Assist with data tracking, collection, and reporting to CDHS and CFMH.
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Contributes to and participates in presentations regarding jail-based restoration services and private-hospital restoration and will remain informed of relevant competency evaluation and restoration trends and research.
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Provides information regarding the aforementioned research/strategies to the various contractors and serves as a consultant and liaison to the various treatment providers.
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Support both jail-based and private hospital programs with education and resources regarding current patients’ transitions back into the community from inpatient competency restoration.
Screen Referrals for Admission to Jail-Based and Hospital-Purchased Beds:
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Assists the Health Professional III and Health Professional IV in gathering referrals from various sources to include the referral table, Admissions Program Director at CMHHIP, CMHHIFL, Court Services, various county jails, and various databases, as needed.
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Uses established criteria to determine admissions and discharges to and from the jail-based restoration programs and hospital-purchased beds in a timely and efficient manner.
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Analyzes information, including records and psychological assessments, and uses clinical judgment to make decisions regarding placement needs.
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Responds quickly to the changing needs of a patient’s placement or the program and frequently will be required to make decisions based on clinical judgment and expertise.
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Assess referrals for transfer to and from the State hospital and determine whether they are appropriate and the urgency of the transfer. These duties will serve the jail-based restoration programs, as well as hospital-purchased beds.
Other Duties As Assigned:
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This position may be required to perform additional duties not specifically outlined in the duty statements in order to meet the operational needs of the agency and the CFMH department.
Education/Licensure/Certification/Experience:
Current, valid Colorado licensure as a:
Licensed Social Worker (LSW) OR
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) OR
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) OR
And two (2) years of licensed experience based on the work assigned to the position.
Applicants for supervisory positions must hold licensure that meets the legal requirements for performing supervisory responsibilities.
Special Qualifications: Must have one of the licenses below to be considered for the position.
Licensed Social Worker (LSW) OR
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) OR
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Preferred Qualifications:-
Experience with the severe and persistent mentally ill (SPMI) population
Preferred experience in competency restoration or evaluation
Preferred experience working in a jail or psychiatric hospital setting
Preferred experience conducting clinical programming audits
Preferred experience and strong knowledge of CDPHE regulations and Joint Commission Standards for psychiatric facilities
Due to the juvenile population served at the MHI facilities, incumbents of this position must be at least 21 years of age.
Previous State Experience
Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology
Other:On-call Status – Explain: This position shall contribute to an on-call rotation, crisis management, and may be required to engage with stakeholders after hours.
Vaccinations as required by the State of Colorado
Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must:
Disclose that information on the application.
Explain why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify you from the current position.
Provide your employee number from your prior State employment. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination, and failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.
CDHS Selection Process Explanation
Employment history is calculated on a full-time basis (40/hrs per week). Part-time employment is calculated on a prorated basis to determine qualifications. Be sure your application specifically addresses your qualifications, experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the position and minimum requirements.
Minimum Qualification Screening Process
A Human Resources Analyst will review the work experience/job duties sections of the online job application to determine whether your experience meets the minimum qualifications for the position. You must complete the official State of Colorado online application. Cover letters and resumes WILL NOT be reviewed during the minimum qualifications screening process. You must specifically document your work experience and qualifications in the application form. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached."You must meet the minimum qualifications to continue in the selection process. Part-time work experience will be prorated.
Comparative Analysis Process – Structured Application Review
After minimum qualification screening, the comparative analysis process will involve reviewing and rating of all the information you submit. The comparative analysis step may also include your results from standardized testing.
Your Work Experience/Job Duties
Document your work experience/job duties to the extent to which you possess the skills, education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications.
If listed, answer all supplemental questions as your answers to these questions will be evaluated during this phase. Provide at least 4-8 sentences for each supplemental question.
Supplemental Questions
Answer the supplemental questions completely and thoughtfully. We will rate your answers based on the content of your response and your writing skills (spelling, grammar, and clarity of your writing).
Appeal Rights
You may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director if your application is eliminated. You will find the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it on the State Personnel Board website.
You or your representative must sign and submit the official appeal form for review.
You can find the official appeal form here (Download PDF reader).
You must be deliver the official appeal form to the State Personnel Board:
Postmarked in US Mail to(1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203, 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.
Contact the State Personnel Board for assistance:
At (303) 866-3300, or
Refer to the Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, within the Rules webpage.
About Us & Benefits
If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, join 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. Each of us is committed to contributing to a safe and accessible CDHS. 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 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
State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center
Employee Wellness program
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.
Our Values
We believe in a people-first approach: We prioritize the needs, well-being, and dignity of the individuals, families and communities we serve. We commit to respect, fairness and access in every decision, policy and interaction. We engage client voices and experiences in the development and implementation of the services we provide.
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.
ADA Accommodations
CDHS is committed to a Colorado for 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.
This includes completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or performing 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
[email protected].
EEO Statement
The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer
We are committed to increasing a “Colorado for ALL" of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities. The State of Colorado believes that a “Colorado for ALL” drives our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
Additional Support For Your Application
Toll Free Applicant Technical Support
If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application 1) ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files and 2) close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.
