Department Information
$2,000 Sign On Incentive*
This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies at the locations below.
Division of Youth Services - Golden Peak YSC - Campus at Lookout Mountain
Opt in below to receive text message updates on CDHS recruiting events!
CDHSCareers
About the Division of Youth Services: The Division of Youth Services (DYS) provides a continuum of residential and non-residential services that encompass juvenile detention, commitment, and parole. DYS is the agency statutorily mandated to provide for the care and supervision of youth committed by the District Court to the custody of the Colorado Department of Human Services. The Division operates fifteen secure facilities that serve youth between the ages of 10 and 21, who are pre-adjudicated, sentenced, or committed. The Division also contracts with numerous private residential and non-residential service providers throughout the State. For pre-adjudicated youth, the Division is also responsible for the management and oversight of Colorado Youth Detention Continuum, a State-funded, locally administered program that provides services to youth at risk of further progressing into the juvenile justice system. In addition to residential programming, the Division administers juvenile parole services throughout the State.
We invite you to explore the DYS website and learn about the services provided to youth, families, and local communities in the State of Colorado at: https://www.colorado.gov/cdhs/dys
My Why
Description of Job
About This Position
This position is the highest level Appointing Authority responsible for the administration and management of all services/programs, finance and personnel for an individual secure residential youth center and is responsible for ensuring compliance with statute, regulations, Children’s Code, and CDHS and Division policy. The Youth Center Director must oversee, develop, implement, and monitor goals and other measurement systems as necessary or required. This position implements and ensures continued advancement of the Divisions’ Strategic Plan, DYS Behavioral Management Program and the DYS Treatment Model. The position reports necessary and required information regarding the status and/or progress of the youth services center. Ensures the implementation of DYS initiatives and that programming adheres to the principles of evidence based practice within a trauma responsive environment The position provides direct supervision of other leadership positions within the youth center including the Assistant Director position(s), and Program Assistant series staff, School Principal(s), a Clinical Director and contracted behavioral health services. This position identifies, manages and participates directly in leadership and management efforts aimed at improving youth center operations. Participation in and leading Division wide planning efforts is required. Required is the participation in the DYS Youth Center Director’s Group (YCDG) and DYS Senior Leadership Group teams. The Youth Center Director is the 2nd level supervision to all remaining employees at the youth center, and serves as liaison to the Division of Facilities Management.
Summary Of Duties
Supervision of direct reports, Assistant Director(s) and administrative staff as well as all other agencies staff indirectly. Serve as appointing authority for youth center. Set performance standards, conduct performance planning and appraisal of staff, ensure staff professional development needs are met. Initiate and conclude necessary corrective or disciplinary actions. Assure direct and indirect supervisory employees are performing supervision functions with their subordinates consistent with State, Department, Division and youth center expectations. Monitor and approve formal leave for staff and provide for formal and regular interval evaluations of direct report staff and ensure that all other subordinate staff are subject to the same. Make recommendations for promotions. Apply criteria to approve, evaluate and determine appropriate use of personnel resources pursuant to the Colorado Code of Regulations, Department and Division Policy. The position must also work with the CDHS Civil Rights Office, the Child Protection Ombudsman, and the DYS View it, Voice it program related to employee investigations or complaints.
Provides programmatic planning, coordinating, monitoring, evaluation, and oversight to all youth center functions servicing committed youth. Responsible for Quality Control and continuous quality improvement for the entire youth center. Provides internal oversight and respond to external auditing and review of youth center programs and processes. Ensures programming for youth adheres to evidence-based practice and trauma responsive environments. Ensures that programs meet salient needs of youth including varied recreation, religious interests, and other developmental needs. Provides for social skill development. Ensures programming provides for safe and secure environments for all youth. Provides for sound educational programming that is age appropriate and consistent with the Colorado Department of Education requirements. Provides for medical evaluation, support or treatment to youth in custody appropriate with their legal status and needs. Provides for adequate and continuing opportunities for youth visitation and family engagement. Provides for clinical treatment services for youth who are committed to DYS custody. Such treatment services, where provided, must meet prevailing standards of care and be individualized for youth. Monitors and oversees all security and treatment functions, including those related to post-assessment youth, regression committed youth and detained youth. Maintain effective working relationships and communication with Judicial District representatives, School District Officials, Contract Providers, Detention Screening Agencies, Law Enforcement, DYS Client Managers, and Regional Program Managers as needed to facilitate effective bed management in the youth center and transition to the community. Maintains required staffing levels through recruitment, selection, training, scheduling and retention and according to prevailing standards or ratios.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions Of Employment & Appeal Rights
Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications listed below to continue in the selection process for this position.
Work experience must be specifically documented on your application. "See resume" or "see attached" statements in the work experience section will not be accepted in lieu of the official application form.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions Of Employment & Appeal Rights
Experience: Six (6) years' experience in juvenile justice and/or a secure residential/adolescent program. (Anything less than 40 hours per week is considered part-time. Credit is given for part-time work but is calculated by prorating the qualifying experience.)
AND
Educational Requirements: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in business, public administration, criminal justice, a human behavioral sciences field, or closely related field.
Substitution: Professional-level experience in the juvenile justice system or a secure residential/adolescent program, which provided the same kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired in the required education, may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the bachelor's degree. Applicants with no education experience must possess a total of 10 years of experience to substitute for both the bachelor's degree and experience sections listed above. A master's or doctorate degree from an accredited college or university in business, public administration, criminal justice, a human behavioral sciences field, or closely related field may be substituted for the bachelor's degree and two years of general experience respectively. (30 semester hours equals 12 months full-time work experience.)
Highly Desirable Experience
- Programming experience with pre-adjudicated and adjudicated youth including understanding of adolescent development, cognitive behavioral approaches, trauma responsive environments, evidence-based treatment, and the creation of an effective behavior management program and treatment modalities. Gender specific expertise including extensive knowledge of best practices for girls programming in a secure setting,
- Expertise in maintaining oversight of contractors and acting as liaison for contractors.
- Juvenile Residential expertise including understanding of the juvenile laws, criminal procedures, Colorado Youth Detention Continuum mandates/functions and SB 286 rules and implementation strategy,
- Three (3) years of supervisory and administrative experience in a juvenile justice and/or a secure residential/adolescent program. The administrative experience must have included such duties as the planning, development, and implementation of budgets, policies, and agency objectives necessary to achieve goals of a juvenile justice organizational unit or program. This experience must be specifically documented on your job application.
- Supervision of a complex environment servicing multiple youth populations.
Essential Competencies: Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Management of Personnel Resources (to include Supervision), Time Management, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others.
Lived Experience
The Division of Youth Services (DYS) is committed to hiring individuals who are professional and passionate about their desire to help youth. DYS values candidates who have demonstrated perseverance as a special attribute that can help the youth in our care. DYS encourages qualified candidates with "lived experience" to apply. Lived experience comes from the personal knowledge and understanding that many possess by virtue of first-hand experience with mental health, substance abuse, systems involvement and traumatic events. Lived experience brings unique knowledge, insights and perspectives that are invaluable for organizational growth, increased sensitivity to the youth and families we serve, and new ideas and inspiration for improving service delivery.
Conditions of Employment
- Note: Fully Vaccinated means two (2) weeks after a second dose in a two-dose series of the COVID-19 vaccine, such as the Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax vaccine, or two (2) weeks after the single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
- Religious and medical exemptions and reasonable accommodation shall be addressed as required by law pursuant to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s vaccination guidance. If you would like to request a medical or religious exemption, please contact [email protected]
- Included in the background investigation is a current/previous employer check. Your current and previous employers within the last 10 years must be listed on your application even if the job duties are unrelated to Correctional Youth Security Officer I position. Incomplete employer information (address, phone, supervisor name) or omission of former employers may result in application disqualification.
- Be a minimum of 21 years of age, with no felony convictions or history of domestic violence
- Pass CBI and FBI background investigation
- 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.
- On or after October 31, 2021, each facility shall ensure all newly hired employees or support staff members are fully vaccinated at the time of hire or receive their first dose of a two-dose protocol, or a single-dose vaccination, prior to providing any care, treatment, or other services for the facility and/or its clients. Upon hire, new employees will have three (3) business days to provide attestation to their status with proof of vaccination. Vaccinated employees must provide proof of first dose prior to providing care.
- Possess and maintain a valid State of Colorado driver's license
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 (
[email protected]), 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.
