Social Work/Counselor Iii - Betty K. Marler Ysc.

Department Information

This position has a residency waiver and will be accepting applications from residents and non-residents of Colorado. This announcement is open to potential candidates who are legal residents of the United States. All legal residents of the United States are eligible to apply and compete. If appointed to a position, applicants from outside of Colorado will be required to relocate to Colorado prior to their start date, at their own expense.

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

Division of Youth Services

Betty K. Marler Youth Services Center

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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

Summary Of Work Unit

This position is expected to function as a mental health professional with competence confirmed by experience and expertise beyond knowledge and understanding of general mental health issues. It implements decisions, makes recommendations, and evaluates treatment cases based on practice, theory, evidenced based principle, and experience at an advanced level confirmed by licensing. The position is expected to bring clinical direction to mental health clinicians and staff within the facility and unit. They are also expected to work with high risk, high needs youth, providing individual interventions. They are also expected to be available to supervise graduate school counseling interns. Services include monitoring of clinical services, documentation, development of strength-based treatment plans, individual, family, and group services, and thorough knowledge and training regarding HIPAA, confidentiality, transition and integration of care within a multi-disciplinary approach.

This position will provide clinical services to committed youth and their families. Services are provided consistent with DORA requirements and mental health training, services include clinical assessment, service planning, individual, group, family, and milieu therapies, counseling, case management, record keeping, and service coordination with a Multi-disciplinary team of experts. It is the mission of the Division of Youth Corrections to effectively build skills and competencies of youth to become responsible citizens. This position provides consistent leadership and management in the area of mental health treatment services in the facility. Position provides guidance to the treatment providers and staff in the area of mental health, provides individual, group and family therapy, assists in appropriate group placement, case consultation, and group supervision. This position maintains an integrated treatment model with transition staff, client management, mental health services, special education, security staff and administration as needed. This position remains current on literature and research in the field. This position incorporates an integrated strength-based treatment model with client management, mental health professionals, special education, security staff, transition specialists, families and the youth to ensure holistic services are provided. At Mount View we have the PEAK Program. This program is based on FW-PBIS and aligned with the 8 Evidence Based Principles

Summary Of The Position

This position exists to provide clinical services to youth in the facility that experience complex mental health, trauma, substance abuse, and other related issues. In addition, this position is experienced in addressing criminogenic risk factors in adolescent population as well as family interventions. This unit will understand criminal conduct in adolescents and be able to treat the youth from the perspective of lowering the criminogenic risks and increasing protective factors the youth presents with and addressing the relationship between mental health issues and criminal conduct. This position is skilled in the use of a strength based perspective, and system theory.

This position exists to provide DORA and research approved treatment services to youth who have engaged in delinquent behaviors in a secure state operated treatment facility. This position provides individual, family and group counseling, ongoing assessment, case management, record keeping, and service coordination in conjunction with a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) responsible for the overall treatment, supervision and transition of the youth. These youth often have behavioral and psychiatric issues resulting from trauma related exposure such as neglect, abuse or severe family problems. This position 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. This position utilizes the Colorado Juvenile Risk Assessment and other validated assessment tools to address criminogenic needs and what is driving underlying behavior by using a strength based approach and a youth’s protective factors and resources. This position provides training and consultation to staff in regard to treatment and milieu interventions specific to juveniles who have complex mental health needs. This position is 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. This position takes a lead role on the clinical team in the unit, assists in conducting in service trainings and communicates youth’s needs to milieu staff.

Job Duties

Assessment and Treatment Planning:

• This position may be called upon to conduct risk assessment tools, determine level of progress on a monthly basis, and assess for appropriate transition services for successful reintegration. Assess safety and determine intervention/and monitoring plans for suicidal youth. The role of the proficient social worker encompasses a spectrum of skills specific to treating adolescents with severe and complex mental health issues as well as addressing delinquency issues.
• This position places an emphasis on facilitating a review, making recommendations, and developing alternative interventions to be implemented by team staff and client for cases that represent a negative or no change response to clinical services.
• Collaborate and coordinate treatment needs of committed youth with DYS client manager to match treatment with estimated length of stay and client need, within 30days of admission.
• Position is required to conduct bio-psycho-social assessment of youth on caseload upon arrival at facility. Thoroughly assess youth’s treatment needs by reviewing the youth’s main and medical files and making initital and collateral contacts as appropriate.
• Interview the resident assuring that assessment data is as reliable as possible, that the resident is engaged in a supportive and educative manner, that confidentiality is maximized, and those problematic symptoms and behaviors are thoroughly evaluated and handled in a sensitive and safe manner. Contact/engage parents/family members significant others, guardians, educators, and referring agents to interview and obtain relevant collateral and supportive data to enhance the understanding and dynamics of the resident’s situation.
• Determines appropriate individuals to provide treatment and other servicec to youth per treatment plan.
• A multi-disciplinary integrated and comprehensive approach will be applied to treatment planning, involving the youth, and family members as well as professionals utilizing best practice strength-based approach. Additionally, necessary re-assessments based on the client’s response and progress to treatment will be conducted.
• This position will possess a body of knowledge, skills, training and work experience in the treatment of the adolescents with mental health disorders and criminal conduct that distinguishes the profession from other health care professionals. It implements decisions, makes recommendations, and evaluates treatment cases based on practice, theory, and evidenced based principles, and experience at an advanced level confirmed by licensing. Utilizes a systems approach to working with the adolescsnet their familiy and community support systems.
• Collaborate with and coordinate with direct care staff in the development of a strength-based service plan including the youth and family. If needed, treatment plans will identify goals and objectives, interventions and those responsible for providing them, frequency of interventions, and responsibility of the resident.
• Treatment planning will be cognizant of gender, cultural, religious or spiritual and sexual issues to affect behavior change and reduction of symptoms in the adolescent and family. Make referral for psychiatric medication when indicated, and work collaboratively with psychiatrist and the medical staff in the youth’s medication regime.
• Treatment plans will be completed within 30 days of admission and objectives will consist of skills that the youth is working on in addition to individual and group session objectives. Will assess for youth’s safety and progress in the program.
• Determines appropriate, strengths-based treatment goals and objectives for youth.

Provide Treatment:

• Determines appropriate transition plan and needs for youth.
• Treatment needs include substance abuse, mental health issues, trauma histories, cognitive limitations, offense specific services for sexually abusive or violent youth.
• Treatment will be provided using a strength based approach and holistic manner. Social Worker IIIs may also utilize enhances treatment services to include EMDR, CAC (for substance use), amnial assisted therapy, among others. Social Worker IIIs are expected to interpret treatment issues, problems, expectation, and changes in behavior for residents and families.
• Determines appropriate interventions for youth based on assessment data and youth treatment progress.
• Will provide therapy 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.
• Documents summary of progress in monthly treatment plans for youth on caseload. Documents all assessments, court reports, transition plans, community passes and staffing sessions.
• Maintains a caseload and conducts individual, group, and family therapy sessions using evidence-based treatment theories and curriculum in complex mental health treatment for adolescents.
• Collaborate with medical team and psychiatrist regarding psychotropic medication use in treatment. Collaborate with client manager and assist in developing wrap-around transition and aftercare services for the youth nearing parole.
• Counseling will be provided in accordance with training and expertise gained through specific training and knowledge of DORA standards and ethics.
• Treatment services will be relevant to the needs of the youth and the individual needs and protective factors, considering their age, ethnic, cultural, religious and sexual issues to affect behavior change and the reduction of complex mental health behavior and risk to community and symptoms in the individual and family.
• Develop SMPs and other interventions, conduct CRTs, and participate in monthly reviews as needed.
• Communicates effectively in verbal and written formats, that demonstrates knowledge and expertise in working with juveniles who have complex mental health needs. Is able to elaborate on risk, protective factors, progress and barriers to progress in a manner that is understandable to all audiences and partners, to include family, client management, education staff, parole boards, private providers, courts, etc.
• The Social Worker III works with high risk, high needs youth to include duel diagnosis, lower IQ, youth with IEP needs and youth with suicidal ideation.
• Will facilitate groups and multi family group as necessary.
• Document and assess the effectiveness of specific interventions toward meeting the objectives and goals of treatment plan. Treatment will incorporate and address the youth’s criminogenic risk and protective factors and how criminal conduct, sex offense specific, substance abuse and mental health issues are related.
• Collaborate with educational/vocational systems to ensure appropriate academic services are provided. Seek out additional resources as necessary to ensure the best approach to treatment with the youth based on their developmental and neurocognitive ability.
• Will assess progress, barriers to progress, collaborate with multidisciplinary team, communicate pertinent information to milieu staff and education, document all case management and therapeutic services in TRAIL’s system.
• Will support agency services of cognitive behavioral based interventions, social learning theory, and motivational interviewing. Position will actively engage family/care givers in the process of treatment with the youth and transition to the community.
• All treatment services will be conducted in accordance with DORA standards in order to mitigate risk and improve overall health.
• Determines whether there is a need for outside referrals or additional treatment services for youth.

Training, Consultation, Other duties as assigned:

• Provides clinical supervision and consultation to behavioral health staff regarding family therapy.
• Provides input in the development of additional treatment program options.
• Actively participates in own professional growth and continued trainings, research, and CEU’s. Participates in clinical supervision with the clinical director.
• Provides clinical supervision to interns.
• Participates and supports orientation, educational workshops, mental health, co-occurring disorders, and family department meetings, and trainings to assure and maintain competency in the provision of evidence-based mental health services.
• Participate in team meetings and shift briefings.
• Social Worker IIIs are expected to look for and supervise graduate school clinicians during their internships. Works in conjunction with the agency Clinical Director and clinical team in the development of agency treatment and programming.
• Participates in family department meetings and trainings in order to assure and maintain competence. Supports and promotes Division and agency initiatives. Is knowledgeable of and in compliance with all DYS policies and audit standards. Is responsible for maintaining all professional certifications.
• Provides input on decisions around milieu programming.
• Supports and assists in trainings for the agency as needed. Serve as clinical consultant to unit manager and other clinical providers regarding the delivery of clinical services, milieu services and interventions. Provide consultation to Youth Services Counselor I’s and milieu staff to assist in the implementation of youth treatment goals and objectives.
• Provides input on implementation of treatment goals and ovjectives within milieu.

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. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached" statements on your application.

Minimum Qualifications

• One year of experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker or Licensed Professional Counselor.
• Current and valid licensure from any state as a Professional Counseling (LPC) or current, valid licensure as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

**Note, nothing in these Minimum Qualifications alleviates the criteria to transfer licensing or any requirements by the respective board under the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).

Substitutions

• Current and valid licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) will substitute for the Professional Counseling license (LPC) or the Clinical Social Worker license (LCSW).
• One year Experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Conditions of Employment:

• Non Colorado Residents must submit the required paperwork and materials to CO Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to obtain a Colorado license within 20 days of hire.
• 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.
• Must have a Colorado License, or be able to obtain a Colorado Driver's License within 1 year after hire date if you are an out-of-state applicant
• Must be able to obtain licensure as a Social Worker (LSW) from the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners within 1 year after hire date.
• 12-245-217(2)(e), as long as the services performed meet the individual's scope of practice.
• Be a minimum of 21 years of age, with no felony convictions or history of domestic violence
• Social workers, addiction counselors, marriage family therapists, and professional counselors may practice in Colorado for a cumulative period of 20 days under C.R.S.
• 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
• Colorado Driver's License
• Full Background - Name check, TRAILS and Fingerprinting

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.