Behavioral Health Specialist, Social Work​/Counselor III - Prairie Vista Youth Services Center

Behavioral Health Specialist, Social Work / Counselor III – Prairie Vista Youth Services Center

Position is open only to Colorado state residents and may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

Work at your assigned location during scheduled work times. Work arrangements are subject to change at any time.

Mission:
Build skills and competencies of youth to become responsible citizens. Behavioral Health Specialists provide evidence‑based therapeutic intervention services to youth committed and detained. Positions maintain and support the DYS treatment model and Sanctuary principles with transition staff, client management, mental health services, medical, special education, security staff and administration as needed.

Functions as a mental health counselor providing mental health and case management services to committed and detained youth. Services include clinical assessment, medication monitoring, individual, group, family therapies, suicide risk assessment, report writing and coordination with a Multi‑Disciplinary Team (MDT).

• Maintain caseload and conduct individual, group, and family therapy sessions using evidence‑based treatment theories for adolescents.
• Understand adolescent development and appropriate interventions for this population.
• Use theories relevant to the needs of the youth and their individual history, considering age, ethnicity, culture, religious, and sexual issues to affect behavior change.
• Document and assess the effectiveness of specific interventions toward program progression and youth stabilization.
• Provide therapeutic services using a strength‑based approach and holistic manner.
• Collaborate with the medical team and psychiatrist regarding psychotropic medication assessment or continuation to aid youth stability.
• Collaborate with educational/vocational systems to ensure appropriate academic services are provided.
• Seek additional resources as necessary to ensure the best approach to treating the youth based on their developmental and neurocognitive ability.
• 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.
• Support agency services of cognitive behavioral‑based interventions, social learning theory, and motivational interviewing.
• Actively engage family/caregivers in the process of stabilizing and transitioning youth to placement.
• Assess progress, barriers to progress, and document all case management and therapeutic services in the Fusion Electronic Health Record system.
• Follow Sanctuary/ROCK Program.
• Facilitate Community Review Teams as needed for Individual Growth and Change Plans and other interventions as they are developed.

• Address mental health and other needs identified, taking into consideration the estimated length of stay.
• Review assessment data, gather additional historical information from youth, develop therapeutic rapport, and ensure youth is engaged in a supportive and educative manner.
• Engage parents/family members to interview and obtain relevant collateral and supportive data.
• Recognize signs and symptoms of serious mental illness (per DSM‑5) and monitor each youth’s progress.
• Complete a brief mental health status exam.
• Make recommendations and develop alternate interventions for youth not responding positively to programming.
• Coordinate with YSSIII, Client Managers and milieu staff in the implementation of milieu interventions to achieve program success.
• Determine appropriate strengths‑based treatment goals and objectives for youth.
• Determine appropriate individuals to provide treatment and other services to youth per treatment plan.

• Thorough knowledge of federal confidentiality regulations, HIPAA, and Colorado Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division rules.
• Current on literature and emerging research in best practices for juvenile mental health, substance abuse issues and co‑occurring disorders.
• Train others in best‑practice treatment delivery approaches.
• Participate in orientation, educational workshops…