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

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.

Visit the DYS website to learn more: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./dys

It is the mission of the Division of Youth Services (DYS) to effectively build skills and competencies of youth to become responsible citizens. The Social Work series and other identified Behavioral Health Specialists employed by the facility are responsible for providing evidence‑based and research supported therapeutic intervention services to youth committed and detained with the Division of Youth Services. Behavioral Health Specialists are expected to provide therapeutic care and support opportunities for growth and change for youth and their caregivers, to ensure healthy and successful reintegration back into our communities.

The 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. Behavioral Health Specialists remain current on literature and research in the field, particularly those related to emerging practices with complex mental health populations and behavioral and sensory interventions.

This is a mental health counselor role providing mental health and case management services to committed and detained youth in DYS. Services include clinical assessment (recognizing signs and symptoms of specific DSM‑5 diagnoses, identifying youth in need of additional assessment interventions such as neurological testing and medication evaluation), monitoring medication effectiveness with the facility psychiatrist, individual, group, family and milieu therapies, suicide risk assessment and monitoring, report writing, and mental health service coordination with a multidisciplinary team (MDT) of experts.

The position serves as a mental health/crisis management resource for detained/committed youth who often have behavioral and/or psychiatric problems resulting from trauma‑related issues such as neglect, abuse, or severe family problems. Clinical services include individual, group and, when applicable, family services, utilizing the approved DYS Evidence Based Curricula.

• Maintain a caseload and conduct individual, group, and family therapy sessions using evidence‑based treatment theories for adolescents.
• Maintain a clear understanding of adolescent development, appropriate interventions for this population, and developmental needs.
• Use theories relevant to the youth’s needs and history, considering age, ethnicity, culture, religion and sexual issues to affect behavior change. Interpret treatment issues, problems, expectations, and behavior changes for residents and families.
• Document and assess the effectiveness of specific interventions toward program progression and youth stabilization.
• Address therapy needs that may include substance abuse, mental health issues, trauma histories, cognitive limitations, and services for sexually abusive or violent youth.
• Provide therapeutic services using a strength‑based and holistic approach.
• Collaborate with the medical team and psychiatrist regarding…