Behavioral Health Lead Clinical Supervisor; Social Work​/Counselor IV - Platte Valley

Social Worker/Counselor IV

This position is open only to Colorado state residents. This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies. Division of Youth Services - Platte Valley 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.

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

Summary of Work Unit:
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 evidenced 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 for the therapeutic care of and support opportunities for growth and change for youth and their caregivers, to ensure healthy and successful reintegration back into our communities. This position provides consistent leadership and management around mental health and substance abuse services and behavioral interventions in the facility. These 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.

About the Position:
The Social Worker/Counselor IV serves as the Behavioral Health Lead for the facility and functions as the Youth Center Training Officer (YCTO) for Behavioral Health Services. The role also provides oversight for substance use psychoeducation services and the internship/practicum program. This position provides behavioral health clinical services to committed and detained youth who present with complex mental health needs, trauma histories, substance use concerns, aggression, and related behavioral issues.

All services are delivered in accordance with DORA requirements and established mental health standards, including clinical assessment, service planning, individual and group counseling, documentation, and multidisciplinary service coordination. This position is designed to provide onsite services and is not authorized to deliver remote services unless explicitly approved by the Associate Director of Behavioral Health and Medical Services, the Director of Behavioral Health Operations, or their designee This position provides direct services to youth, including individual and group services as well as oversight of daily behavioral health services and is responsible to ensure transition planning and continuity of services upon discharge are taking place.

This unit understands behaviors of adolescents and can treat the youth from the perspective of lowering the risks and increasing protective factors the youth present with and addressing the relationship between substance abuse issues and behavior. This position is skilled in the use of a strength-based perspective, systems theory, trauma informed care, and behavioral approaches. As a Social Worker/Counselor IV this position supports and…