Social Work IV at Jail Based Restoration/Forensic Services Department

State of Colorado • Denver, CO

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

This position is open to current Colorado residents only. Located within the Colorado Department of Human Services, Civil and Forensic Mental Health (CFMH) is responsible for policy development, service provision and coordination, program monitoring and evaluation, and administrative oversight for the public behavioral health system. CFMH funds, supports, and monitors numerous mental health and substance abuse community programs and providers. CFMH also operates the Colorado Mental Health Hospitals at Fort Logan and Pueblo, the Mental Health Transitional Living Homes, and the Forensic Services Division. CFMH executes the State’s federal responsibilities as the State Mental Health Authority and the State Substance Abuse Authority to administer federal block grant funds for mental health and substance abuse. The Forensic Services Division is responsible for six departments, including Forensic Community-Based Services (FCBS), Jail-Based Evaluation and Restoration (JBR), Outpatient Restoration (OPR), the Forensic Support Team (FST), the Court Services Department, and the Operations Department. Our teams work within various settings, including community agencies, jails, courts, and hospitals. The locations can include locked units and secure facilities, and our clients may at times be unpredictable due to their mental health needs. Our team is required to make critical decisions in dynamic, fast-paced environments to ensure a high level of accountability in patient care. Our staff is required to maintain updated skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies necessary to the position through continuing education, clinical supervision, literature review, and discipline and team development. This position may require traveling throughout Colorado to meet the needs of the department. The JBR Program is the only program providing jail-based competency restoration services for individuals found incompetent to proceed by the courts and ordered to undergo restoration treatment in the State of Colorado. In addition, the JBR department provides oversight to contracted private hospital programs. The program additionally provides treatment to individuals ordered by the courts to undergo initial competency and mental condition/sanity evaluations. The JBR Program serves as the State expert on restoration and competency in a jail-based setting and collaborates with numerous other entities and governmental agencies to ensure best practices in admissions across the State, best practices in competency restoration treatment, and continuity of care and follow-up care for individuals discharging from the program. The JBR program oversees all contracts associated with these programs, coordinates admissions, conducts program audits, establishes best practices, and engages in site visits.

Requirements

• Current, valid Colorado licensure as a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) OR Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) OR Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
• Two (2) years of licensed experience based on the work assigned to the position.
• Applicants for supervisory positions must hold licensure that meets the legal requirements for performing supervisory responsibilities.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Must disclose former disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination and explain why it should not disqualify from the current position, and provide prior State employee number if applicable.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with the severe and persistent mentally ill (SPMI) population.
• Experience in competency restoration or evaluation.
• Experience working in a jail or psychiatric hospital setting.
• Experience conducting clinical programming audits.
• Experience and strong knowledge of CDPHE regulations and Joint Commission Standards for psychiatric facilities.
• Previous State Experience.
• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology.

Responsibilities

• Directly oversees and monitors the 110-bed program at Peak View Behavioral Health, the 78-bed restoration program at Arapahoe County Detention Facility, and the 18-bed restoration program in Denver County.
• Conducts regular program site visits to ensure adequate care and treatment, provide coaching and guidance, and identify, create, and facilitate program training.
• Establishes processes designed to meet established expectations, guidelines, and treatment standards, incorporating person-specific and programmatic-level interventions based on evidence-based guidelines.
• Engages in program auditing, identifies deficiencies, provides recommendations, and determines action plan needs to ensure fidelity to contractual agreements and best practices.
• Provides direct clinical treatment oversight and offers consultation as needed or requested.
• Assesses, identifies, and reports patient transfer needs due to increased stabilization or psychiatric decompensation to provide an adequate level of care.
• Joins the department’s on-call rotation to provide after-hours support to programs.
• Assists staff with the coordination of programmatic functions across various entities, tracks data, and engages in daily communications with various agencies and departments.
• Assists in the creation of departmental policy and procedures and helps gather data to report to OCFMH and CDHS management about program performance and compliance.
• Serves as the contract monitor for program performance using program and individual client data, site visits, and audits.
• Takes a primary role in audits of jail-based and private hospital partnerships and in clinical oversight and support for these partnerships.
• Promotes operational and administrative compliance with appropriate CDHS policies and procedures.
• Serves as a liaison between contractors, CDHS court services department, CMHHIP, CMHHIFL, jail-based and private hospital partnerships, CDHS outpatient restoration department, and the Director of Jail-Based Restoration.
• Participates in on-call responsibilities on weekends and evenings for situations requiring an immediate response.
• Assists with data collection, tracking, analysis, and interpretation.
• Uses established criteria to make decisions about transfers to and from jail-based restoration and hospital-purchased beds.
• Meets with current patients as needed, analyzes patient records, and uses clinical judgment to make decisions regarding placement needs.
• Responds quickly to changing needs of a patient’s placement or the program and makes decisions based on clinical judgment and expertise.
• Assesses referrals for transfer to and from State hospitals and determines appropriateness and urgency.
• Provides coaching and consultation to treatment staff to ensure interventions are optimized and tailored to individuals' needs.
• Responsible for on-call rotation to provide after-hours consultation, crisis management, and reporting.
• Identifies, creates, and facilitates training needs for programs, including clinical, disposition, and legal training.
• Establishes clear guidelines for those conducting work, ensures fidelity to relevant evidence-based modalities, and creates training to foster growth.
• Assists with data tracking, collection, and reporting to CDHS and CFMH.
• Contributes to and participates in presentations regarding jail-based restoration services and private-hospital restoration.
• Remains informed of relevant competency evaluation and restoration trends and research.
• Provides information regarding research/strategies to contractors and serves as a consultant and liaison to treatment providers.
• Supports jail-based and private hospital programs with education and resources regarding patient transitions back into the community.
• Assists the Health Professional III and Health Professional IV in gathering referrals from various sources.
• Determines admissions and discharges to and from jail-based restoration programs and hospital-purchased beds.
• Analyzes information, including records and psychological assessments, and uses clinical judgment to make decisions regarding placement needs.
• Performs additional duties not specifically outlined to meet operational needs.

Benefits

• PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus 401(k) and 457 plans
• Medical and dental health plans
• Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
• State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center
• Employee Wellness program
• Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more
• Remote work arrangements for eligible positions
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (for some positions)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior