Tobacco Interventionist

Colorado State University•Fort Collins, CO

4d•$55,000 - $60,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Criminal Justice and Victimization Institute at Colorado State University, in partnership with Larimer County Community Corrections, is launching Bridging the Gap, a tobacco cessation program embedded in a Colorado community corrections facility. The program combines individual and group behavioral counseling with combination nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches plus gum or lozenges). Its approach is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and participatory, and was developed with LCCC clients and staff. The initiative is funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and aligns with Colorado’s 2030 Tobacco Education, Prevention, and Cessation Strategic Plan. The Tobacco Interventionist is the primary contact for participating justice-involved clients and delivers all tobacco intervention services at LCCC. This client-facing position is on-site and requires comfort working in a community corrections setting, independent engagement with clients without consistent supervision from other CC staff, and a commitment to ethical, person-centered care. The position is housed in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences and supervised by Dr. Jessica Elf. It has no formal supervisory responsibilities and is conditional on a background check. The employee will receive state-provided tobacco treatment training, trauma-informed care and other training tailored to justice-involved populations, and ongoing clinical and implementation oversight from the project’s Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator. The role also includes participation in STEPP Tobacco Treatment Specialist training, with travel supported by program funds. The position requires on-site work at a community corrections facility and a pre-employment background check and integrity interview.

Requirements

Master’s degree in clinical psychology, social work, counseling, or a closely related field; or a bachelor’s degree in one of these fields or a closely related field plus three years of relevant experience.
Strong interpersonal, oral communication, and written communication skills, including the ability to build trust and rapport with justice-involved individuals.
Ability to work independently on-site at a community corrections facility and maintain appropriate professional boundaries in a correctional setting.
Commitment to trauma-informed, non-judgmental, and culturally responsive care.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for accurate clinical and dosage-hour documentation.
Must complete a pre-employment background check and integrity interview.
Must work on-site at a community corrections facility.

Nice To Haves

Experience delivering motivational interviewing and/or cognitive behavioral therapy.
Experience working with justice-involved, high-barrier, or other vulnerable populations.
Prior experience with tobacco cessation counseling or pharmacotherapy education, such as nicotine replacement therapy.
Familiarity with community corrections, criminal justice, or behavioral health settings.

Responsibilities

Deliver individual behavioral counseling sessions every other week during an eight-week course, using motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral approaches adapted for justice-involved populations.
Facilitate weekly Open group counseling sessions for all clients who use tobacco and Engaged group counseling sessions for clients enrolled in individual counseling.
Dispense combination nicotine replacement therapy (patches plus gum or lozenges) and educate clients on proper use, dosing, tapering, and possible side effects in accordance with label instructions and facility medication protocols.
Serve as the dedicated point of contact for client referrals, including staffing a program phone line and email.
Help clients who have Medicaid and a primary care provider access c-NRT coverage through their provider when appropriate.
Track and document session attendance and dosage hours for each client activity, and submit records to LCCC Programs staff according to Division of Criminal Justice dosage-hour requirements.
Connect participating clients to complementary pro-social activities at LCCC, such as running club.
Attend project team meetings and quarterly Advisory Board meetings and contribute front-line implementation perspectives to program refinement.
Participate in ongoing tobacco treatment, trauma-informed care, and other training tailored to justice-involved populations.
Support recruitment by developing accessible, non-stigmatizing program materials in collaboration with clients and LCCC staff.