2027

State of Colorado•Denver, CO

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration Workforce Development Director develops and implements statewide workforce strategies to recruit, train, and retain a diverse behavioral/mental health workforce, aligning with BHA’s goal of increasing access to quality behavioral and mental health. They set strategic vision and goals for the unit, collaborating closely with agency leadership, state officials, and external stakeholders (e.g., educational institutions, provider networks). The Director recommends policies and procedures to the BHA Commissioner to support workforce standards, equity, culturally responsive care, and regulatory compliance, and remains knowledgeable of current legislation affecting behavioral health education, supervision requirements, funding streams, and workforce trends to incorporate these changes into state policy frameworks and recommendations to the BHA Commissioner. This Director designs and manages training programs—including clinical supervision models, continuing education, and licensure pathways information. They work across the Administration to administer grants and contracts, ensuring effective use of federal/state funding and compliance with regulations. The Director oversees data tracking and evaluation, measuring outcomes such as workforce capacity, diversity, retention, and impact on care access. They supervise a team of managers, coordinators, and support staff and are responsible for staffing, performance evaluation, and professional development. This role fosters a strong organizational culture and maintains operational efficiency, including budgeting and resource allocation. This Director acts as the primary liaison with universities, licensing boards, advocacy groups, counties, and communities to align workforce development efforts with statewide needs and guides the development of public-private partnerships, apprenticeship models, and innovative training collaborations.

Requirements

Nine (9) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position. Relevant areas may include behavioral health, workforce development, strategic planning, project or program management, public administration, organizational development, or a related field.
A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to nine (9) years. Examples of related education may include coursework or degrees in Public Administration, Social Work, Psychology, Behavioral Health, Public Health, Human Resources, Business Administration, or Organizational Leadership.
Standard background check and references required
Motor Vehicle Check, if the employee will drive a state-owned vehicle, either in an ongoing capacity while performing their normal day-to-day job duties, OR on occasion for training/meetings/client visits/etc.
Out-of-State Driver’s License holders must obtain a valid, non-restricted Colorado Driver’s License within 30 days of employment start date.
Must complete the official State of Colorado online application.
Must specifically document your work experience and qualifications. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached."
Must meet the minimum qualifications to continue in the selection process.
Part-time work experience will be prorated.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field such as Public Administration, Public Health, Social Work, Organizational Leadership, or Behavioral Health.
Project Management Professional (PMP), SHRM-CP/SCP, CWDP, or similar professional certification.
7–10 years of leadership experience in workforce development or behavioral health systems.
Demonstrated success leading statewide or regional initiatives related to workforce development, systems reform, or service delivery redesign.
Experience in identifying and securing funding through proposals or grants.
Knowledge of behavioral health policy, statewide service systems, or government reform efforts.
Familiarity with equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in workforce planning.
Relevant years of state service experience.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership and disciplined execution for the BHA Workforce Development.
Designs and drives a statewide, multi-year strategy to build, sustain, and grow Colorado’s behavioral health workforce—aligning operations, partnerships, funding, and policy to deliver equitable access to high-quality care across all regions of the state.
Manages and prioritizes initiatives required by statute, the statewide behavioral health workforce development report, and directives from the Appointing Authority (AA).
Develops and leads a multi-year, cross-agency strategic plan and executes the BHA Workforce Development 2026–2028 plan.
Convenes, coordinates, and galvanizes statewide partners and directs priorities based on statewide needs and available resources.
Identifies process improvements and efficiency gains across the MH/BH field and advises the AA on legislative and operational recommendations.
Ensures long-term sustainability and growth and aligns roles, decision rights, and cross-functional workflows (e.g., grants, data, training, stakeholder engagement) to reduce duplication and increase throughput.
Leads initiatives required by statute, those stemming from the statewide workforce development report, and any directives from the AA—sequencing work, assigning owners, and tracking deliverables to on-time, compliant completion.
Maintains audit-ready documentation and status reporting for legislatively mandated tasks.
Develops a 3–5 year strategy for behavioral health workforce development across agencies (e.g., BHA, CDPHE, CDHS, DORA boards, higher education, local public health agencies) and recommends statewide WFD objectives, regional goals, metrics, funding pathways, and governance mechanisms to the BHA Commissioner and Chief Strategy Officer.
Maintains real-time awareness of workforce initiatives underway across Colorado (rural/frontier, urban, tribal, academic, provider networks) and meets with BHA colleagues, state agencies, and local stakeholders to identify geographic areas in need of workforce development plans.
Facilitates local goal-setting and tactics (e.g., training capacity, supervision pipelines, retention incentives) and uses system alignment methods to convene and lead statewide partners critical to success (providers, schools, licensing boards, associations, counties, payers) to commit resources and deliver coordinated solutions.
Identifies opportunities to coordinate resources, braid funds (state/federal/private), and align programs (apprenticeships, clinical supervision, CE, scholarship/supplemental training) to address statewide and regional workforce challenges.
Leads strategic planning with critical partners to remove barriers (e.g., placement, licensure, supervision availability).
Diagnoses bottlenecks, proposes process improvements, and makes legislative and general recommendations to the AA to modernize workforce pathways (e.g., licensure portability, supervision flexibility, incentives for rural service).
Provides leadership in building a high-performing, collaborative Workforce Development (WFD) team by coaching, mentoring, and developing staff to achieve unit and departmental goals.
Ensures clarity of expectations, fosters professional growth, and creates an environment where team members work collectively toward BHA’s workforce development objectives.
Leads the sequencing of work, assigning owners, and tracking deliverables to on-time, compliant completion.
Clarifies goals and expectations by working with all staff to ensure unit and departmental objectives are understood and aligned with individual responsibilities.
Provides coaching by regularly offering feedback and guidance to staff through structured performance management processes.
Offers professional development through training, mentorship, and tailored growth opportunities for each staff member’s career trajectory.
Determines appropriate specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound (SMART) goals for each team member based on role, capacity, and unit priorities.
Hosts recurring team meetings and one-on-one sessions to maintain alignment, address challenges, and celebrate progress.
Ensures the WFD team works cohesively to meet unit goals and objectives, fostering a culture of accountability and shared success.
Is responsible for creating, developing, and coaching newly developed positions, including, but not limited to: Learning Management System Administrator and the Behavioral Health Pathway Navigator, as well as continuing to develop the Education and Training Administrator and License and Certification Administrator roles to align with the goals and strategies of the agency.
Ensures accountability and transparency in the implementation of Colorado’s behavioral health workforce development initiatives by designing and executing robust monitoring and evaluation systems.
Measures progress, enforces outcomes, and drives data-informed decisions to achieve long-term sustainability and growth.
Creates a framework to track progress toward completing the workforce development implementation plan, including KPIs, benchmarks, and timelines.
Manages the building and maintenance of statewide and regional dashboards that visualize progress and regularly share statistics with leadership and stakeholders.
Reviews the analysis of monthly quantitative and qualitative metrics and identifies trends and gaps in workforce development outcomes.
Uses data-driven decision-making to determine steps to address underperformance or delays in achieving plan objectives.
Monitors vendor and partner contracts and interagency agreements to ensure deliverables and outcomes are met and applies corrective measures when necessary.
Develops and monitors the unit budget to ensure efficient resource utilization and alignment with strategic priorities.
Develops, publishes, and updates internal WFD reports for leadership and the Appointing Authority.
Assesses the effectiveness of workforce initiatives and recommends improvements based on data insights.
Leads efforts to build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with community stakeholders to advance Colorado’s behavioral health workforce development initiatives.
Ensures effective collaboration, transparent communication, and strategic partnerships that expand access and improve outcomes statewide.
Assigns team members to develop and maintain relationships with local partners, ensuring coverage across regions and sectors.
Works closely with state and local government agencies, schools, providers, community colleges, and workforce boards to convene groups and foster positive relationships.
Disseminates timely updates on workforce development initiatives and solicits feedback to inform strategy and implementation.
Serves as the primary representative of statewide behavioral health workforce initiatives in communities and official capacities as directed by the Appointing Authority.
Identifies and establishes new partnerships with populations and agencies not currently engaged with BHA and repairs relationships with entities where past interactions were adversarial.
Defines and pursues partnership opportunities that enhance statewide workforce development efforts and ensures that all media and marketing efforts comply with the BHA Communications team's standards and guidelines.
Leads and manages special projects and statewide collaboration efforts that drive systems change and advance behavioral health workforce development in Colorado.
Ensures quality, diversity, and sustainability of service delivery and funding streams while implementing initiatives aligned with legislative directives and the Blueprint for Behavioral Health Reform.
Directs ongoing efforts to transform behavioral health workforce systems, ensuring alignment with statewide goals and equity principles.
Designs and implements projects based on legislative funding, departmental directives, and recommendations from the Commissioner, Chief Strategy Officer, and stakeholders.
Actively participates in statewide workforce development meetings and leads/co-leads these meetings when appropriate to influence policy and practice.
Researches and identifies potential funding sources and develops proposals for specially funded projects or initiatives.
Conducts presentations across Colorado to share workforce initiatives, gather feedback, and strengthen stakeholder relationships.
Ensures service delivery models and funding streams reflect local needs and promote diversity and inclusion.
Directs and supports regional workforce development projects to ensure consistency with statewide strategies.

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
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program