Youth Center Assistant Superintendent - Program Management II - Grand Mesa Youth Service Center

State of Colorado•Grand Junction, CO

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Division of Youth Services (DYS) mission is to protect, restore, and improve public safety through a continuum of services that effectively supervises juvenile offenders, promotes accountability to victims and communities, and helps youth lead constructive lives through positive youth development. DYS adheres to Sanctuary Commitments and the Colorado Model, fostering an environment that supports non-violence, emotional intelligence, open communication, social responsibility, democracy, social learning, growth, and change. DYS serves delinquent youth aged 10-21 committed to the CDHS, DYS, providing supervision, residential treatment, and community-based parole aftercare services. Facilities include schools, kitchens, medical clinics, and recreational spaces, all operating within Colorado Revised Statutes and the Colorado Children’s Code. This position is an Appointing Authority delegated by the Youth Center Director, responsible for implementing DYS initiatives such as trauma-responsive environments and behavior management models. It provides direct supervision of supervisory and management positions, including Youth Service Specialists, medical and food services managers, and participates in leadership efforts to improve youth center operations and implement the DYS strategic plan. The role also involves participation in the Youth Center Assistant Directors Group, indirect supervision of all other employees, on-call responsibilities, and potential liaison duties with the Facilities Management Division.

Requirements

Nine (9) years of professional experience in corrections, law enforcement, probation/parole, or another area of public safety.
OR Nine (9) years of professional experience in corrections, law enforcement, probation/parole, or another area of public safety, or an equivalent combination of education and experience demonstrating the ability to manage operations within a secure trauma responsive environment.
Full Background check required.
CBI name check and fingerprint check required.
ICON Colorado court database check required.
Medicare fraud database check required.
Reference Checks required.
Professional License verification required (licensure requirements).
Drug Screen required.
PREA (Division of Youth Services) check required.
Trails check (direct contact with children) required.
CAPS (direct contact with adults – Mental Health Institutes, Regional Centers, Veterans Community Living Centers) check required.
Be a minimum of 21 years of age.
No felony convictions or history of domestic violence.
Current/Valid and unrestricted Colorado Driver’s License (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 be able to work on-call status on a rotating basis.
Successful completion of the DYS Pre-service Training Academy, Field Training Program (FTO), and mandatory annual training in all subject areas is required for continued employment.
Must provide documentation to be given credit for it; no exceptions on timelines to provide documentation.
All documentation must be uploaded; this is the first evaluation in the selection process.
Applications will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications.
Application must specifically address the requirements as listed in the minimum and preferred qualifications, as well as the job duties and highly desired competencies.
Document specialized experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the position.

Nice To Haves

Highly Desired Professional Experience includes: Secure juvenile custodial expertise which may include knowledge of detention or pretrial programming and/or knowledge of clinical and/or treatment considerations with youth sentenced to long terms, understanding of the Colorado Children’s Code or other laws pertaining to juveniles, criminal procedures, and/or SB94 mandates/functions and other prevailing statutory requirements.
Operation of secure custody settings, understanding broad spectrum adolescent development and how this is reflected in daily institutional needs and patterns.
Expertise in maintaining oversight of contractors and acting as liaison for contractors.
5+ years of supervisory and administrative experience in juvenile justice or secure residential settings.
Experience with quality assurance oversight and accountability.
Experience managing large, complex systems or organizations, including multi-site operations and cross-functional teams.
Expert knowledge of Colorado juvenile laws, criminal procedures, and state personnel board rules.
Experience with contractor oversight and agency liaison responsibilities.
Direct supervision of leadership positions, providing coaching and mentoring, performance oversight, and strategic direction.

Responsibilities

Supervises direct care supervisory staff and assigned program area managers, and provides indirect supervision of all other agency staff.
Serves as the Appointing Authority for assigned areas, setting performance standards, conducting performance planning and appraisal, and ensuring subordinate staff development.
Initiates and concludes necessary corrective or disciplinary actions.
Ensures direct and indirect supervisory employees perform supervision functions consistent with State, Department, Division, and Youth Center expectations, including the implementation of the Reflective Supervision Model.
Monitors and approves formal leaves of absence and provides performance evaluations of direct report staff.
Makes recommendations for promotions and applies criteria to approve, evaluate, and determine appropriate use of personnel resources.
Ensures compliance with statutes and policy related to the use of seclusion and physical response.
Provides programmatic planning, coordinating, monitoring, evaluation, and oversight to assigned youth center functions.
Responsible for quality control and continuous quality improvement for assigned youth center areas, aiming for a healthy trauma-responsive organizational environment.
Implements the DYS Strategic Plan, including understanding trauma, skills development, safety, self-care, calming spaces, group processes, behavior expectations, incident debriefings, positive reinforcement, and psychoeducation/treatment groups.
Partners with behavioral health, direct care, and other administrative supervisory staff to ensure quality programming.
Maintains effective working relationships and communication with School District Officials, Contract Providers, Detention Screening Agencies, Law Enforcement, DYS Client Managers, Regional Program Managers, Central Office Managers/staff, and DYS Leadership Team to facilitate effective bed management and youth transition.
Maintains required staffing levels through recruitment, selection, training, scheduling, and retention of employees.
Works with the Youth Center Director to develop the annual budget and approves/monitors expenditures.
Assures the appropriate use of resources and creates partnerships as needed.
Tracks and administers recognition or reward monies and acts as a signing authority for P-cards and checkbooks.
Approves or plans for movement of allocation among specific job codes and stays within personnel fund allocations.
Plans for PREA fund allocation to prevent sexual harassment, abuse, or misconduct.
Ensures the youth center and personnel provide safe and secure care for all youth, inspecting and modifying architecture or processes for safety and security.
Improves youth center operations by planning for additional or new/improved equipment or processes.
Provides staff with functioning equipment such as radios, restraint equipment, and video recording.
Provides oversight and quality control of processes such as youth movement, staffing schedules, and spatial positioning.
Oversees unit and room assignments or group composition for safe and secure operation.
Oversees and monitors compliance of the Federally Mandated Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
Oversees and monitors new staff training to ensure attainment of Safe Practices.
Oversees, with the Youth Center Director, structured, engaging, and trauma-responsive programming.
Provides staff continual training to develop and practice verbal de-escalation and physical response skills, ensuring consistent application of de-escalation practices.
Provides staff training to increase understanding of youth responses and developmental concerns.
Assists the Youth Center Director in implementing Division initiatives, including creating a trauma-responsive environment and ensuring staff training, coaching, and mentoring for safety.
Ensures training of staff occurs per DYS Policy 4.1 and specific agency training.
Responsible for comprehensive understanding and application of state personnel board rules, assisting in recruiting efforts, testing, interviewing, selecting staff, training, monitoring progress, correcting performance, and applying appropriate State Personnel Board Rules.
Works closely with other employee supportive structures and processes, including Family Medical Leave (FML), Short-Term Disability (STD), and Long-Term Disability (LTD).
Advises employees regarding the employee assistance program (C-SEAP).
Applies resources to staff injured on the job and works collegially with HR, Timekeeping, Benefits, and the Attorney General’s Office.
Recognizes, consults with, and employs all elements found in the Code of Colorado Regulations or prevailing Personnel Rules.
Ensures staff are evaluated according to prevailing instruments and standards and ensures compliance with DYS Policies.
Models, coaches, trains, teaches, mentors, and guides staff directly and indirectly.
Addresses the training needs of staff to deal with the serious mental health needs of detained and/or committed youth.
Ensures a work environment that supports a trauma-responsive environment for staff.
May serve, as assigned by the Youth Center Director, on specific agency boards.
Participates in department, division, regional, and community processes that affect agency or scope of services.
Provides escorted educational tours through the building.
Participates in broader Division work teams and assists in resolving Division issues.
Attends Assistant Director’s meetings or other committee meetings.
Communicates effectively with all levels of the organization.
Documents and shares learnings and new information with agency staff.
Ensures that constitutional and legal rights of youth in custody are not violated.
Maintains community contacts with parents, families, judges, and vendors.
Maintains Law Enforcement contact to communicate DYS Policies and Procedures, train new youth services specialists, and facilitate criminal investigations.
Co-leads the application of current theory of trauma-responsive treatment of juveniles.
Drafts, implements, and monitors internal measurement systems designed to elicit programmatic improvements in safety and general programming.
Identifies and corrects areas identified through data collection specific to fights, assaults, staffing, seclusion, physical response, injuries, criticals, and other areas.
Applies process improvement strategies and captures improvements in procedure.
Responds to prevailing data concerns or requests and employs data to make sound decisions.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a 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