Assessment Specialist Trainer (Social Work/Counselor IV) - Division of Youth Services, Denver

About the Department

This position is open only to Colorado state residents.

Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

Division of Youth Services - Youth Services Central Administration Office

 

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.
 
We invite you to explore the DYS website and learn about the services provided to youth, families, and local communities in the State of Colorado at: https://www.colorado.gov/cdhs/dys

Position Duties

You are required to work at your assigned work location during your scheduled work times. 

Please note: Work arrangements are subject to change at any time

Summary of Work Unit:

The purpose of Assessment is to provide a safe, secure, and healthy environment for all juveniles who have been committed to the Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Services (DYS) while undergoing a comprehensive assessment. Services include, but are not limited to, the administration and interpretation of Criminogenic, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse screening and assessment instruments to arrive at recommendations for treatment and efficient, effective service delivery. Principle functions involve identification of criminal risk areas, ascertainment of mental health functioning, determination of substance use treatment needs, assessing for needs and strengths, and submission of recommendations for placement type and service plan goals. Evaluation services are provided through a multidisciplinary team decision-making process, which incorporates family input and community support. All assessment services are empirically supported and designed to uphold standards of best practice set forth by the U.S.

About the Position:

This position ensures the quality, consistency, and integrity of clinical assessments within behavioral health services. This role supports a multidisciplinary team responsible for conducting comprehensive clinical assessments, ensuring evaluations are accurate, timely, and aligned with evidence-based and regulatory standards.

This position will provide supervision to assessment staff, offering coaching, feedback, and support to strengthen clinical judgment, documentation, and decision-making. By enhancing staff competency and consistency, the role directly supports client care by ensuring that assessment findings accurately inform service recommendations and treatment planning. 

Additionally, this position will provide direct client/youth assessment services as needed to maintain continuity, respond to high-demand periods, and model best practices. Through a combination of supervision, training, and quality oversight, this role promotes reliable assessment outcomes and strengthens overall service delivery.

Summary of Duties:

Program and Training Development/Clinical Oversight

• Develop, coordinate, and deliver assessment training, as well as the clinical oversight of assessment practices within the Division of Youth Services. 
• Design curriculum, facilitate training, and provide ongoing coaching and supervision to Assessment Specialists, interns, and other staff to ensure competency in clinical practices, documentation standards, program expectations, and policy. 
• Provide expertise and quality assurance related to the evaluation of juveniles, ensuring the effectiveness, appropriateness, and consistent application of assessment tools, including the Youth Assessment and Screening Inventory (YASI).
• Ensure Asssessment practices are outlined in a manual annually to ensure consistency and adherence to Assessment requirements and best practices.
• Support training and supervision while promoting professional development through structured learning opportunities.
• Research, develop, and coordinate training initiatives focused on assessment practices such as strengths-based evaluation, report writing, identification of mental health and criminogenic needs, application of psychological theory, and motivational interviewing. 
• Ensure consistent communication of policy updates, procedural changes, and clinical expectations to promote standardization across regions and maintain ongoing collaboration with Assessment Specialists, client managers, behavioral health staff, Clinical Directors, psychologists, and Assessment leadership to ensure continuity of care.
• Participate in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities, program development, and committee work to evaluate and enhance assessment services and statewide practices. 
• Monitor staffing rosters to ensure timely scheduling and compliance with required documentation timelines, including the 35-day completion standard, and collaborates with Social Work IVs and the Coordinator of Assessment to ensure training requirements are met. 
• Represent DYS Assessment Services in professional forums and provide recommendations to leadership regarding program effectiveness, system gaps, and opportunities for improvement

Formalized Assessment Practice

• Conduct clinical interviews, criminogenic risk assessments, drug and alcohol screening and assessments, mental health evaluations, trauma assessment, and neuropsychological screenings on juvenile offenders who are committed to the Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Services. 
• Administration and interpretation of the Youth Assessment and Screening Inventory (YASI), Juvenile Automated Substance Abuse Evaluation (JASAE), and University of California Los Angeles Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD-RI) to assess specified areas of functioning including, but not limited to: current and past delinquent behaviors, mental health presentation, criminogenic need areas, family issues, peer relationships, self-perceptions, use of free time, level of maturity, problem solving skills, breadth of decision-making, drug and alcohol involvement, personal goals, risk factors associated with neuropsychological deficits, and identified skills/competencies. 
• Conduct family interviews to ascertain individualized family strengths, needs, perspective, and expressed goals for treatment and DYS stay. 
• Review relevant collateral data, previous evaluation findings, legal documents, and any other information received at time of commitment, and incorporate the information into the finalized assessment report. Contact DYS Quality Assurance designee and/or courts to obtain any necessary legal interpretation or clarification and request amendment to mittimi when warranted. Complete all commitment paperwork and calculate the security level designation. Contact collateral agencies to verify or request additional information on newly committed juveniles.
• Review all information available in the judicial database to ensure accuracy of mittimi, additional/pending charges, sentencing requirements, court orders and/or restitution ordered, and note any discovered discrepancies in the Assessment Report. Outline the assessment process to youth and families, including expectations, responding to questions, and requesting signed authorization for release of information and disclosure statements.
• Communicate individualized assessment findings and treatment recommendations with interdisciplinary team members to arrive at collaborative decisions regarding Service Plan goals, optional placement types, and recommended treatment. 
• Participate in the initial DYS Multidisciplinary team meeting to discuss all relevant assessment findings in order to arrive at consensus related to prescribed placement type, service plan recommendations, and transition goals based upon individualized youth and family needs. 
• Incorporate all assessment findings into a comprehensive, individualized, and strengths-based written Assessment Report. 
• Enter all pertinent information into the Colorado Trails database and the Electronic Health Record (EHR). 
• Perform a quality review of all Assessment Reports prior to dissemination to ensure information contained in the report is accurate, conveys data necessary for Treatment Plan development, and represents correct grammar, spelling, and sentence structure

Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications listed below to continue in the selection process for this position.  Work experience must be specifically documented on your application.  Do not use "see resume" or "see attached" statements on your application.

License and Experience:*

Current, valid Colorado or State participating in the Social Work Licensure Compact licensure as a:

• Licensed Social Worker (LSW) OR
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) OR
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) OR 
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC)

                                     `AND`

• Two (2) years of experience with current, valid licensure from a state participating in the Social Work Licensure Compact based on the work assigned to the position.

*Applicants for supervisory positions must have licensure that meets the legal requirements to perform supervisory responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Relatable experience as a current or previous State of Colorado employee.

Conditions of Employment:

• Be a minimum of 21 years of age, with no felony convictions or history of domestic violence
• Full background check and reference check required
• This position requires State of Colorado residency at the time of application (unless otherwise identified in the posting), and residency within the state throughout the duration of employment in this position.
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check 
• Must possess a valid, non-restricted Colorado Driver’s License 
• Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion of the DYS Pre-service Training Academy, Field Training Program (FTO) and mandatory annual training in all subject areas.
• Applicants for supervisory positions must have licensure that meets the legal requirements to perform supervisory responsibilities.
• Travel to Travel to assigned trainings and meetings, will travel to different facilities depending on critical case load.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must:
  • Disclose that information on the application.
  • Explain why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify you from the current position.
  • Provide your employee number from your prior State employment. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination and failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.

CDHS Selection Process Explanation:

• Employment history is calculated on a full-time basis (40/hrs per week). Part-time employment is calculated on a prorated basis to determine qualifications. Be sure your application specifically addresses your qualifications, experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the position and minimum requirements. 

Minimum Qualification Screening Process 

• A Human Resources Analyst will review the work experience/job duties sections of the online job application to determine whether your experience meets the minimum qualifications for the position.  You must complete the official State of Colorado online application.  Cover letters and resumes WILL NOT be reviewed during the minimum qualifications screening process. You must specifically document your work experience and qualifications in the application form. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached."

• You must meet the minimum qualifications to continue in the selection process.  Part-time work experience will be prorated.

Comparative Analysis Process – Structured Application Review 

• After minimum qualification screening, the comparative analysis process will involve reviewing and rating of all the information you submit. The comparative analysis step may also include your results from standardized testing. 

Your Work Experience/Job Duties

• Document your work experience/job duties to the extent to which you possess the skills, education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications. 

• If listed, answer all supplemental questions as your answers to these questions will be evaluated during this phase. Provide at least 4-8 sentences for each supplemental question.     

Supplemental Questions 

• Answer the supplemental questions completely and thoughtfully. We will rate your answers  based on the content of your response and your writing skills (spelling, grammar, and clarity of your writing).

Appeal Rights

You may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director if your application is eliminated.  You will find the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it on the State Personnel Board website.

• You or your representative must sign and submit the official appeal form for review.  

• You can find the official appeal form here. 

• You must be deliver the official appeal form to the State Personnel Board:

  • By email ([email protected]), or

  • Postmarked in US Mail to(1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203, or 

  • Hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or

  • Faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

Contact the State Personnel Board for assistance:

• At (303) 866-3300, or

•  Refer to the  Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, within the Rules webpage.

Other Qualifications

How to apply to the State of Colorado

The Assessment Process

For additional recruiting questions, please contact [email protected]

About Us & Benefits

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, join the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). Our professionals strive to design and deliver high quality human and health services that improve the safety, independence, and well-being of the people of Colorado. Each of us is committed to contributing to a safe and accessible CDHS. In addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:

• 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.

Our Values

• We believe in a people-first approach: We prioritize the needs, well-being, and dignity of the individuals, families and communities we serve. We commit to respect, fairness and access in every decision, policy and interaction. We engage client voices and experiences in the development and implementation of the services we provide.

• Balance creates quality of life: We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility, health and wellness, and employee engagement.

• We hold ourselves accountable: We take responsibility through our actions, programs, and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.

• Transparency matters: We are open and honest with employees, our partners, the Coloradans we serve, and the public.

• We are ethical: We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right, not what is easy.

• Collaboration helps us rise together: We work together with all partners, employees, and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.

ADA Accommodations

• CDHS is committed to a Colorado for ALL qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment. 

• This includes completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or performing essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to [email protected].

EEO Statement: The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer

• We are committed to increasing a “Colorado for ALL" of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities.  The State of Colorado believes that a “Colorado for ALL” drives our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

• If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time).  Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application 1) ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files and 2) close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.

Benefits

The State of Colorado offers permanent employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, as well as a comprehensive leave program.  Please click the following link for detailed information:  www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhr/benefits 

Please note that each agency's contact information is different; therefore, we encourage all applicants to view the full, official job announcement which includes contact information and class title. Select the job you wish to view, then click on the "Print" icon.
 

Supplemental Questions

Required Question

Agency Information

EmployerState of ColoradoAddress See the full announcement by clicking
the "Printer" icon located above the job title
Location varies by announcement, Colorado, -- Website https://careers.colorado.gov/