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

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, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights 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.

Minimum

Qualifications: 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 (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), 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.

Supplemental Information How to apply to the State of Colorado The Assessment Process For additional recruiting questions, please contact Isaac.Phelps@state.co.us 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,