Department Information

This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

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Description of Job

This position is the highest level Appointing Authority specific to the administration and management of all services/programs, finance and personnel for an individual secure gender responsive residential youth center. This position is responsible for ensuring compliance with statute, regulations, Children’s Code, CDHS and Division policy, and best practice programming for girls committed to the Division of Youth Services. The Youth Center Director must oversee, develop, implement, and monitor goals and other measurement systems as necessary or required. This position implements and ensures continued advancement of the Divisions’ Strategic Plan, the Sanctuary Model, DYS Behavioral Management Program, family engagement, restorative community justice, education and the DYS Treatment Model. This position is critical to setting culture that aligns with physical, emotional, social and moral safety. The position reports necessary and required information regarding the status and/or progress of the youth services center.

The position provides direct supervision of other leadership positions within the youth center including the Assistant Director position, and Program Assistant series staff, School Principal, and a Clinical Team Lead. This position identifies, manages and participates directly in leadership and management efforts aimed at improving youth center operations. Participation in and leading Division wide planning efforts is required. Required is the participation in the DYS Youth Center Director’s Group (YCDG) and DYS Senior Leadership Group teams. The Youth Center Director is the 2nd level supervision to all remaining employees at the youth center, and serves as liaison to the Division of Facilities Management, to the regions, behavioral health and medical, and outside stakeholders.

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. "See resume" or "see attached" statements in the work experience section will not be accepted in lieu of the official application form.

• Six (6) years' experience in juvenile justice and/or a secure residential/adolescent program. (Anything less than 40 hours per week is considered part-time. Credit is given for part-time work but is calculated by prorating the qualifying experience.)

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in business, public administration, criminal justice, a human behavioral sciences field, or closely related field.

• Professional-level experience in the juvenile justice system or a secure residential/adolescent program, which provided the same kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired in the required education, may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the bachelor's degree. Applicants with no education experience must possess a total of 10 years of experience to substitute for both the bachelor's degree and experience sections listed above.

• Master’s degree in social work, psychology or related field.
• Minimum of two years working with a gender specific secure residential population. The experience must have included such duties as the planning, development, and implementation of budgets, policies, and agency objectives necessary to achieve goals of a juvenile justice organizational unit or program. This experience must be specifically documented on your job application.

• Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Management of Personnel Resources (to include Supervision), Time Management, Oral Communication, Written Communication, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others.

Lived Experience:

The Division of Youth Services (DYS) is committed to hiring individuals who are professional and passionate about their desire to help youth. DYS values candidates who have demonstrated perseverance as a special attribute that can help the youth in our care. DYS encourages qualified candidates with "lived experience" to apply. Lived experience comes from the personal knowledge and understanding that many possess by virtue of first-hand experience with mental health, substance abuse, systems involvement and traumatic events. Lived experience brings unique knowledge, insights and perspectives that are invaluable for organizational growth, increased sensitivity to the youth and families we serve, and new ideas and inspiration for improving service delivery.

• Be a minimum of 21 years of age, with no felony convictions or history of domestic violence
• Must possess a valid, unrestricted U.S. Driver's License
• Pass CBI and FBI background investigation
• Included in the background investigation is a current/previous employer check. Your current and previous employers within the last 10 years must be listed on your application even if the job duties are unrelated to Correctional Youth Security Officer I position. Incomplete employer information (address, phone, supervisor name) or omission of former employers may result in application disqualification.
• 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.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must (1) disclose that information on the application (2) provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify the applicant from the current position, (3) provide the employee number from the applicant’s 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.

Supplemental Information

• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan www.copera.org 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
• BenefitHub state employee discount program
• Employee Wellness program MotivateMe
• 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. For more