Bridges Service Professional- 23rd Judicial District

Job Title: Bridges Service Professional Job Code: 88003

Monthly Salary Range: $6,021.75 - $8,129.33 FLSA Status: Exempt

Annual Salary Range: $72,261.00 - $97,552.00 Location: Colorado

Reports to: Regional Manager Approved: 1/20/25

About Bridges of Colorado

Established in 2018, Bridges of Colorado places -service professionals across Colorado's 23 judicial districts to serve defendants (referred to as participants) in the criminal justice system who have significant mental health needs. Individuals with high acuity mental health needs are ten times more likely to be jailed and nationally there are three times more individuals with serious mental illness in jails or prisons than in hospitals. Bridges has been identified nationwide as a promising practice that focuses on the whole person. It is intentionally designed to address disparities often experienced by this population in the criminal justice system. Bridges service professionals advocate for each participant’s inherent worth and dignity by centering their lived experiences and voice to ensure their behavioral health best interests. At its very core, Bridges is person-centered advocacy rooted in solution-focused, collaborative practices intended to promote positive outcomes for participants.

About the Role

This role exemplifies our values of being

Person-Centered by

• Providing ongoing, personalized engagement with participants through person-centered, solution-focused case management.
• Conducting intakes, screenings, and assessments with participants for mental health, behavioral health, and social determinants of health needs. This may take place in jail, court, home or community-based settings.
• Making direct connections to, and support engagement with, a wide range of services for participants, including, but not limited to, case management services, behavioral health or psychiatric services or supports, and employment, housing, and other social supports.
• Tracking activity on cases through accurate and timely case noting and recording of information in the Bridges case management system and other relevant systems, including relevant outcomes. Provide additional data as requested by the Bridges leadership team in a timely manner.

Solution-Focused by

• Informing judicial officers and attorneys (via reports to the court and appearances at court hearings) about participant needs regarding mental health, social determinants of health, and equitable access to related services.
• Informing judicial officers and attorneys within timelines outlined through legislation, MOU’s and program requirements about available and appropriate mental or behavioral health services and supports, and other relevant decisions, barriers, and issues facing participants.
• Submitting all required reports to courts and attend hearings as necessary or requested.
• Advocating for the behavioral health best interests of participants with judicial officers and attorneys while engaging the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and legal neutrality.

Collaborative by

• Fostering collaboration and communication between behavioral health and criminal justice systems in ways that promote positive outcomes and ensure participants are treated fairly and humanely, regardless of their behavioral health history or mental state.
• Coordinating with courts, attorneys, jails, hospitals and service providers to ensure continuity of care and service delivery for participants at both entrance into and exit from these systems and facilities, striving to problem solve gaps and barriers as necessary.
• Collaborating and coordinating with service providers in ways that increase access to services for participants. This may include problem solving with partners, advocating for participant needs, identifying gaps and barriers, exploring funding solutions, and attending community meetings.
• Providing informal and non-case specific consultation, education, and advocacy with all court and community partners in order to address systemic barriers across both the behavioral health and criminal justice systems.

Other Responsibilities

This is a dynamic position where the scope of responsibilities and duties will evolve, and the incumbent should anticipate fulfilling other duties as assigned that are reasonable and necessary to fulfill the Bridges mission. The ideal candidate for this role is expected to not only possess the ability to fulfill the outlined duties but will also be a proactive, adaptable, and capable contributor to the development of the role’s scope and responsibilities, aligning them with the evolving needs of the Office.

About You

You are passionate about working to improve the systems of care for those caught in the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system, along with the following:

• Person-centered, solutions-focused, and collaborative and are deeply committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Value individualized solutions and responses that are meaningful to the participant and their well-being.
• Knowledge and experience of interpersonal trauma-informed approaches and systems of care, specifically understanding the importance of being person-centered, solution-focused, and collaborative in this work.
• Able to communicate and collaborate with varying levels of positions of power and manage conflict proactively and responsively with professionalism, confidentiality, clarity, and effectiveness.
• Creative, self-motivated, and able to work and make decisions independently in a decentralized environment.
• Client-driven and values-driven.
• Aligned with Bridges’ culture and passionate about supporting it throughout the organization.
• Must be responsive, flexible and adaptable to the evolving needs of the role and the organization.
• Capable of, and enjoys, thriving in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment with thoughtful decision-making skills.
• Emotional intelligence; able to create and sustain helpful, professional relationships thoughtfully and responsively with empathy, respect, and collaboration.

Lived Experience

At Bridges, we value lived experience in all forms. If you were formally justice involved or have experiences within the criminal justice and behavioral systems outside of formal education and work experience, we want to know! To discuss how your lived experience may be considered as a substitution for minimum qualifications, please reach out to Jori Dovey, People & Culture Director at jori.dovey@bridgesofcolorado.gov.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in social justice, social work, sociology, criminology, or a related field.
• Candidates must have a minimum of three (3 ) years’ experience in criminal justice, behavioral health, or related field.
• Demonstrated professional alignment with Bridges values, culture, and principles of justice and equity throughout the organization.

OR

• At least two (2 ) years as an employee or contractor with Bridges may substitute for the minimum qualifications above, with additional specialized training that may be required upon hire.
• Years of relevant work experience may substitute for the educational requirement with the exception of any required licenses, certifications, or accreditations.
• Years of education may substitute for the work experience requirement.
• Relevant lived experience could be considered as a substitution for educational and/or work experience with the exception of any required licenses, certifications, or accreditations. Please contact Jori Dovey, jori.dovey@bridgesofcolorado.gov, to determine whether your lived experience substitutes for any of the minimum qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in social justice, social work, sociology, criminology, or a related field.
• At least five (5 ) years experience in criminal justice, behavioral health, or related field.
• Demonstrated continuing education, advocacy, or volunteer work in DEI, JEDI, or social justice principles.
• Spanish speaking is a plus, and levels of proficiency will be considered in an employee’s pay.
• Work experience in both criminal justice and behavioral health, including experience with the competency system.

Position Location and Travel Requirements

Bridges supports and fosters a flexible workplace for its employees. Upon initial employment, the supervisor will make a workplace determination which best suits the needs of Bridges and the employee’s role. This position will work from home with regular in-person requirements to meet business needs (i.e. court hearings, participant meetings) and regional and state travel, depending on the particular assignment. Employees are expected to be readily available to meet business and last-minute needs. Occasional travel to the Bridges office in Denver is to be expected. Reliable transportation will be required.

Accommodations

The Office of Bridges of Colorado is committed to the full inclusion of 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, including 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, please direct your inquiries to Jori Dovey, People & Culture Director, jori.dovey@bridgesofcolorado.gov.

Compensation

We are proud of our equity-conscious pay scale for all positions, providing livable wages, robust benefits, and meaningful time-off policies.

This position's hiring pay is salaried. Pay for this position is $72,261 to $83,100. For equity, the pay for this position (and all Bridges positions) is based upon the cost-of-living adjustment for the Denver metro area. Actual compensation offered will be determined based on prior experience, education, knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to the position. As a person grows in this role, the full pay range is currently $72,261 to $97,552.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision coverage for spouses, families, and domestic partners; employer-paid basic life and AD&D insurance and short and long-term disability insurance; Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) benefits; family and parental leave benefits; generous paid time off. Click here for further information about State of Colorado employee benefits.

We also offer professional and career development opportunities, including clinical supervision toward relevant licensure. A cell phone will be provided, along with a hybrid work arrangement when feasible for your position’s responsibilities. Each employee will receive a laptop for their home office or travel for work. All employees will also receive exclusive parking at a discounted rate near the Ralph Carr Judicial building for easy access to the in-person meetings in Denver.

How to Apply

You will be required to provide the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• List of three references with contact information (2 of 3 must be professional)

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Faxed, mailed, or emailed applications will not be accepted unless you are instructed to do so. Please direct any additional inquiries or questions to bridges@judicial.state.co.us.

If you are offered employment, the following are the conditions of employment:

• Be a current resident of the State of Colorado or become a resident of the State of Colorado within 30 days of the hire date;
• Have reliable transportation to meet your position’s travel requirements;
• Ability to work remotely, in an office setting, and travel throughout Colorado or region, depending on the position’s responsibilities;
• Be willing to submit to a routine background investigation, including a criminal history check;
• If hired, the Immigration Reform and Control Act requires you to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the United States within three (3) workdays of your start date.

Bridges of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion of all voices in the workplace. We consider applicants equally and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, social class, national origin, marital or parental status, pregnancy, disability status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or political affiliation. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and an environment of representation of diversity. We highly encourage individuals of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply.

A State of Colorado Employer