What are the responsibilities and job description for the Mental Health Transitional Living Home- Social Work/Counselor III position at State of Colorado Job Opportunities?
Department Information
Most State of Colorado employees are eligible for a great benefit package! Please see the Supplemental Information section below for details!
About the Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health’s Transitional Living Homes
The CDHS Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health’s Transitional Living Homes Program was created to increase bed capacity for persons in need of residential behavioral health treatment. House Bill (HB) 22-1303 has authorized new beds to be used for persons needing residential services at a less restrictive level of care and to reduce and eliminate the backlog of such persons in more restrictive settings. HB 22-1303 directs the department of human services (department) and the department of health care and policy financing to create, develop, or contract to add at least 125 additional beds at mental health residential treatment facilities (treatment facilities) throughout the state for adults in need of ongoing supportive services. The bill also requires that the department renovate a building at the mental health hospital at Fort Logan to create at least 16 additional civil beds for such persons.
These beds serve as a step-down option from inpatient care and as a step up when deemed medically necessary and lower level of care settings can no longer adequately and safely provide effective care.
Description of Job
About the Position:
This position exists to provide mental health services to individuals within the MHTL Homes, which may include casework, individual, family, and group treatment to individuals with severe mental illness and who may also have a co-occurring disorder of substance use. This position has primary responsibility for developing transition and discharge planning. The act of transition and discharge planning is an ongoing process and begins at time of admission and is therefore a key function for this position. This position conducts assessments, disposition planning, and participates in interagency communication to ensure continued appropriate level of services following discharge. This position is in frequent contact with the family members of the clients. This position also meets with other members of the MHTL Homes team to discuss client care. If the client is involved in legal procedures, this position may have a role in information gathering. This position provides ongoing care coordination/management to meet the specific needs of the patient population. This position may also provide training and consultation to other professional staff as needed. Duties in tis position include:
Assessment, Intervention, and Treatment Planning:
- Responsible for therapeutic interventions, which may include, but is not limited to individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy and documenting these interventions in the client's treatment plan
- Therapy services are provided as needed, which is determined in the treatment plan meetings and in collaboration with the MHTL Homes team
- Group therapy is offered to all patients and group assignment shall be determined by clinical and individualized need
- Responsible for developing group materials appropriate for client specific needs and leading group therapy sessions. When providing such treatment, this position relies upon social work theories and concepts relevant to the needs of the client and their support systems in an effort to support the ultimate goal of successful reintegration into the community
- Interventions are individualized and tailored to issues related to age, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender identity, and sexuality
- Communicates treatment needs, barriers, expectations, and changes in behavior to the client's support system throughout their treatment care within the MHTL Homes
- Provides psychoeducation to a client's support system and community stakeholders in an effort to solicit understanding and participation in the treatment process on an as needed basis
- Monitors the effectiveness of various treatment interventions tailored to reach specific treatment goals and objectives by leading the treatment planning meetings for all clients and ensuring goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based (SMART) and in accordance with regulatory and licensing requirements, as well as best practices
- Responsible for completing biopsychosocial assessments for all clients assigned to this position's caseload. When completing any assessment, it is the duty of this position to ensure it is completed within designated timeframes, confidentiality is maximized, collateral information is obtained, and data received is as reliable as possible
- Biopsychosocial assessments should include detailed information regarding their history and a comprehensive clinical formulation and discharge/treatment recommendations. Reassessments are completed as directed
- The social worker is responsible for completion of the Colorado Client Assessment Record (CCAR).
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This position also regularly communicates such information to the MHTL Homes team and supports understanding
- Treatment post discharge, obtaining identification, securing a payee, and applying for Medicaid/Medicare as needed based on the individualized needs of the client
- identifies appropriate discharge needs for the client in collaboration with the MHTL Homes team and liaisons with those placements to support continuity of care
- Coordinates day passes off-site, attends placement visits, coordinates family and other visits, and may attend other off-site appointments as needed
- Often attends interagency staff meetings to support the ongoing development and sustainment of relationships across various agencies
- collaborates with their supervisor to ensure to accurately and efficiently navigate various systemic barriers and timely and accurate processes are completed. All efforts are geared toward supporting the ongoing treatment needs of the client with the intent to reintegrate the client into the community successfully..
Other Duties as Assigned:
- Other duties as assigned including hospital-wide ad hoc activities, milieu support, etc.
- Provides therapeutic services and interventions as outlined in the client’s treatment plan. These services may include individual, family, and group therapy
- Responsible for using system interventions utilizing social work theoretical framework and methods with consideration of ethnic, cultural, and religious and sexual diversity
- Responsible for the written or typed documentation of all therapeutic services they provide
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
Minimum Qualifications:
Certification:
Current, valid licensure ( LCSW, LSW, LPC, LMFT or LAC) from the Colorado State Board
AND
Experience:
One year (1) of experience in a clinical setting
Substitutions:
- NONE
- due to the population served incumbents must be aged 21 years or up
- minimum of 2 years of clinical experience working with adults with serious mental illness
- Previous State Experience
Conditions of Employment
- Colorado Driver’s License
- may be exposed to bodily fluids or caustic chemicals
- Influenza and other vaccines as required by the State of CO.
- Flu vaccination required.
- Travel- may be required to attend training, court hearing, transport patients to appointment and other related activities
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Full Background Check - CDHS employees (all Direct contact with vulnerable persons): CBI name check and fingerprint check, ICON Colorado court database, Medicare fraud database, Reference
Checks, Professional License verification (licensure requirements), Drug Screen, PREA (Division of Youth Services), Trails check (direct contact with children), CAPS (direct contact with adults – Mental Health Institutes, Regional Centers, Veterans Community Living Centers) - Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify the applicant from the current position. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.
Appeal Rights:
If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.
An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail 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.
For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.
Supplemental Information
The Assessment Process
For additional recruiting questions, please contact jazzma.gamboa@state.co.us.
About Us:
- 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
Our Values:
We believe in a people-first approach: To serve the people of Colorado, we develop a culture and work environment that creates an energized, inspired, and healthy team capable of giving their best to Coloradans.
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.
We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
ADAA Accommodations: CDHS 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 to perform 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 our ADAAA Coordinator, Nancy Schmelzer, at cdhs_ada@state.co.us or call 1-800-929-0791.
~THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~
