PROGRAM ASSISTANT I - Grand Junction Regional Center

Department Information

Most State of Colorado employees are eligible for a great benefit package! Please see the Supplemental Information section below for details!

Grand Junction Regional Center (GJRC) is one of three Regional Centers in Colorado that serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have intensive needs.

GJRC, which dates back to 1919, has both Intermediate Care Facilities/Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (ICF/IDD) homes and Home and Community Based Services Waiver (HCBS Waiver) homes throughout the community. The center serves a diverse population, from people who have high abilities but are a high risk to themselves or others to people who have significant medical challenges. GJRC has a total of 10 homes nestled throughout established neighborhoods of Grand Valley. These homes feature warm, comfortable living spaces and private, fenced backyards with recreation equipment.

Programs are individualized to meet varying needs. Services provided range from residential services and health services to mental health intervention. GJRC provides day program, vocational and specialized habilitation, speech, occupational therapy, therapeutic recreation and nutritional services.

Description of Job

• Monitor and analyze the driving records of GJRC and Department of Facility Management (DFM) staff, including tracking license expirations. Prepare and process permission forms for releasing driver records to the Department of Motor Vehicles and verify the validity of returned DMV reports, reporting any invalid licenses to the Appointing Authority.
• Manage the Google Workspace folder containing agency-signed Position Descriptions (PDs) and develop a tracking system to ensure each staff member has a current signed PD.
• Utilize an approved state-issued Procurement Credit Card to make independent purchasing decisions, ensuring policy compliance and effective coding.
• Organize and establish work standards for the agency's Staff Employee Working folders, maintaining confidentiality and implementing guidelines for user access.
• Review and confirm the accuracy of travel reimbursement forms for staff travel, acquiring electronic signatures and approving and submitting to accounting for processing.
• Collect, check, approve, and submit all mileage reimbursement forms from staff to accounting monthly.
• Responsible for working with the Benefits team to determine processes, including determining work standards for the agency’s workers' compensation and modified duty programs for injuries on the job or non-work-related injuries. This position ensures that a modified duty agreement is reviewed and approved by injured staff and the appointing authority.
• Act as a point of contact for Injury on the Job [IOJs] and a point of contact between GJRC and workers’ compensation unit. Maintain current information on all claims until the claim is closed. Maintain data on all injuries to monitor trends. Provides leadership regular status reports on all active claims.
• Collaborate with the benefits team to establish alternative assignments per the injured employee’s limitations to return them to modified duty, minimize lost time costs and aid in their recovery.
• Act as the liaison for the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and GJRC regarding computers and inventory. Assess the computer needs and complete documentation for requests, changes, revocations, hardware, and software requests.
• This position is responsible for determining processes, including designing the set of operations used to complete tracking, monitoring, and replacing and/or purchasing new computer equipment from the HP state-approved site.

• Maintain a tracking system of each computer or equipment item and the staff member it is currently assigned to in the agency.

• Act as the backup for the Program Assistant II

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Experience Only:
Four (4) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to
this position such as administration, office management, or business management.
OR
Education and Experience:
A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation
related to the work assigned equal to four (4) years

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with administrative and clerical procedures and systems, including handling sensitive information confidentially
• Experience maintaining current, accurate data in a database and reporting on that information.
• Experience with maintaining computer software and hardware supplies and inventory for a business
• Experience acting as a liaison and/or point of contact between two or more departments and staff

• Full background check - CDHS employees (required for all employees with possible 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)
• TB test required; requires influenza and COVID vaccine; GJRC is a 24/7 facility, may need to adjust the schedule for
  training, etc to meet the agency's needs. Must be 18 years or older. Must have a high school diploma or GED:
• Pre-employment physical – Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds to lift, carry, push, and pull
• Must possess a valid, unrestricted U.S. Driver's License
• Must be able to travel and drive a state car to various group homes, programs, administration offices, and in the community as needed.
• 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 Planwww.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
• 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

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.

ADA 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 ADA Coordinator, Nancy Schmelzer, at cdhs_ada@state.co.us or call 1-800-929-0791.

~THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~