Salary: $87,612.00 Annually
Location : Denver, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: IKA 01555 08/03/2026
Department: Colorado Department of Human Services
Division: OCYF (Office of Children, Youth & Families)
Opening Date: 08/05/2026
Closing Date: 8/16/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address: 4131 S. Julian Way, Denver CO 80236
FLSA Status: Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Department Contact Information:
How To Apply: Please submit an online application for this position at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado. Reach out to the Department Contact to apply using a paper application, including any supplemental questions. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received by the appropriate Human Resources office before the closing date and time listed.

This position is open only to Colorado state residents.

Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
Division of Youth Services - Youth Services Central Administration Office

Description of Job
You are required to work at your assigned work location during your scheduled work times.
Please note: Work arrangements are subject to change at any time
Summary of Work Unit:
The purpose of Assessment is to provide a safe, secure, and healthy environment for all juveniles who have been committed to the Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Services (DYS) while undergoing a comprehensive assessment. Services include, but are not limited to, the administration and interpretation of Criminogenic, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse screening and assessment instruments to arrive at recommendations for treatment and efficient, effective service delivery. Principle functions involve identification of criminal risk areas, ascertainment of mental health functioning, determination of substance use treatment needs, assessing for needs and strengths, and submission of recommendations for placement type and service plan goals. Evaluation services are provided through a multidisciplinary team decision-making process, which incorporates family input and community support. All assessment services are empirically supported and designed to uphold standards of best practice set forth by the U.S.

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 ana