Salary : $96,612.00 - $115,932.00 Annually
Location : Aurora, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: IHA 07082 8/12/2026
Department: Colorado Department of Human Services
Division: OAADS - Aging and Adult Services
Opening Date: 08/20/2026
Closing Date: 8/30/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address: 1919 Quentin St., Aurora, CO 80045
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.

Department Information
This position is open to current Colorado residents only.About the Division of Veterans Community Living Centers

The Division of Veterans Community Living Centers (VCLC) offers holistic skilled nursing care for veterans, surviving spouses, and Gold Star parents who need short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, or domiciliary living. The division focuses on providing individualized, respectful care in a safe and comfortable environment, identifies and addresses residents' diverse needs from admission to discharge, including social, emotional, psychological, and medical assistance

Description of Job
This is an in-person position; you are required to work at your assigned work location during your scheduled work times.
The Division Director of Social Services (DDSS) position develops, implements, and maintains division-wide processes for behavioral health programs, dementia care programs, quality improvement, survey readiness, MANE investigations, and training to ensure excellence and regulatory compliance with applicable state and federal regulations for the social services departments within the VCLCs. This position is required per VA regulations for buildings with over 120 beds and therefore will be based out of VCLC at Fitzsimons. While simultaneously promoting the mission and philosophy of the Division of Veterans Community Living Centers (VCLCs), this position maintains understanding of regulatory requirements and has expertise in behavioral health-related clinical practice within long-term care. This position works directly with Nursing Home Administrators (NHAs), nurse leadership, social services, division leadership, and external providers to ensure positive outcomes. This position helps form the culture of excellence in quality of care and quality of life for VCLC residents. This position will be the required consultant for all VCLC homes and will provide the required frequency of visitation in person, virtually, or via chart reviews. This position will act as a consultant to the four VCLCs.

Additionally, as the Division Director, you can expect to:

• As the subject matter expert, this position has comprehension of various behavioral health needs, diagnoses, and interventions.
• Provide oversight, consultation, direction, and recommended interventions to social services, Nursing Home Administrators, and others on clinical and psychosocial care and quality improvement.
• Advise division leadership regarding how to address quality of care issues in the context of staff and organizational culture.
• Create and educate VCLC Division and Facility staff on policies and procedures that meet the expectations of regulatory bodies and provide ample guidance to facility staff to implement
• Perform site visits at each VCLC as needed. Make recommendations and provide instruction, guidance and development of action plans with facility leadership to address concerns regarding systems, quality improvement, and regulatory survey readiness.
• Identify division-wide benchmarks, thresholds, and standards for comprehensive behavioral health services. Implement processes for tracking and trending. Use data to improve/maintain the delivery of health care services and address trends, issues, and concerns at the facility and division level.
• Be available to respond to and provide guidance to social service staff as needed.
• Review and approve ongoing MANE allegations and investigations. Evaluate intervention successes, monitor trends, lead teams on MANE investigation procedures.
• Provide educational resources, identify trends, and provide education / procedural changes as necessary.
• Provide consultation and clinical supervision services/reports to any of the homes who do not meet the CMS, VA, or CDPHE requirements for qualified personnel within the Social Work department.
• Help lead, contribute, and participate in decision-making during specific VCLC meetings such as psych pharm, QAPI, and resident care conferences at the request of the NHA or Division leadership.
• Provide assistance to individual buildings with challenging residents, family members, or other legal representatives where the interdisciplinary teams have exhausted efforts or request assistance
• Keep NHAs, social service staff, and others current on changes and expectations within federal or state legislation/regulations and determine best practices for ensuring survey readiness
• Coach and train all necessary and appropriate entities in the implementation of policy changes, rules, and current long-term care trends
• As the staff authority, senior management relies on the position to implement changes on division-wide compliance practices with the Veterans Administration, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and state regulatory agencies that will be adopted in the VCLCs and complied with across the division.
• Provide guidance and direction to division leadership, DONs and NHAs to address non-compliance.
• Collaborate with nursing home leadership in conducting root cause analyses for occurrences, incidents, and sentinel events and lead improvement efforts
• Participate in creating a division-wide onboarding experience for VCLC staff
• Develop and provide education and training to VCLC staff regarding behavioral health, dementia care, trauma-informed care, and other areas of psycho-emotional health
• Offer clinical supervision to existing and new social service staff for the purpose of achieving new licensure or to deepen their skills and understanding. This can be done in-person and remotely.
• Audit charts at VCLCs for consistent, accurate, and appropriate documentation
• Audit and evaluate the work of social service staff for accuracy and compliance and will share outcome reports with the Nursing Home Administrators and Social Service Directors.
• This position will report to and work directly with the Director of Clinical Operations and will have a dotted line relationship to the Social Service Directors at the VCLCs
• Other duties as assigned by appointing authority.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
Special Qualifications:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker requirement required by CMS, VA and CDPHE

Experience Only:

• Nine (9) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position in a long-term care setting

OR
Education and Experience:

• A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to nine (9) years

Preferred Qualifications:

• Long Term Care Experience and or Multisite/team leadership or consulting experience

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• CDHS employees (all Direct contact with vulnerable persons): CBI name check and fingerprint check, ICON Colorado court database, Medicare fraud database, TRAILS (child abuse / neglect database system check), Reference Checks, Professional License verification (licensure requirements), Drug Screen, PREA (Division of Youth Services), CAPS (direct contact with adults - Mental Health Institutes, Regional Centers, Veterans Community Living Centers)
• 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.
• Out-of-State Driver's License holders must obtain a valid, non-restricted Colorado Driver's License within 30 days of employment start date
• 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.

• Preferred Qualifications & Competencies:
• Relevant years of state service experience.

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 analysis process will involve reviewing and rating of all the information you submit. The comparative analysis step may also include your results from standardized testing.

Your Work Experience/Job Duties
Document your work experience/job duties to the extent to which you possess the skills, education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications.

If listed, answer all supplemental questions as your answers to these questions will be evaluated during this phase. Provide at least 4-8 sentences for each supplemental question.

Supplemental Questions
Answer the supplemental questions completely and thoughtfully. We will rate your answers based on the content of your response and your writing skills (spelling, grammar, and clarity of your writing).

Appeal Rights

You may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director if your application is eliminated. You will find the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it on the State Personnel Board website.

• You or your representative must sign and submit the official appeal form for review.
• You can find the official appeal form here.
• You must be deliver the official appeal form to the State Personnel Board:
  
  • By email ([email protected]), or
  • Postmarked in US Mail to(1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203, 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.

Contact the State Personnel Board for assistance:

• At (303) 866-3300, or
• Refer to the Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, within the Rules webpage.

Supplemental Information

• How to apply to the State of Colorado(Youtube Video, Runtime 3:59, Closed Captions Available)

• The Assessment Process