Psychologist Candidate (Forensics)- Clinical Services at Fort Logan

Pueblo Community College; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible schedules

Remote work arrangements for eligible

Employee Wellness program

Job summary

Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) is seeking a Psychologist Candidate to work in the 24-hour state psychiatric hospital environment. You will conduct and supervise psychological assessments, contribute to treatment planning, and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to support recovery goals.

The role emphasizes civil commitment evaluation, group and individual therapy, and supervision-based training within an inpatient setting, including potential liaison with external

Qualifications

• Current, valid permit as a Psychologist Candidate from the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners.
• Working under the licensure of a supervising psychologist; not yet licensed.
• Preferred: experience performing comprehensive psychological assessments and civil certifications.
• Clinical experience with inpatient, forensic, or serious mental illness populations is preferred.
• A psychology degree is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead individual, group, and family therapy under supervision and treatment plan meetings.
• Develop and implement discipline-specific treatment goals and behavioral plans.
• Monitor progress, document in the electronic health record, and provide feedback.
• Provide clinical leadership and consult with multidisciplinary staff.
• Participate in treatment planning, consultations, and discharge planning.

Skills

Psychology

Civil commitment knowledge

Assessment skills

Supervision experience

Education

Psychology degree

Graduate internship/externship

Tools

Electronic Health Record

Job description

This position is open to current Colorado residents only.

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.

This posting may fill multiple vacancies

CO Service Corps eligible

The Colorado Mental Health Hospital at Fort Logan (CMHH-FL) is one of two state hospitals serving our community. The vision of CMHH-FL is to provide the highest quality mental health services to persons with complex, serious, and persistent mental illness within the resources available. Our mission is to support those individuals in achieving their recovery goals and reaching their full potential. CMHIFL provides inpatient treatment to adult patients, generally between the ages of 18-59. The hospital currently has 160 adult inpatient beds, over seven treatment milieus serving civil and forensic individuals. Medical services, occupational therapy, neuropsychological-rehabilitation services, and trauma-informed care services are available for all patients throughout the hospital.

Core Values

• Individual dignity and respect;
• Person-centered, evidence based care;
• Trauma informed recovery;
• Multidisciplinary collaboration;
• Diversity and inclusion;
• Strong family and community partnerships.

The Psychologist Candidate position works in the 24-hour State psychiatric hospital with individuals voluntarily and involuntarily committed for treatment. Patients receiving treatment at CMHH-FL have severe and persistent mental illness and may have traumatic brain injury, trauma disorders, and other complex dynamics. Each treatment team is multidisciplinary, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, addiction specialists, occupational therapists, recreation therapists, creative arts therapists, nurses, physicians, and mental health clinicians. In addition, the hospital offers dietary, peer, and chaplain services.

Therapeutic and Behavioral Intervention

• Under supervision:
• Responsible for individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy. Individual and family therapy are provided as needed, which is determined in the treatment plan meetings and in collaboration with the treatment team. Group therapy is offered to all patients and group assignment shall be determined by clinical and individualized need, which the Psychologist Candidate guides.
• Responsible for developing group materials appropriate for patient-specific needs and leading group therapy sessions. For individuals requiring a more detailed treatment approach or tailored intervention for specific behaviors, the Psychologist will develop individualized behavior plans and programs and will provide psychoeducation and training to all milieu staff for successful implementation.
• Responsible for monitoring the plan, documenting in the electronic health record, providing the patient and the treatment team with feedback, and modifying as needed.

Treatment Planning and Clinical Consultation

• Under supervision:
• Participates in treatment planning and actively contributes to the formulation of patient-specific goals. They provide clinical guidance and consultation regarding effective and appropriate clinical goals, measurability, progress, and/or stagnation.
• Reviews documentation and medical records, gathers behavioral observations, evaluates, assesses, and synthesizes information. In addition to weekly and/or monthly treatment plan meetings, the Psychologist Candidate actively participates in additional team consultation sessions, family meetings, discharge planning, and cross-team consultation meetings.
• Responsible for creating discipline-specific treatment goals, documenting progress, and updating as needed in the electronic health record (i.e., individual therapy, specific group therapy modalities, behavioral plans, etc.).
• Provides clinical leadership to the treatment teams and consults with multidisciplinary staff across the hospital. At times, they may consult with external stakeholders regarding treatment needs and recommendations to support continuity of care. Examples include consultation with CMHH-FL staff, meetings with the patients’ family, liaison with mental health centers, attorneys, and district and/or probate courts.

Evaluation for Civil Commitment

• Under supervision:
• Reviews the legal status of all patients admitted to CMHH-FL and evaluates their mental status and condition to determine whether they can be released, can cooperate with voluntary inpatient treatment, or need to be certified pursuant to Colorado Mental Health Statutes (CRS 27-65-101 et seq.) for involuntary treatment.
• Communicates findings to the Court by letters, petitions, and expert-witness testimony as needed.

Psychological Screening and Assessment

• Responsible for performing psychological assessments to include standardized suicide risk assessment measures, intellectual testing, adaptive abilities, personality measures, comprehensive psychodiagnostics batteries, competency-related skills, and a variety of screening measures.
• Assists the treatment team in determining whether a formal psychological assessment may assist treatment planning, diagnosis, and disposition plans, and chooses appropriate assessment procedures.
• Administers all testing measures, completes a written report, submits documentation in the electronic health record, and communicates the results and recommendations to the treatment team and milieu staff.

Student Training and Student Supervision

• CMHH-FL has a long-standing predoctoral internship program and also trains predoctoral psychology externship students. Currently, CMHH-FL is partnered with the University of Denver Consortium as a predoctoral internship training location. The Psychology Department is responsible for interviewing and selecting predoctoral extern and intern-level students.
• Contributes to training opportunities through externship and internship-level didactic curriculum and supervision. However, given the Psychologist Candidate is not yet licensed (working under the licensure of their Psychologist supervisor), all direct training of students will require a supervision of supervision model, in which the licensed psychologist ultimately signs off.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Other duties as assigned include hospital-wide ad hoc activities, milieu support, etc.

Experience Only

Current, valid permit as a Psychologist Candidate from the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners

No Substitutions

Special Qualifications

Current, valid licensure as a Psychologist Candidate from the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in completing comprehensive psychological assessments and/or civil certifications
• Clinical experience with inpatient, forensic, or SPMI populations
• Psychology degree
• Any combination of education and experience

Conditions of Employment

• May be exposed to bodily fluids or caustic chemicals
• Due to the juvenile population served at the MHI facilities, incumbents of this position must be at least 21 years of age
• Travel – Explain: May travel to attend training, court hearing, patients to appointment and other related activities
• Full Background 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)
• MOTOR VEHICLE RECORD CHECK: This position will drive a state fleet or non-state fleet vehicle for State business purposes.
• Must possess a valid, non-restricted Colorado Driver’s License or an non-restricted U.S. Driver's License for positions within 30 miles of the CO state border
• Out-of-State Driver’s License holders must obtain a valid, non-restricted Colorado Driver’s License within 30 days of employment start date.
• Other: 2-step TB (tuberculosis) screening is required of all new employees upon hires Annual influenza vaccination Other vaccinations as required by the State of Colorado.

About Us & Benefits

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, join the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). Our professionals strive to design and deliver high quality human and health services that improve the safety, independence, and well-being of the people of Colorado. Each of us is committed to contributing to a safe and accessible CDHS. In addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:

• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan 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
• State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center
• 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.

Our Values

• We believe in a people-first approach: We prioritize the needs, well-being, and dignity of the individuals, families and communities we serve. We commit to respect, fairness and access in every decision, policy and interaction. We engage client voices and experiences in the development and implementation of the services we provide.
• 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.

ADA Accommodations

CDHS is committed to a Colorado for 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. This includes 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 to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to [e-mail].

EEO Statement

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to increasing a “Colorado for ALL” of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities. The State of Colorado believes that a “Colorado for ALL” drives our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.