Regional Manager, Clinical Specialist 4th Judicial District
Regional Manager, Clinical Specialist 4th Judicial District (El Paso County)
Be a part of a first-of-its-kind program that’s transforming lives and systems at the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice.
About Us:
Bridges of Colorado, established in 2018, places Court Liaisons across Colorado's 22 judicial districts to serve defendants (referred to as participants) in the criminal justice system who have significant mental health needs. Due to the high success of the program, Bridges was legislatively established as an independent state office within the Judicial Branch in April of 2023. See legislation here: Bridges of Colorado Act 2023
Bridges Court Liaisons are appointed by the court and facilitate collaboration between the criminal justice and mental health systems by partnering with providers, courts, and often families to provide wraparound care for participants. Liaisons provide person-centered care, working with participants to identify needs and address barriers, such as mental health, disabilities, housing, or transportation.
Because liaisons work with participants both in and out of custody, they are integral to outpatient planning when a participant is in custody and support engagement into identified services once a participant is released. Advocating for the best behavioral health interests of the participant, Court Liaisons keep judges and attorneys informed of participant needs and barriers, available services, and progress with engagement into services through regular reports to the court and attendance at hearings.
Individuals with high-acuity mental health needs are ten times more likely to be jailed and nationally there are three times more individuals with serious mental illness in jails or prisons than in hospitals. Bridges of Colorado has been identified nationwide as a promising practice that focuses on the whole person. It is intentionally designed to address disparities often experienced by this population in the criminal justice system. Court Liaisons advocate for each participant’s inherent worth and dignity by centering their lived experiences and voice to ensure their behavioral health best interests. At its very core, Bridges is person-centered advocacy rooted in solution-focused, collaborative practices intended to promote positive outcomes for participants.
The Need:
The majority of Coloradans with severe mental illness do not receive services, with many receiving services only through entering the justice system. Individuals with serious mental illness are twice as likely to be arrested again within a year of leaving prison.
The Vision:
All individuals within the criminal justice system are treated fairly and humanely, regardless of their behavioral health history or mental state.
The Mission:
To promote positive outcomes for Coloradans living with mental health conditions who encounter criminal justice involvement by fostering collaboration between both systems.
Our Values:
We approach our work grounded in the following values:
Person-Centered
Solutions-Focused
Collaborative
How We Live Our Vision, Mission, and Values:
We connect to resources. We amplify voices. We shed light on situations.
We inform decision-making. We offer our support. We speak up.
We provide education. We embrace equity.
Our JEDI Vision:
We are devoted to advancing equity of all intersectional identities, including (but not limited to) race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, education level, age, language, religion, mental or physical ability, economic, marital, or family status, justice system involvement, and geographic location. This is our commitment to our participants, partners and collaborators, each other, and all Colorado residents. It is who we are at our core.
Position Purpose
To supervise and support the court liaisons and senior court liaisons in their advocacy for the Bridges participants in gaining access to meaningful services and resources with a trauma-informed, socially-just approach. This pivotal role directly assists the court liaisons via formal and informal education, mentoring, performance feedback, and problem-solving with their caseload.
Position Location and Travel Requirements:
This position is located in El Paso County (4th Judicial District).
All Bridges employees work in a hybrid, work-from-home base blended with state and/or regional travel depending on the employee’s position requirements. For this position, frequent travel across your region and occasional travel to the Bridges office in Denver is to be expected. Reliable transportation is required.
Essential Functions:
Person-Centered:
Support court liaisons in providing ongoing, personalized engagement with participants through person-centered, solution-focused case management.
Supervise 8-10 employees in the court liaison job series across the assigned district(s) or region. Responsibilities include training; planning, assigning, and directing work; quality control and time management of delivery of services to participants. Leads or provides input into and participates in discipline, dismissal, and hiring processes.
Ensure court liaisons conduct intake, screening, and assessment with participants in a timely manner that is in alignment with person-centered practices.
Assist court liaisons to determine appropriate, meaningful, and culturally responsive referral and treatment options. As needed, help court liaisons to identify existing programs, community agencies, and payor sources (such as Medicaid) to support participant engagement with the most appropriate services.
Provide support to court liaisons as they work to make direct connections to, and support engagement with, a wide range of services for participants, including, but not limited to, inpatient, outpatient, and out-of-custody competency evaluations and/or restoration services, case management services, behavioral health services or psychiatric services or supports, and employment, housing, and other social supports.
Provide support to court liaisons as they work to support participant engagement with these services, including addressing barriers, adapting initial case plans to meet any changing needs of the participant, engaging family and other support systems when relevant, and providing advocacy when necessary.
Ensure court liaisons track activity on cases through accurate and timely case noting and recording of information in the Bridges case management system and other relevant systems, including relevant outcomes. Provide quality assurance through regular audits of case management records, other participant files, and data and outcome reports. Identify areas for correction or improvement and oversee court liaison efforts to make corrections/improvements as needed.
Engage in all aspects of the program in ways that humanize participants, including practicing trauma-informed care, culturally competent responses, and providing advocacy when participant well-being is at significant risk. Identify areas for court liaison growth or improvement and guide and oversee court liaison accordingly. Identify when a court liaison may not be able to appropriately serve a participant or case and make staffing adjustments as necessary.
May provide coverage during vacancies, extended leave, or to support liaisons with high caseloads/waitlists, when these cannot be addressed through Senior or Coverage court liaisons.
Collaborate with Clinical Supervisor assigned to court liaison supervisees in ways that support workplace sustainability and well-being of court liaisons, including practicing trauma-informed care, culturally competent responses, and swift responses when court liaison safety is at risk.
Engage in supervision of court liaisons in ways that support workplace sustainability and well-being of court liaisons, including practicing trauma-informed care, culturally competent responses, and swift responses when court liaison safety is at risk.
Engage in all aspects of work with participants, families, team members, and stakeholders according to the values, models, standards, and best practices of Bridges of Colorado.
Provide leadership for, development of, or participation in onboarding, education, communities of practice, team meetings, and professional development opportunities as recommended or required by Bridges leadership.
Develop and engage in specific projects/assignments to support Bridges team culture and values.
Provide clinical and group supervision on a rotating basis to court liaisons other than direct supervisees, including emergency staffing regarding high-acuity clients and crisis situations.
Provide clinical supervision with a priority on participant well-being and court liaison support and self-care. When applicable, provide clinical supervision in a format that supports a liaison’s efforts toward licensure, including completing required verification and related paperwork.
Ensure that court liaisons provide competent, appropriate, and ethical services to participants, including high acuity cases, by engaging multiple professionals in the decision-making process. Ensure compliance with state and federal mandates.
Provide assessment, intervention, identification, and resolution of ethical issues and evaluation and termination of services.
Facilitate appropriate crisis interventions, including placing emergency holds.
Solutions-Focused:
Support court liaisons in informing judicial officers and attorneys (via reports to the court and appearances at court hearings) in a timely manner about participant needs regarding mental health, social determinants of health, and equitable access to related services, including community-based services.
Ensure court liaisons inform judicial officers and attorneys in a timely manner about available and appropriate behavioral health services and supports, competency evaluations, restoration to competency services, and other relevant decisions, barriers, and issues facing individuals with behavioral health conditions who are involved with the criminal justice system.
Support court liaisons to keep judicial officers and attorneys informed about available community-based services for the participant in a case, and, if applicable, case planning for possible release from custody.
Support court liaisons to inform judicial officers and attorneys in a timely manner about other criminal or juvenile justice diversion programs for participants, which may include alternatives to competency services, prosecution, and custody or confinement; if a participant is convicted, alternatives to sentences to confinement that continue to promote public safety and participant stability; and other diversion-oriented programs, including problem-solving courts, competency dockets, treatment, sober, or supportive housing, and peer mentor programs.
Support court liaisons in their role as a resource for Court and Parties to the case. (The court liaison shall not be an independent party in a case nor serve in a role intended to monitor compliance with a court order by a Party or other person associated with a case.) Provide leadership and guidance to court liaisons when there are challenges maintaining the neutral, behavior-health-focused role of the court liaison.
Ensure court liaisons submit all required reports to the court in a timely manner and attend hearings as necessary or requested. Provide quality assurance through regular audits of reports to the court. Identify areas for correction or improvement and oversee court liaison efforts to make corrections/improvements as needed.
Provide data and ensure that court liaisons provide data as requested by the Bridges leadership team in a timely manner.
Identify gaps or areas of need in the local or state network of behavioral health services and work with Bridges leadership to pursue solutions.
Support court liaisons in managing caseload size to ensure that delivery of quality services is optimized. In partnership with Bridges leadership, work with court liaisons and local district(s) to implement or adjust caseload mitigation measures.
Provide support to court liaisons as they work to identify individuals who have not been appointed a court liaison but for whom an appointment to Bridges may be beneficial and make recommendations to the Court for appointment of a court liaison. In partnership with Bridges leadership, support related conversations and development of processes with relevant stakeholders.
Provide support to court liaisons in situations where they continue to serve participants for up to 90 days after final disposition of the case for which the court liaison was appointed. In partnership with Bridges leadership, support related conversations and development of processes with relevant stakeholders.
Function as a resource expert across the assigned district(s) and region.
Support court liaisons in advocating for the behavioral health best interests of participants with judicial officers and attorneys by engaging the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and legal neutrality.
Must maintain relevant licensure and complete required continuing professional development requirements.
Collaborative:
Foster collaboration and communication between behavioral health and criminal justice systems in ways that promote positive outcomes and ensure participants are treated fairly and humanely, regardless of their behavioral health history or mental state.
Support court liaisons as they work with judicial officers, attorneys, jails, hospitals, and service providers to address system gaps and barriers and promote positive outcomes for participants in assigned cases.
Support court liaisons as they coordinate with behavioral health (including the Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health) and other providers to ensure continuity of care and address barriers to successful engagement for participants.
Support court liaisons as they coordinate with hospitals and jail-based behavioral health providers to ensure continuity of care and service delivery at both entrance and exit for participants, striving to problem-solve gaps and barriers as necessary.
In partnership with Cout Liaisons, provide non-case-specific consultation to criminal justice personnel regarding behavioral health and community treatment options.
Serve in lead role for providing judicial and attorney education in assigned region across districts in alignment with education materials, strategies, and priorities identified by Bridges leadership.
Advocate for the behavioral health best interests of participants across systems by engaging the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and legal neutrality.
Will provide direct supervision of employees in the court liaison job series.
Other Responsibilities:
This is a dynamic and new position where the scope of responsibilities and duties will evolve, and the incumbent should anticipate fulfilling other duties as assigned that are reasonable and necessary to fulfill the Bridges mission. The ideal candidate for this role will not only possess the ability to fulfill the outlined duties but will also be a proactive, adaptable, and capable contributor to the development of the role's scope and responsibilities, aligning them with the evolving needs of the Office.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
The ideal candidate is passionate about working to improve the systems of care for those caught in the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system.
Client-driven and values-driven.
Aligned with Bridges’ culture and passionate about supporting it throughout the organization.
Person-centered, solutions-focused, collaborative, and deeply committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Knowledge and experience of interpersonal trauma-informed approaches and systems of care.
The ability to communicate and collaborate with varying levels of positions of power and manage conflict proactively and responsively with confidentiality.
Creative, self-motivated, and able to lead a team in a fast-paced, sometimes crisis-driven, environment without close supervision.
Experience with leading and managing conflict one-to-one and with teams or groups and setting and maintaining professional boundaries.
Emotional intelligence; able to create and sustain helpful, professional work relationships thoughtfully and responsively with empathy, respect, and collaboration.
Capable of, and enjoys, thriving in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment with thoughtful decision-making skills.
Knowledge of various clinical supervision models and the ability to implement them based on Bridges’ needs.
Minimum Qualifications:
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in counseling, social work, or a related field, and have a current license in Colorado as an LCSW, LMFT, LPC, and/or LAC.
Minimum of four (4+) years work experience in criminal justice, behavioral health, or related field, including at least two (2+) years of direct employment supervision.
Candidates must have practiced as a licensed clinician for a minimum of two (2+) years. Candidates must have an additional two or more (2+) years of experience providing direct clinical supervision and staffing clinical cases.
Demonstration of professional alignment with Bridges values, culture, and principles of justice and equity throughout the organization.
OR
At least two years as an employee or contractor with Bridges may substitute for the minimum qualifications above, with additional specialized training that may be required upon hire.
Years of relevant work experience may substitute for the educational requirement with the exception of any required licenses, certifications, or accreditations.
Preferred Qualifications:
Seven or more (7+) years work experience in criminal justice, behavioral health, or related field.
Demonstrated continuing education, advocacy, or volunteer work in DEI, JEDI, or social justice principles. Lived experience as it pertains to these principles in action will also be considered.
Experience with behavioral health and justice-involved populations.
Knowledge of the competency system.
Language proficiency beyond English.
Work Environment
Outside the home workspace, the noise level in the work environment is variable. This position is subject to varying and unpredictable situations; may handle emergency or crisis situations; is subject to many interruptions; may handle multiple calls, emails, and verbal inquiries simultaneously.
Accommodations
The Bridges Office 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 Jori Dovey, People & Culture Manager, jori.dovey@bridgesofcolorado.gov.
Compensation:
We are proud of our equity-conscious pay scale for all positions, providing liveable wages, robust benefits, and meaningful time-off policies.
This position's initial hiring pay range is $94,783 to $109,000. For equity, the pay for this position (and all Bridges positions) is based upon the cost of living adjustment for the Denver metro area. Actual compensation offered will be determined based on prior experience, education, knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to the position. As a person grows in this role, the full pay range is currently $94,783 to $127,957.
This position is located in El Paso County / Colorado Springs
In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision coverage for spouses, families, and domestic partners; employer-paid basic life and AD&D insurance and short and long-term disability insurance; Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) benefits; family and parental leave benefits; generous paid time off. Click here for further information about State of Colorado employee benefits.
We also offer professional and career development opportunities, including clinical supervision toward relevant licensure. A cell phone will be provided, along with a hybrid work arrangement when feasible for your position’s responsibilities. Each employee will receive a laptop for their home office or travel for work. All employees will also receive exclusive parking at a discounted rate in the Ralph Carr Judicial building for easy access to the in-person meetings in Denver.
How to Apply:
You will be required to provide the following documents:
Resume
Cover letter
Three references (2 of 3 must be professional)
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Faxed, mailed, or emailed applications will not be accepted unless you are instructed to do so. Please direct any additional inquiries or questions to bridges@judicial.state.co.us.
If you are offered employment, the following are the conditions of employment:
Be a current resident of the State of Colorado or become a resident of the State of Colorado within 30 days of the hire date;
Have reliable transportation to meet your position’s travel requirements;
Ability to work remotely, in an office setting, and travel throughout Colorado or region, depending on the position’s responsibilities;
Be willing to submit to a routine background investigation, including a criminal history check;
If hired, the Immigration Reform and Control Act requires you to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the United States within three (3) workdays of your start date.
Bridges of Colorado is an equal-opportunity employer committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion of all voices in the workplace. We consider applicants equally and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, social class, national origin, marital or parental status, pregnancy, disability status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or political affiliation. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and an environment of representation of diversity. We highly encourage individuals of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply.