This position is open to Colorado State residents only
Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
Most State of Colorado employees are eligible for a great benefit package! Please see the Supplemental Information section below for details!
About Fort Logan:
Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan (CMHHFL) is one of two state hospitals serving our community. The vision of CMHHFL is to provide the highest quality mental health services to persons with complex, serious, and persistent mental health illness within the resources available. Our mission is to support those individuals in achieving their recovery goals and reaching their full potential. CMHHFL provides inpatient treatment to adult patients, generally between the ages of 18-49. The hospital has 94 adult inpatient beds, over four treatment units and opened an additional 44 beds (two units) in December 2022, with one unit currently occupied, the other unit awaiting occupancy. These two forensic units will be dedicated to providing psychiatric stabilization and restoration treatment to individuals opined incompetent to proceed as a result of their mental illness. Medical services, occupational therapy, neuropsychological-rehabilitation services, and trauma-informed care services are available for all patients throughout the hospital.
Through our core values, CMHHFL staff is committed to:
- Individual dignity and respect
- Person-centered, evidence-based care
- Trauma informed recovery
- Multidisciplinary collaboration
- Diversity and inclusion
- Strong family and community partnerships
Opt-in below to receive text message updates on CDHS recruiting events!
CDHSCareers
About this Work Unit:
Each treatment unit provides psychiatric treatment services to adult clients through the use of a Milieu Treatment Program based on models of milieu therapy and group therapy. The focus of treatment is ongoing assessment and interventions designed to assist individual clients to resolve the specific problems that brought them to the hospital and to return them to the least restrictive environment in the community. Approaches are strength-based, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented enabling patients to learn more effective coping and living skills in order to function more effectively in the community upon discharge from the hospital. The psychiatric care and treatment modalities include milieu management, group therapy, activity therapy, health education, and medication management with the goal of providing a consistent and safe environment for clients and assisting them with the amelioration of presenting problems and symptoms and improving problem-solving and coping skills.
Summary of Duties:
This position exists to provide therapeutic work in the psychiatric care of mentally ill patients hospitalized at the CMHIFL. Duties included maintaining a therapeutic environment and monitoring group climate by providing input at treatment planning sessions, case conferences, and related meetings as well as participating in identifying client problems and establishing approaches to client treatment, providing one-to-one counseling, delivering direct nursing care and teaching daily living skills and supervising daily activities, acting as patient advocate by giving support and education on patient rights and resolving or referring patient rights issues. May assume the role of medication nurse, charge nurse, or milieu manager depending on the scheduling needs of the unit. Responds to crisis situations by adhering to nursing standards and hospital policies and procedures as well as detecting and correcting safety violations in patient care areas. Performs other duties as assigned.
Work environment:
Sometimes difficult customers/patients, locked units, interactive, fast-paced, dynamic, and team-oriented, requirement to make immediate and critical decisions and a high level of accountability for patient care. High level of professional responsibility for the employee to maintain updated skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies necessary to the position through continuing education, clinical supervision, literature review, and participating in discipline and team development.
Minimum Qualifications:
Valid Registered Nurse License from the State of Colorado (DORA)
Substitutions: None
Preferred Qualifications:
- 1 year of full time inpatient psychiatric nursing experience.
Conditions of Employment:
- Applicants must be available to complete shift work- nights, evenings, back-to-back, weekends and holidays shifts as needed
- Must be at least 21 years of age or older
- Must pass a pre employment Physical
- Required Flu Vaccination, unless an authorized exemption is provided.
- Have no felony convictions or history of domestic violence
- Pass a Colorado Background Investigation (CBI), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background investigations.
- Must report to work during inclement weather
- Must be willing and able to follow prescribed procedures and policies even if they conflict with your personal preference
- Must be willing and able to work with staff and clients of all social, economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, Must be willing and able to work with potential dangerous clients in a locked setting.
- Essential Services Designation-required to report without delay or interruption to provide essential or emergency services to ensure health, safety and welfare.
- Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify the applicant from the current position. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.
Highly Desirable Competencies:
- Ability to work with and communicate with internal and external clients and customers to meet their needs in a polite, courteous, and cooperative manner and committed to quality service
- Ability to perform with a high level of initiative, effort and commitment toward completing assignments efficiently
- Ability to foster commitment and team spirit
- Ability to listen to others and respond appropriately
- Ability to keep own emotions under control and restrain negative behaviors when provoked or when working under conditions of stress
- Ability to resolve conflict
- Ability to problem solve
- Ability to execute decisions
- Integrity, and Accountability
Appeal Rights:
If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.
An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail 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 acknowledgment of the department’s action.
For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.
Sign-On Incentive:
The $14,000 sign-on incentive will be provided in three payments: within two pay cycles of when the new employee starts at CDHS, 180-day anniversary, and 270-day anniversary with CDHS. Must be currently employed at the date of the anniversary to receive the next installment. If you are separated from the state for any reason prior to the installment date, you will not be eligible to receive it.
How to Apply
The Assessment Process
For additional recruiting questions, please contact brennon.watts@state.co.us
About Us:
If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, consider joining 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. In addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:
*Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more
information, go to https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhr/student-loan-forgiveness-programs.
Our Values:
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.
ADAA 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 ADAA Coordinator, Nancy Schmelzer, at cdhs_ada@state.co.us or call 1-800-929-0791.
~THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~
Toll Free Applicant Technical Support
