Program Assistant II - Care Navigation.

Department Information This position is open to current Colorado residents only. Located within the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), Civil and Forensic Mental Health Services (CFMH) operates Colorado’s two mental health hospitals, the Forensic Services Division, the Division of Mental Health Transitional Living (MHTL), Adolescent Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, the Outpatient Services Division, and Enhanced Placement, Incompetency, and Civil Commitment services (EPICC). CFMH provides a continuum of mental healthcare services for civilly- as well as justice -involved individuals. Civilly certified patients are individuals who have been committed by a civil (probate) court into the care and custody of CDHS because they have serious and persistent mental health conditions. Justice-involved individuals are those who are charged with a crime and have been determined to have a mental or developmental disability that prevents them from assisting in their own defense or rationally understanding the criminal court proceedings, a mental condition that significantly impairs their ability to form a specific intent or understand the full impact of their choices, or have been found not guilty by reason of insanity. CFMH works across the legal system to provide evaluations, treatment, placement, and case management for these individuals.

EPICC services is the newest part of this continuum and presently encompasses two divisions which include the Bed Utilization Management section and Care Navigation Services. Bed Utilization Management is responsible for the oversight, coordination, metrics, and communications related to the overall inpatient bed capacity managed by CFMH (i.e., MHPs, Jail-Based programs, and private hospital contractors). That section also provides project coordination and necessary admissions-related information in fulfillment of Federal Consent Decree requirements, as well as consultation with the Office of the Attorney General to represent CFMH within Show Cause hearings. Care Navigation Services (CNS) has been created to address recent changes to Colorado’s statutory framework governing competency to proceed in criminal cases, which established new processes to transition certain defendants from the criminal justice system to the civil judicial system when criminal prosecution is no longer the most appropriate disposition. These new processes include transitioning from restoration commitments to civil commitments for individuals with mental health disorders, and enhanced protective placements (EPP) for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities [IDD] or neurocognitive disorders. The mission of the Care Navigation team is to provide supervision and care coordination for individuals who have been formally charged with a felonious crime of violence or unlawful sexual behavior and who have been found by a presiding court to be both Incompetent to Proceed to adjudication (ITP) and Not Restorable to competency within the foreseeable future (ITP-NR) – at which time the courts are required to release such defendants from their restoration commitments.

The CNS team works within a variety of community, criminal justice, and secure settings (e.g., mental healthcare agencies, jails, courts, hospitals, etc.). The team is responsible for coordinating placement, ensuring a high level of accountability for patient care, providing clear and relevant communications with judicial stakeholders on issues related to progress as well as risk, and (when appropriate) advocating for changes to court-ordered conditions with respect to least-restrictive settings for the provision of services. Furthermore, team members are required to ensure that the skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies necessary to fulfill their position duties remain current through continuing education, clinical supervision, literature review, and employee development.

Description Of Job Hybrid: minimum of two days on-site, three days remote

Please note: Work arrangements are subject to change at any time.

Program Support What You’ll be doing:

• This position provides program assistance and technical support for the Care Navigation Services program, including its division director, program director, and other staff members. The CNS Program Assistant facilitates the development and implementation of plans and procedures directed at ensuring deadlines are met by the …