Bilingual Behavioral Health Navigator - Joe Pelle Center

Description

Boulder County Community Services Department is seeking to hire a Bilingual Behavioral Health Navigator - Joe Pelle Center. The Behavioral Health Navigator works directly with individuals facing complex barriers to stability, including mental illness, substance use disorders, traumatic brain injury (TBI), disabilities, and housing insecurity. This role provides supportive navigation and case management to help clients access services and build long-term stability. It requires close collaboration with social service agencies, criminal justice partners, and behavioral health providers to coordinate care across systems.

Success in this position depends on strong organizational skills, adaptability, and the ability to work independently in a dynamic, client-centered environment. A trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and harm-reduction-oriented mindset is essential.

This position involves field-based work and requires travel throughout the county to meet clients in a variety of settings, including the Joe Pelle Center, clients’ homes, shelters, or other locations in the community. Navigators also provide or coordinate transportation and must be comfortable managing a flexible and mobile schedule.

This is a full-time, benefited position that will work either Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm or four 10-hour shifts with some flexibility offered based on the needs of the candidate selected. We value adaptability, as this role may involve occasional shifts in priorities or schedule depending on business needs. This position will work out of 3260 Airport Road, Boulder, Colorado. Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, this position is exempt.

Boulder County requires its employees to reside in the state of Colorado as of the first day of work.

Hiring Salary Range: $67,068.00 - $81,834.00 Annually

Tentative Hiring Timeline:

• Phone Screening: Week of April 20th
• First Round Interviews: Week of May 4th
• Second Round Interviews: Week of May 11th
• Language Proficiency Test: Week of May 18th
• Reference Check: Week of May 11th

Boulder County employees may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Visit studentaid.gov for more information.

Examples of Duties

• Provide direct service to behavioral health clients at the Joe Pelle Center (JPC) and in the community:
  • Coordinate with internal Community Justice Services (CJS) teams and external community agencies to develop and implement individualized, client-centered case plans
  • Demonstrate cultural awareness and humility when working with individuals of diverse backgrounds, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, and other areas of identity
  • Apply best practices in behavioral health navigation, including trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused approaches to address both individual and systemic barriers
  • Provide or coordinate transportation to support clients’ access to services
  • Meet with clients in various settings, including at the JPC, in the community, in their homes, or in temporary locations for those experiencing homelessness
• Complete documentation and data entry in a timely and accurate manner:
  • Maintain up-to-date client records and case notes, with all documentation and data entry completed within seven (7) days of service delivery, in accordance with agency standards
  • Track client progress and service engagement through ongoing updates and follow-ups
  • Enter and monitor data related to key performance indicators to evaluate program effectiveness and support continuous quality improvement
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key partners and service providers:
  • Build and sustain collaborative relationships with community-based service providers in the areas of behavioral health, housing, medical care, benefits navigation, and more
  • Support client access to both jail-based and community-based services through proactive coordination
  • Collaborate with justice system partners to support client compliance, promote community safety, and reduce recidivism
  • Gather and incorporate partner feedback to inform program development and service delivery
• Participate in team activities and organizational learning:
  • Attend and contribute to regular team meetings, case staffing, trainings, and supervision
  • Maintain alignment with program goals and agency values through ongoing learning and development
• Additional Responsibilities:
  • Performs related work, as required
  • May be reassigned during emergency situations

Required Qualifications

PLEASE NOTE: When completing your application describe all relevant education and experience, as applications are assessed based on the required qualifications listed. Resumes and other attachments are not accepted in lieu of completed applications and will not be reviewed in the initial screening process. Any personally identifiable information (PII) such as name and address will be redacted from applications that meet the minimum screening requirements and are forwarded to the hiring manager. If the hiring manager selects you to advance in the hiring process, your attachments will then be shared with the hiring team.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Boulder County is looking for well qualified candidates to fill our positions. Any combination of relevant education and experience is encouraged. In this position, we are looking for a minimum of:

• A Master's degree in social work, counseling, psychology, or a related human services field and may count toward the six-year requirement

INCLUDING

• 6 (six) years of combined education and experience

Additional related education may count towards required experience.

DRIVER'S LICENSE & RELIABLE VEHICLE:

• Applicants must have a valid driver's license and a clean driving record
• Access to reliable transportation that is readily available for business use
• For more information regarding a clean driving record, please click here.

BACKGROUND CHECK & FINGERPRINTING:

• A job offer is contingent on passing a background investigation with fingerprinting

BILINGUAL SKILLS:

• Applicants must demonstrate English and Spanish fluency at the time of the pre-employment screening process. Spanish language proficiency will be determined through standardized verbal/verbal and written demonstration. (tier 2 will be verbal, tier 3 written and verbal)
• Additional compensation will be provided based on the use of bilingual skills.

Supplemental Information

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 2 (two) years of full-time experience in a direct service, case management role, or transferable field
• Experience conducting assessments and developing case plans
• Experience navigating systems of care and linking clients to services
• Experience working with individuals with co-occurring behavioral health needs, including those who may be treatment resistant
• Experience working in or in partnership with the criminal justice system
• Familiarity with social determinants of health and the ability to work across systems

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

• Understanding of behavioral health issues and their impact on individuals
• Familiarity with or openness to the harm reduction model
• Willingness to give and receive constructive feedback in a workplace setting
• Solution-focused mindset with the ability to stay constructive in challenging situations
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and partners
• Understanding of, or willingness to learn, safety and security protocols related to working with justice-involved individuals
• Ability to engage individuals who may be ambivalent, resistant, or mistrustful of services
• Demonstrated cultural humility and ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to think and act independently while maintaining alignment with program goals
• Competent computer and data entry skills
• Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries and confidentiality
• Comfort navigating a variety of community-based settings to meet with clients
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and client-centered practices

Boulder County is a workplace dedicated to supporting individuals and families of all types and to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for all employees. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.