STAR Clinical Responder - Department of Public Health and Environment

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose - for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The salary range for this position is $35.21 - $54.57 per hour. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

This is a limited position with an expected end date of December 31, 2028, with the potential to be extended.

This position requires a drug screen prior to start date.

Location

This is a field-based position. You can expect to work on site at various outdoor locations around the City and County of Denver. Shifts are generally non-traditional hours and may vary. This position will require availability on holidays and weekends.

What You'll Do

Denver's Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) is dedicated to advancing Denver's environmental and public health goals. DDPHE works collaboratively with city, state and community partners to conduct education, community engagement, and enforcement to promote healthy people, healthy pets, and a sustainable environment. DDPHE oversees a number of services related to public health and the environment and is comprised of seven divisions: Division of Shared Services and Business Operations; Community & Behavioral Health; Public Health Investigations; Denver Animal Protection; the Office of Medical Examiner; Emergency Management and Medical Operations; and Environmental Quality. For more information on DDPHE's programs and services, visit the DDPHE website at: Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.

We foster an inclusive culture by respecting the values, customs, and authenticity of everyone and by implementing equitable public health strategies so Denver communities can thrive.

The Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program is a person centric, trauma-informed civilian response team dispatched by Denver 9-1-1 that pairs a Behavioral Health Clinician and a Paramedic or EMT to individuals experiencing crises related to mental health, substance use, homelessness, poverty, and other non-violent situations that do not require Police, EMS, or Fire. The program also includes post-crisis support and case management services through a network of community organizations, known as the STAR Community Partner Network.

Individuals experiencing behavioral or mental health crises often call 9-1-1 for support, leading to unnecessary law enforcement involvement that can escalate distress.

STAR serves as the fourth branch of Denver's 9-1-1 response system and strengthens the overall effectiveness and efficiency of emergency response by ensuring that individuals receive the most appropriate type of behavioral health care. This program aims to reduce unnecessary visits to the emergency department, reduce unnecessary encounters with the criminal justice system, increase access to specialized, person and community-centered services, and promote health equity for historically marginalized communities.


As a STAR Clinician, you will respond to active 9-1-1 calls for service, provide intensive professional crisis intervention and management including assessments, crisis counseling, 27-65 evaluation and documentation, level of care determination, acute safety planning, referral and connection to appropriate resources alongside your EMS partner.

Specifically, in this role, you will:

• Respond to appropriate calls for service with EMS partner and provide on-scene behavioral health evaluations/problem identification, crisis interventions, crisis treatment/care plans and make appropriate referrals
• Assesses a person's risk of harm to self or others, build safety plans with impacted community members, and arrange needed resources to connect community member with appropriate level of care.
• Execute appropriate emergency mental health holds, when appropriate and necessary.
• Collaborate with other first responder agencies, community members, and community organizations to provide person-centered crisis intervention, assessment, and creation of safety plans.
• Identify support systems and barriers to community member wellness, mitigate community member risk factors for behavioral health needs, and refers community members to subsequent resources and treatment for mental health and/or substance use issues.
• Collaborate with other program partners, case management staff, community organizations, city programs, and other service providers to support community members needs.
• Participate in necessary trainings, in-service trainings, clinical supervision and other team or department meets as determined by leadership.
• Maintain timely and accurate clinical records and documentation in compliance with state, federal, and program standards.
• Someone with a collaborative and supportive spirit who thrives in the constant change and complexity of crisis response and emergency services while maintaning a calm state under fast paced and stressful circumstances.
• Along with all department staff, this position will actively participate on an emergency preparedness and response team to support DDPHE's responsibilities outlined in the City's Emergency Operations Plan. This may require being 'on-call' from time to time to help respond to emergencies. Additional training commensurate with assigned duties will be provided.
• Other duties as assigned.

This position requires operating outside, in potential inclement weather conditions including extreme heat or cold. This position also requires the operation of a city vehicle and could be required to lift equipment and samples weighing up to 30 lbs.

What You'll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Experience working as clinical responder in a civilian response capacity
• Experience working with a variety of populations in crisis settings such as severe/persistent mental illness, traumatic brain injury, dementia, trauma-responsive care, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders
• Knowledge of the legal and ethical frameworks for area of licensure, as well as understanding of criteria for mental health care and treatment in Colorado statute (Title 27, Article 65, C.R.S.)
• someone who thrives in the constant change and complexity of crisis response and emergency services and able to remain calm under fast pace, stressful circumstances
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with superiors, first responder partner, community organizations, coworkers and other first responder agencies (PD, EMS, Fire)
• Enjoyment from working outside of the typical office space

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education Requirement: Master's Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Marriage and Family Counseling, Counseling, or a closely related field.
• Experience Requirement: Two (2) years of experience in crisis intervention, suicide and risk assessment, verbal de-escalation, and differential diagnosis working with individuals experiencing severe and persistent mental illness, substance use, and other at-risk populations or two (2) years experience in a co-response related position.
• Education and Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
• License/Certification Requirement: Possession of a Licensed Profession Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) under the provisions of the Colorado Revised Statutes for the State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor or Social Worker Examiners

OR

• Possession of a clinical license issued by the Colorado State Board of Marriage and Family Therapist Examiners such as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Equivalent licensure issued in another state may be accepted in lieu of this requirement, provided that the applicant obtains Colorado licensure prior to the start date.
• Must obtain Basic life CPR and First Aid certification within the probationary period.
• Must pass an initial pre-security clearance screening and maintain CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigation) Security and Privacy certification as a condition of employment.
• Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application.
• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until Monday, June 15, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than that date at 11:59 p.m. to ensure consideration.

To be considered for this position, you must include the following on your job application (upload the attachment(s) to the Resume/CV section on the My Experience tab):

• Cover letter
• Resume

About Everything Else

Job Profile
CS3581 Behavioral Health Co-Responder Clinician Licensed
To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type
Limited (Fixed Term)

Position Salary Range
$35.21 - $54.57

Target Pay
$35.21 - $45.00 per hour

Agency
Dept of Public Health & Environment

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.


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