Psychiatric Security Specialist Part-time

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of State-Operated Specialty Care, Bureau of Civil Commitment Unit for Sex Offenders (CCUSO) is seeking a Part-time Psychiatric Security Specialist to join our team! This is a part-timepositionwith a varied schedule and strong opportunity for advancement, growth, and development.

The Psychiatric Security Specialist provides direct-care services of both a security and treatment nature at CCUSO. This position assists mental health staff and performs a wide range of security functions in creating a maximally therapeutic environment for the care and treatment of individuals with mental abnormalities and/or personality disorders who were convicted of a sex offense. Routine duties of the Psychiatric Security Specialist include, but are not limited to: supervision of various patient activities at the CCUSO facility, facilitation of psycho-educational group activities, documentation of patient behaviors, operation of the master control center, conducting basic physiological assessments such as taking blood pressure, administering basic first aid, supervision of patients on medical trips outside of the facility,maintaining strict confidentiality with regard to program and patient matters, and calmly deescalating patients as needed.

The part-time Specialist supervises approximately 120 residents, works 20-24 hours per week, and provides coverage to various treatment activities throughout the assigned shift. The position also provides back-up forfull-time staff to ensure adequate protection is in place for the safety and security of the institution.

Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.

CCUSO provides a secure, long-term, and highly structured setting to treat sexual offenders who have served their prison terms, but, in a separate civil trial, have been found likely to reoffend. The facility provides state-of-the-art treatment to patients to lower their risk of re-offending and to release them from confinement as quickly as possible. There is a full range of diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitative services focused on addressing the conditions impacting a patient’s likelihood of re-offending. For more CCUSO info:

We have a great total compensation package, including:

• Health and Dental Insurance
• Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Vacation Leave
• Sick Leave
• Holidays

Cherokee Highlights

CCUSO is located in Cherokee, a city of approximately 5,000 set in the beautiful Little Sioux River Valley in Northwest Iowa.Residents enjoy fishing and canoeing on the Little Sioux River which winds through town providing a backdrop to a well-developed parks and trails system. In addition, Cherokee has over 1,000 acres of land devoted to parks and outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and horseback riding. Cherokee is the home of the first accredited museum and planetarium in Iowa, Sandford Museum and Planetarium, established in 1951. Cherokee may be the smallest town in the world to have its own symphony orchestra! This 60-member orchestra has been referred to as the “best kept secret in Northwest Iowa.”

Cherokee is home to Western Iowa Tech Community College and 1 hour or less from other educational institutions including Morningside College, Northwestern College, Buena Vista University, and Dordt College. This quintessential Iowa town is 1 hour from Sioux City and 2 hours from Omaha. Check out these 10 Reasons to Move to Iowa.

The State of Iowa is an EEO/AA Employer

HHS values those with “lived experience” and encourages adults who were fostered as youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the HHS system to apply. Minorities, women, persons with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa TDD).

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit

Graduation from high school, GED, or equivalency.

Within a period of time after hire, as determined by the appointing authority, persons in this class may be required to complete security training and treatment program training. Positions in this class may require an applicant to have the ability to pass a background investigation.