Overview
The Federal Defenders of New York is a federal community defender organization funded by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts that provides court appointed legal services to indigent individuals. Clients of the Federal Defenders are charged in federal court and are in various stages of their criminal cases. The Federal Defenders of New York in the Eastern District (Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island) seeks a social worker to support defense teams in our Brooklyn and Central Islip offices.
Responsibilities of the Social Worker include, but are not limited to:
• work on interdisciplinary defense teams to investigate allegations of federal criminal conduct, and possible defenses to that conduct, and prepare written mitigation materials for court proceedings and alternative dispositions;
• provide support to both the social work and investigator practices;
• conduct assessments, develop service plans, and provide client-centered support, referrals, crisis intervention and case management assistance to clients;
• propose alternatives to incarceration where appropriate and work with clients in the Eastern District’s alternative/experimental courts;
• maintain individual client caseload with clients and provide intensive clinical and case management services around vocational and educational development, criminal justice and supervision involvement, community integration, substance abuse, family and interpersonal relationship support, and health and trauma counseling;
• develop, assess and maintain referral and service resources with service providers and experts;
• advocate for clients who face difficulties while incarcerated;
• consult with outside treatment providers, probation officers, psychologists and psychiatrists, attorneys and Federal Bureau of Prisons staff;
• supervise social work masters level students around client assignments, clinical issues, procedures and the intersections of legal issues within holistic, harm-reduction models; and
• travel to prisons, jails, and detention facilities.
Qualifications required:
• humility and flexibility
• a minimum of 5 years of experience working within one or more of the following:
• criminal defense (federal, state or capital defense)
• civil defense (family court on behalf of clients charged with abuse or neglect, housing court on behalf of clients facing eviction, immigration on behalf of clients facing deportation)
• impact litigation (human rights, Section 1983 litigation)
• demonstrated experience in the application of traditional social work advocacy and clinical skills within a strengths-based approach to working with and supporting clients
• demonstrated mitigation investigation and mitigation report writing
• experience in the application of knowledge and engagement in dialogue around race, implicit bias, power & oppression
• experience applying a client-centered & holistic approach to legal representation
• LMSW or LCSW (within six months of start)
• Valid NYS driver license (within six months of start)
• Fluency in language(s) other than English highly desired.
Federal Defenders is an equal opportunity employer.
Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls please.