Social Services Advocate - PDD Boston Central & PDD Boston Metro

About the Role

The Social Services Advocate works as part of a multidisciplinary legal defense team to provide zealous advocacy to adult criminal defendants in order to achieve the best possible legal and life outcomes. As part of the defense team, Social Services Advocates collaborate with attorneys, investigators, support staff, retained experts, law students, and other interns. The role involves identifying social and clinical issues that preceded arrest and those that may result from court involvement while adhering to the rules of confidentiality under the attorney-client relationship.

Social Services Advocates operate under the supervision of the Social Services Advocate Director, with administrative direction provided by the Attorney in Charge. The position is based in the Boston Metro Office or the newly created Boston Central Office, both located in downtown Boston and accessible via public transportation.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining close contact with clients over the duration of their case to build strong working relationships;
• Conducting both brief and in-depth interviews with clients respecting their individuality and with cultural humility to obtain client histories; connecting with and interviewing collateral contacts;
• Performing needs assessments, developing treatment or service plans, referring clients to service providers, and making direct connections between clients and programs;
• Gaining comprehensive knowledge of statewide and local programming and services, and working collaboratively with community-based services that support clients;
• Collaborating with defense counsel to develop defense strategies and dispositional options which demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of our clients’ whole lives;
• Preparing and presenting courtroom testimony to describe services and dispositional alternatives arranged for the client;
• Preparing detailed and persuasive written advocacy for sentencing and mitigation purposes;
• Advocating for clients in a client-directed practice to facilitate the best possible outcomes;
• Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends to meet with clients, bring clients to programs, attend meetings, conduct collateral interviews, and handle emergencies;
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a social service field and one year of related experience, or an equivalent combination of skills, education, and experience;
• Access to insured, reliable, and available transportation, and a valid MA driver’s license;
• Access to home internet sufficient to work remotely;
• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, or related field is strongly preferred;
• Please submit a writing sample with your application (e.g., redacted biopsychosocial assessment, client history, clinical assessment, advocacy letter, or academic paper).

Skills

• Experience working with individuals and families of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, educational, and economic backgrounds;
• Knowledge of social, psychological, environmental, economic, legal, and medical factors that influence behavior;
• Understanding of social structures and institutional barriers that cause disparities, such as systemic racism and poverty;
• Culturally appropriate skills in client interviewing, assessment, case management, and treatment planning;
• Knowledge of public and private social services systems and resources;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and persuasively orally and in writing;
• Proven ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team;
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within the office and the service provider community;
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple clients and responsibilities;
• Knowledge of defense practice, the criminal legal system, and/or corrections is a plus;
• Bilingual abilities are a plus.

About the Organization

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing legal representation to individuals who cannot afford an attorney, as required by the state or federal constitution or statute. CPCS represents clients in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction proceedings.

The Public Defender Division Boston Metro Office and the newly created Boston Central Office serve Suffolk County, providing public defense services in Boston Municipal, District, and Superior Courts. Both offices are located in downtown Boston, offering convenient access to public transportation, restaurants, retail businesses, and historic landmarks.

CPCS is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that its staff represents a broad range of human differences and experiences. The agency fosters a respectful work climate that supports success and promotes the dignity and well-being of all staff members.