Social Worker, Jail Diversion

About the role

The Center for Justice Innovation is seeking a Social Worker, Jail Diversion to join a team of clinicians who assess the clinical and services needs of defendants currently being held in pretrial detention. This includes coordinating with the Manhattan Felony Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) Court to identify and assess potential participants. The ATI Court is the first of its kind, providing an innovative model for other jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

• Conduct individualized clinical assessments for people incarcerated in pretrial detention
• Develop treatment recommendations addressing issues such as substance use, mental health, trauma, domestic violence, housing, education, and employment
• Ensure all assessments are completed and recommendations are submitted according to a strict timeline
• Share and review treatment recommendations with defense counsel
• Present treatment recommendations to legal stakeholders (judge, defense counsel, prosecutor, and court staff)
• Make appropriate community-based referrals for social service needs, such as substance use, mental health, trauma, domestic violence, housing, and vocational needs
• Participate in regular interdisciplinary case conferences with court stakeholders while cases are pre-plea
• Attend court, as needed, to help clients navigate court and collaborate with court staff and stakeholders
• Conduct warm handoffs to case management staff prior to participants entering their plea
• Collaborate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including prosecutors, defense attorneys, the Felony ATI Court’s resource coordinators, community-based service providers, Department of Correction, Correctional Health Services staff
• Enter and maintain appropriate up-to-date participant data in case management system, including all assessment and case information
• Provide crisis intervention and de-escalation, as needed
• Aid the Senior Social Worker with the refinement of existing practice and the development and implementation of new processes, including improving assessment and treatment planning processes, and implementing clinical best practices
• Coordinate with the Center’s Jail Population Review team to ensure an efficient referral and assessment process for potential participants held in pretrial detention, as necessary
• Participate in clinical group supervision, staff meetings, and trainings, as scheduled
• Attend evening community-based meetings and events, as needed
• Assist with other programmatic and administrative tasks to support Manhattan Justice’s activities, as needed
• Additional tasks as necessary

Qualifications

• LMSW required with at least 4-5 years in criminal justice and/or a related field, such as healthcare, substance use and mental health treatment, homelessness and housing services, education, job training/workforce development, child welfare and family services, youth services, elder care services, domestic violence programming, sex offense treatment, and services for people with development disabilities
• Experience in a court or criminal justice settings, including working with incarcerated people, preferred
• Willingness and ability to work collaboratively with a variety of court personnel and on-site partner agencies in a high-pressure/fast-paced work environment
• Ability to track and meet strict deadlines
• Experience working with individuals experiencing mental health issues, substance use, trauma histories, co-occurring disorders, and/or homelessness strongly preferred
• Ability and openness to engage with differing and, at times, competing stakeholder perspectives
• Commitment to, and experience with, trauma-informed, holistic, and strengths-based approaches, and ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally competent manner
• Knowledge and/or lived experience related to the criminal justice system and its impacts on communities preferred
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of community-based resources throughout New York City
• Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred

Position Type

Full-time

Position Location

Lower Manhattan

Compensation

The compensation range for this position is $65,000 - $82,400 and is commensurate with experience.

Benefits

The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

EEO Statement

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.