Case Manager, Felony Alternatives to Incarceration

Center for Justice Innovation•New York, NY

9d•$52,000 - $63,500•Onsite

About The Position

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Launched in early 2020, Manhattan Justice Opportunities (Manhattan Justice) seeks to rethink justice in Manhattan and to build a justice system that is more responsive to individuals’ and communities’ needs. Manhattan Justice is a centralized, court-based screening and referral hub that provides judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys at New York County Criminal Court and Supreme Court with a wide array of social service-based sentencing options in misdemeanor and felony cases. Manhattan Justice is seeking a Case Manager to work with defendants participating in the Manhattan Felony Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) Court. The ATI Court, which is led by Administrative Judge Ellen Biben, seeks to forge a new response to individuals charged with felonies by linking them to community-based social services. The Court is the first of its kind, providing an innovative model for other jurisdictions seeking to develop and implement meaningful post-conviction sentencing options for individuals facing felony charges. Reporting to Senior Social Worker, the Case Manager will be part of a team that provides case management services to the ATI Court. The Case Manager will be responsible for providing referrals to community-based services, offering comprehensive clinical case management, and monitoring participant compliance. An essential and dynamic feature of the Case Manager’s role will be close collaboration with key stakeholders. They will work regularly with the judge and court staff from the New York County Supreme Court who oversee the Felony ATI Court, as well as with other stakeholders, including the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and New York City defense organizations. Court-based clinical work is an exciting, unique and demanding area of practice, and the Case Manager's role involves navigating and constructively engaging with differing and, at times, competing stakeholder perspectives.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 3-4 years of experience working in a social service setting
Experience working in a court or criminal justice setting strongly preferred
Experience working with drug/alcohol treatment, mental health, co-occurring disorders, and trauma-informed approaches strongly preferred
Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred
Strong organizational and time management skills
Commitment to, and experience using, holistic and strengths-based approaches, meeting participants where they are, as well as the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally responsive manner
Strong writing and verbal communication skills
Knowledge of community-based resources throughout New York City

Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive, clinically-informed case management services to a caseload of court-mandated ATI participants to help address issues such as substance use, mental health issues, trauma, domestic violence, housing and vocational needs, and other challenges in a participant’s life (e.g. new arrests, family court cases and other civil legal issues)
Make appropriate community-based referrals for a variety of social service needs
Manage and monitor compliance with service mandates, including care coordination with providers
Provide written updates for court stakeholders for all court-involved participants
Participate in regular interdisciplinary case conferences with court stakeholders
Coordinate with court stakeholders on any non-compliance issues and assist clients in getting back into compliance, including re-engaging clients, arranging return on warrants, and implementing graduated responses to encourage future compliance
Attend court on calendar days, as needed, to help clients navigate court and collaborate with court staff and stakeholders
Collaborate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the resource coordinator, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other court and programmatic staff
Assist with scheduling and rescheduling participants for intakes, assessments, and programming with community-based partners
Request and review records, and otherwise assist with clinical assessments
Assist with data entry and ensure the accuracy of information in the electronic case management system, including entering case notes and assessment, case management, programming and case outcome data
Assist with toxicology testing and reporting, as needed
Provide crisis intervention and de-escalation, as needed
Provide voluntary referrals to community-based services, as needed
Assist the Felony ATI leadership with the development and implementation of new initiatives; including best clinical practices, and appropriate evidence-based interventions
Provide clinical services as described above to program participants on a voluntary basis post-mandate
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 with the Felony ATI Court, as needed