Criminal Justice Specialist

Center for Alternative • New York, NY

21h • $0 - $66,950 • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Criminal Justice Specialist, you'll deliver evidence-based, mobile mental health services with high fidelity to the ACT model, supporting adults with serious mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders, and extensive criminal legal system involvement. You'll build strong therapeutic relationships through community outreach, engagement, and psychoeducation while helping clients achieve recovery, maintain stability, and successfully complete their ATI mandates. In this role, you'll serve as a vital liaison between clients, the Nathaniel ACT Team, and the criminal legal system. You'll provide court updates, coordinate continuity of care during periods of incarceration, advocate with defense attorneys and other justice partners, and help clients navigate complex legal processes while ensuring their behavioral health needs remain at the forefront of treatment planning. As part of a multidisciplinary ACT team, you'll contribute broadly to all aspects of client care. While you bring specialized expertise in criminal justice, ACT clinicians serve as both generalists and specialists, allowing you to apply your clinical strengths, expand your expertise, and provide comprehensive, person-centered services that promote long-term recovery and successful community integration. This is a unique opportunity to join one of the nation's pioneering ACT Alternative-to-Incarceration programs, where you'll make a meaningful impact by helping individuals build healthier, more stable lives while advancing equitable, treatment-focused alternatives to incarceration.

Requirements

• LMHC, MHC-LP, LMSW, LCSW, with current New York State license.
• Experience working with individuals with serious mental illness, and/or co-occurring substance use disorders.
• Experience with various evidence-based models pertaining to treatment of substance use, and mental illness.
• A team player, highly organized and self-motivated.
• Individuals with lived experience are encouraged to apply.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with individuals involved in the criminal legal system.
• Fluency in Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Provide at least 80 percent of treatment contacts in the community and complete expected minimum monthly treatment contacts, including leading groups when clinically indicated.
• Attend and participate in daily team meetings to discuss clients’ clinical and case management issues and needs.
• Complete documentations required by the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) licensing guidelines, NYS Medicaid billing guidelines as well as per CASES ACT Policy and Procedures.
• Collaborate with client’s support network and other service providers on treatment planning, service coordination, and case management support with the goal of promoting client’s recovery and stability in the community.
• Provide clinical services that are anti-racist, gender-responsive, culturally humble, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, client-centered, and evidence-based.
• Complete required documentations and toxicology tests for clients with active Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT)order.
• Provide 24-hour crisis intervention on-call services on rotating basis.
• Provide culturally competent services in accordance with CASES policies and practice.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Vacation and Paid Time Off – starting at 25 days-off annually, plus an additional summer self-care day
• 12 Paid Holidays per year
• Retirement 403b Competitive matching up to 6%
• Employee Referral Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level