Forensic Social Worker, Mitigation Specialist

Weber County•Ogden, UT

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The selected candidate will work directly under the Forensic Social Work Division Director of the Weber Public Defender Group in a growing county-based public defender office. The position entails working as a core member of the defense team, directly with defendants, and generating written work product. Candidates require effective diagnostic and clinical skill, in addition to operating under ABA and Utah State Bar ethical rules. Weber Public Defender Group is looking for a social worker to provide Holistic Defense support and perform the role of Mitigation Specialist. Exclusively serving indigent defendants, this position entails working as a core member of the legal defense team under ABA ethics and guidelines. Operating on the front lines of social justice, applicants must have the ability to apply the NASW Code of Ethics in working with defendants accused of crimes ranging from misdemeanors drug offences to felony sexual assault, arson, homicide, etc. Clinical skill is foundational to this role, including the ability to identify comorbid and differential diagnostics, and engage in direct client management throughout case adjudication. Additional skillsets include a high degree of personal organization to maintain deadlines, self-directed task follow up, effective understanding of Utah Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure, understanding of death penalty mitigation standards, and the ability to coordinate within a multidisciplinary team.

Requirements

Master of Social Work or affiliated clinical Master’s Degree.
CSW or related clinical sublicense (e.g., ACMHC) or actively working with DOPL to obtain licensure.
Two (2) years of clinical experience in any applicable setting (e.g., behavioral care, hospital social work, addiction treatment, etc.)

Nice To Haves

Mitigation Specialist certification through the NOFSW or NACDL or NAPD.
Certification or training in administering criminogenic risk-need-responsivity tools, such as the LSI series and the STABLE/ACUTE-2007.
MSW in forensic social work.
LCSW or other independent clinical licensure.
Two (2) years of experience in forensic social work, medical social work, or psychiatric social work.
Direct experience working within a Death Penalty defense team.
Specialized training in national Death Penalty case work, such as the Santa Clara Law Death Penalty College.
Registered notary public.
Extensive skill in differential diagnostics, including altered mental states of a medical, psychiatric, drug-induced, or neurological origin.
Fluency in speaking, writing, and reading Spanish.

Responsibilities

Psychosocial evaluation of defendants—both in and out of custody—to identify all potentially mitigating factors.
Follow-up investigation with collateral interviews and records review (e.g., medical, psychiatric, psychological, treatment, educational, vocational, etc.).
Carry out evidence-based assessments to quantify mitigating information, including criminogenic risk and needs, trauma history, family systems issues, ASAM assessments, etc.
Review relevant case discovery materials, which may include recorded interviews as well as autopsy and crime scene photos.
Refer and coordinate treatment and community support services as clinically indicated. This may include addiction treatment, behavioral/psychiatric care, medical care, and relevant resources for intellectual disabilities.
Provide consultation to defense counsel regarding defendant competency, mental state at offence, and statute-driven mitigation options.
Identify, retain, and coordinate with appropriate forensic experts in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, traumatology, neurology, toxicology, etc.
Generate attorney work product including documenting defendant interactions, and authoring mitigation reports and audiovisual presentations to support case resolution; attain treatment/program acceptance letters.
Provide trial assistance including jury selection and client management.
Client management as needed including conflict resolution, defusing triangulation, advocating for defendant needs within corrections systems.