Forensic Social Worker (Bronx)
About The Position
The Criminal Defense Practice has an opening for a Forensic Social Worker (FSW) in its Bronx office to provide client services. The Forensic Social Worker plays a vital role in the legal team. While working collaboratively with the Criminal Defense attorney and other members on the interdisciplinary team, the Forensic Social Worker develops a comprehensive mitigation package to advocate for best client outcomes. The Forensic Social Worker’s primary role is to interview clients, and any collateral contacts, with the goal of gathering a life history to highlight mitigating factors such as mental illness, cognitive functioning, substance use, trauma, medical condition, and/or chronic poverty leading to a client’s involvement in the criminal justice system. The FSW evaluates clients, identify their underlying needs, and make connections to community resources as needed. They educate clients about treatment options, offer crisis intervention, and short-term counseling. The FSW will fill out necessary paperwork and provide supporting documents to facilitate a client’s interview with a program and/or to assure a client’s acceptance into a program. The FSW will make an oral and/or written presentation to stakeholders of the criminal justice system with a recommendation for an alternative to detention, an alternative to incarceration, or lesser sentence.
Requirements
- Required qualifications: MSW degree and New York State (NYS) license in social work (LMSW or LCSW) preferred OR the ability to obtain LMSW licensure within 6 months of hire
- Strong diagnostic skills with a background emphasis in working with clients with the following special needs: MICA, physical illnesses and disabilities, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and developmental delays, and histories of substance abuse
- Ability to interface with Judges, District Attorneys and Correctional Personnel
- Ability to negotiate with community-based treatment centers
- Ability to write persuasively
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Excellent organizational skills
- Proficient in Microsoft 365
- Ability to work within a team model
Responsibilities
- Interview the client, performing a thorough bio-psycho-social assessment. During this process, crisis intervention, brief treatment, or short-term counseling may also be performed
- Identify and interview collateral sources of information. Collateral interviews are done with family members, friends, teachers, social workers, community members, and others connected to the client
- Request, review, and analyze life history records (e., school, medical, psychiatric) to document specific arguments within written reports
- Develop casework plans with the attorneys, develop alternative sentencing plans, and provide advocacy in court
- Assess a client’s readiness for treatment and make referrals to substance abuse treatment, domestic violence, mental health counseling, shelters, etc
- Other duties as assigned
Benefits
- health insurance
- paid vacation
- disability
- life insurance
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
