Forensic Social Worker (Staten Island)

The Legal Aid Society•New York, NY

About The Position

The Criminal Defense Practice has an opening for a Forensic Social Worker in its Staten Island office to provide client services. While working closely with the Criminal Defense attorneys, the Forensic Social Worker’s (FSW) primary role is to interview clients, and any collateral contacts, with the goal of gathering a life history to highlight mitigating circumstances such as mental illness, drug addiction, trauma and/or chronic poverty leading to a client’s involvement in the criminal justice system. The FSW will then advocate for an alternative to detention, an alternative to incarceration, or lesser sentence, based on mitigating factors. The FSW will evaluate clients and recommend a treatment program. 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 educates the client about treatment options, offers crisis intervention, and short-term counseling. The FSW provides essential information to attorneys about clients.

Requirements

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
Strong computer skills
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) in order to document specific arguments within written reports
Develop casework plans in conjunction 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
Conduct in-person visits to Rikers Island and detention centers to provide clients with the support and encouragement they need throughout their incarceration.
Other duties as assigned