Pre-trial Release Clinician

Center for Justice Innovation•City of Syracuse, NY

8d•$61,000 - $68,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. The Onondaga County Pretrial Release Program (OC PRP) provides an alternative to pretrial detention and bail by ensuring that individuals facing criminal charges attend their court appearances and avoid rearrest while remaining in their communities. This is achieved through regular check-ins with dedicated program staff who provide support and facilitate connections to community-based services and resources. OC PRP reduces detention-related costs while keeping people in their jobs and with their families during the pendency of their case. The program's success is due to the Center's longstanding ability to integrate research and evidence-based practices to increase safety in partnership with the courts and local communities. The Center's Upstate Office seeks a Pretrial Release Clinician (Clinician) who will report to the Upstate Office Project Director. The primary responsibility of the Clinician will be to conduct required Cognitive Behavior Therapy-informed sessions with eligible OC PRP participants who indicate that they have mental health needs during the intake assessment. CBT-informed sessions are built on foundational CBT principles, using the Center's unique pretrial release model. The purpose of these sessions is to work with participants' existing motivation for change to support their engagement in prosocial goal identification and relevant services to address criminogenic needs. Relatedly, Clinicians also play a key role in linking assessment information to service and resource referrals, providing timely emergency referrals and crisis intervention and de-escalation support. Clinicians also work with participants to identify and address barriers to compliance and court attendance; conduct outreach to participants, court stakeholders, community-based service providers, and community contacts; lead other suitable programming, and ensure accurate and timely court reporting on participants' compliance with program requirements. Accurate and timely data entry is a core responsibility for this position.

Requirements

Master's degree in a mental health field and 2 years direct practice (e.g. therapeutic or case management or counseling) experience required
Experience and competency with crisis intervention and de-escalation required
Must be detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management skills
Must be able to work effectively independently and as part of a highly interdependent, multi-disciplinary team within a fast-paced and dynamic work environment
Professional demeanor and ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a variety of program stakeholders, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court staff, and site partner agencies
Ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-competent manner
All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Nice To Haves

LMSW or mental health license preferred
Experience working in pretrial, court-based, or criminal legal system strongly preferred
Experience working people needing substance use treatment, mental health services, or other services related to co-occurring disorders, or adolescent development, strongly preferred
Experience using trauma-informed and strength-based approaches, Motivational Interviewing and CBT strongly preferred
Comprehensive knowledge and experience with local social service providers strongly preferred
Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred

Responsibilities

Facilitate mandated and voluntary evidence-based practice sessions, with a focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches
Create voluntary service and resource plans that address participants' needs and goals
Provide assistance to participants to support engagement with referrals, as needed
Conduct intakes and holistic assessments for program participants, as needed
Provide participants with information regarding any additional court mandates, such as mandated programming
Schedule participants for their first check-in with their assigned Pretrial Release Specialist
Case conference with Pretrial Release Specialists to discuss participant needs and/or service and resource plans
Provide comprehensive, clinically-informed case management services
Work with participants to identify and address barriers to compliance with supervision requirements and court attendance
Monitor participants' compliance with supervision requirements
Conduct outreach to participants, their community contracts, and defense attorneys to maximize compliance with supervision requirements
Provide de-escalation and emergency intervention in response to incidents occurring in the courthouse and community offices, coordinating responses, debriefing, and documentation across the team and other departments
Maintain accurate and timely data entry and case documentation aligned with the program model, court reporting obligations, and best practices
Submit accurate and timely reports to court within designated time frames
Maintain professional, productive, and positive relationships with external stakeholders, including court staff, judges, and attorneys
Engage in consistent and effective cross-team communication and collaboration to proactively identify successes, challenges, and opportunities to strengthen programming, create opportunities for meaningful collaboration, and maximize internal and external resources and expertise
Provide on-site shadowing opportunities and hands-on training for staff and external visitors related to job responsibilities
Participate in individual, group supervision, and regular staff trainings to develop program expertise and related skill sets
Lead peer supervision groups, as needed
Attend project events, community events, and meetings after hours, as needed
Additional relevant tasks, as necessary