Social Worker for Education Defense and Justice for Youth Program

East Bay Community Law Center • Berkeley, CA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is seeking a Social Worker to join their Education Defense and Justice for Youth (EDJY) Program. This program provides holistic legal representation to youth in Alameda County, CA, combining legal advocacy and social work to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. The EDJY team aims to empower young people, particularly those of color, through legal representation, policy advocacy, and community engagement. The Social Worker will collaborate with attorneys and program staff to advocate for youth in various settings, requiring strong client-centered advocacy, case management, and organizational skills. The ideal candidate is committed to racial justice and community healing, enjoys interdisciplinary advocacy, and is eager to mentor future social justice professionals.

Requirements

• Masters in Social Work
• Experience with or strong interest in MSW intern supervision
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and lived-experience backgrounds
• Ability to engage clients with empathy, respect and a strengths-based approach
• Demonstrated experience working with youth and/or young adults and their families
• Strong written and oral advocacy skills
• Experience in case management
• Demonstrated time management, priority-setting, and organizational skills
• Ability to use personal transportation to travel throughout Alameda County as needed for weekly client work and community engagement

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in an interdisciplinary setting or experience working collaboratively with attorneys
• Experience managing a complex workload independently in a professional setting
• Experience collaborating with community partners
• Spanish language fluency

Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with attorneys to represent young people in Alameda County juvenile court and education cases, including AB 12, juvenile record sealing and expulsion matters.
• Provide trauma-informed case management, crisis intervention, and support to clients and their families.
• Support clients in identifying their needs, setting goals, and developing structured plans for achieving those goals.
• Attend in-person client appointments, court proceedings, and engage in-person fieldwork to support our clients. Fieldwork typically includes visits to our youth clients’ homes, schools, juvenile detention facilities, and community spaces.
• Engage with community partners and coalitions to confront the criminalization and incarceration of youth, school push-out practices, civil rights violations, and the school-prison nexus more broadly.
• Supervise MSW interns and participate in the training of legal and social work teams.
• Complete case management tasks.
• Additional tasks as assigned by Supervisor.

Benefits

• fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents
• life and disability insurance
• generous paid leave (vacation, sick, and holidays)
• flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures
• retirement options

What This Job Offers

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