Social Worker - Public Defenders Office

Ingham County•Mi 48910, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the supervision of the Chief Public Defender and Deputy Chief Public Defender, this role provides social worker services to clients appointed to the Office of the Public Defender. To the extent resources and confidentiality allow, services may be extended to other adults charged with crimes in Ingham County who are deemed eligible for a court-appointed attorney. The Social Worker acts as a liaison with community partners offering substance abuse programs, mental health services, and other resources necessary for clients to participate equitably in the criminal justice process. A database of community resources is maintained to leverage client success. The role involves working with clients and attorneys to develop mitigating information and sentencing memoranda, supplying information about client needs as they relate to release into the community.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work.
Two years working with people in marginalized situations (homelessness, mental illness, incarceration, etc.) in a direct service capacity.
Valid Michigan Driver’s license.
Ability to travel for work to include gaining entrance to jails, prisons, mental health facilities, etc.
Must be able to use own or public transportation for work related travel.
Demonstrates effective communication skills by engaging, interacting and working with all individuals to ensure clarity and understanding in all interactions.
Ability to operate a PC/laptop and to enter & retrieve information from a computer.
Ability to handle varying and often high levels of stress.

Nice To Haves

Clinical licensure is a plus but not a requirement to apply.
Fluency in other language(s) would be a plus.

Responsibilities

Work collaboratively with staff attorneys to advocate for reduced sentences or other alternatives to incarceration for clients by finding or developing mitigating information through interviews and obtaining records.
Act as primary liaison with entities that are providing competency evaluations and reports on criminal responsibility.
Research and recommend alternatives to incarceration.
Assess individual clients for on-going need for services, make appropriate referrals and follow up to ensure needs are being addressed.
Develop and maintain relationships with at-risk clients to mitigate self-harm and encourage participation in the legal process.
Develop and maintain relationships with community partners to be able to make appropriate recommendations for social service needs of clients (drug treatment, mental health treatment, jobs training, housing, literacy and others).
Write, or assist the paralegals and staff attorneys in writing sentencing memoranda to advocate for alternatives to incarceration.
Assist with other pleadings that address social service needs of the client.
Supervise, under the direction of the Chief Public Defender and Deputy Chief Public Defender, externs in social work programs or related fields providing services to clients of the Office of the Public Defender and, resources allowing, other indigent adults charged with crimes.
Make referrals to other appropriate agencies and advocate for client access to their resources.
Seek out grants to leverage the resources of the Office of the Public Defender.
Maintain data related to grant opportunities and as appropriate, act as grant manager for successful applications.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Must adhere to departmental standards in regard to HIPAA and other privacy issues.
During a public health emergency, the employee may be required to perform duties similar to, but not limited, to those in his/her job description.
Must be able to learn new software programs and be able to generate memoranda, reports and other documents without clerical support.
Must have well developed organizational tools and skills to manage high volume, fast paced involvement in the lives of people who are sometimes in crisis.
Ability to speak with people for whom English is not the primary language.