Criminal Defense Practice Social Worker

Overview

The Bronx Defenders (BxD) - an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx - seeks a passionate Social Worker with a commitment to social justice to join our Criminal Defense Practice. 

  

The Bronx Defenders is a public defender non-profit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the legal system, and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. BxD seeks thoughtful, creative, individuals with a strong commitment to social justice to join our dynamic and diverse staff. Our staff of over 400 includes interdisciplinary teams made up of criminal, civil, immigration, and family defense attorneys, as well as Social Workers, benefits specialists, legal advocates, parent advocates, investigators, and team administrators, who collaborate to provide holistic advocacy to address the causes and consequences of legal system involvement. Through this integrated team-based structure, we have developed a groundbreaking, nationally-recognized model of representation called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for the people we defend.  

 

Each year, we defend more than 20,000 low-income Bronx residents in criminal, civil, family, and immigration cases, and reach thousands more through our community intake, youth mentoring, and outreach programs. Through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community organizing, we push for systemic change at the local, state, and national levels. We take what we learn from the people we represent and communities that we work with and launch innovative initiatives designed to bring about real and lasting change. 

 

The Criminal Defense Practice

 

The Criminal Defense Practice (CDP) at The Bronx Defenders consists of over 150 attorneys, investigators, Social Workers, legal advocates, practice associates, and administrators who provide comprehensive Criminal Defense representation to people in the Bronx facing police and criminal legal system involvement. Through a client-centered approach, our CDP legal teams strive to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances and priorities of the people we represent. Armed with that understanding, they fight for desired outcomes by strategically raising personalized, persuasive arguments in mitigation, negotiations, and litigation.

Responsibilities

Strategizing with lawyers and other advocates, CDP Social Workers work to identify and address the issues that contribute to the ensnarement of the people we defend in the criminal legal system and mitigate the enmeshed consequences that may arise out of their contact with the system. They do this by conducting oral advocacy, authoring mitigation reports, coordinating with treatment programs and social service providers, and supporting the people we represent as they navigate the criminal legal system.  

 

• Collaborate with lawyers and other advocates on holistic defense teams to identify and achieve the legal goals of the people we represent
• Inform the people we represent about the criminal court process and assist them in overcoming barriers while navigating it
• Interview and assess the people we represent to identify strengths, resources, and needs
• Conduct supportive counseling, crisis intervention, and case management for the people we represent throughout the pendency of their legal cases
• Provide support to the people we represent during court appearances and at community-based programs
• Maintain consistent contact with the people we represent, including regular visits to NYC jail facilities, and provide support and advocacy for connection to medical care, mental health services, and jail-based programming
• Advocate for the people we represent in Bronx Criminal and Supreme Court, in incarceratory settings, and with community-based programs
• Engage in oral advocacy with judges, prosecutors, and other court and program staff
• Assist with review of behavioral health, medical, education, and other records
• Prepare mitigation reports and other forms of persuasive written work product arguing for reduced sentencing - incorporating content from psychosocial interviews, interviews with collateral sources, healthcare records, and social science research
• Prepare the people we represent for court-related assessments
• Liase with external behavioral health experts to conduct forensic evaluationsand interpret these evaluations as well as other
• Cultivate relationships with community programs and providers in jail facilities to increase access to care and support for the people we represent
• Maintain case records in Bronx Defenders' informational case management system

Qualifications

To be eligible, candidates must have:

 

• S.W. from an accredited School of Social Work

 

Applicants must demonstrate:

 

• Passion for holistic public defense and racial justice
• Commitment to directly defending and advocating for people ensnared in the criminal legal system
• Experience working in and with racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically marginalized communities targeted by carceral systems
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate, and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities, and experiences
• Ability to work well both independently and collaboratively with lawyers, non-lawyers, and external service providers 
• Commitment to fierce advocacy and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of the people we represent
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources while advocating in legal cases for the people we defend
• Knowledge of substance use disorder, domestic violence, parenting, mental health and related systems
• Effective verbal and written advocacy skills
• Interviewing, research, and writing skills necessary to compile persuasive mitigation reports
• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
• Ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters
• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection, and shift behavior accordingly
• Commitment to raising one's cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level
• Spanish fluency is preferred but not required

 

This is an in person position that requires contact with staff and community members. Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 1-2 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $75,000-$76,000. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy; and a professional development fund. More specific information about salary and benefits will be provided when and if an offer is extended.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is within the bargaining unit.   

This position is exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.

To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and a cover letter in one document when prompted. If you would prefer to send in a video or audio statement in lieu of a cover letter, you may upload your resume as a document and separately upload a video or audio statement instead of a cover letter. Your cover letter or video/audio statement should share why you want to do this work at our office, some key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this position, and any additional information you would like for us to consider. Your cover letter may be up to one page if written or up to 3 minutes if an audio/video statement. This information allows us to understand your distinct perspective, experience and potential beyond the work history summarized on your resume. Please remember that you may submit a written cover letter or an audio/video statement, but not both, and applications without either will not be considered. Applications missing any components or not submitted in the requested manner will not be considered. The start date for this position is immediate or as soon as possible.

 

Applications will be accepted through April 4, 2024. However, interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis and the position will be filled as soon as an eligible candidate is identified. Please contact Sarah Knight, Managing Director of the Criminal Defense Social Work Practice, via email at sarahk@bronxdefenders.org with any questions regarding the position. 

 

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating an anti-oppressive workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, disabled, neurodivergent and those directly impacted by criminal, civil, family and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we work with. 

Employment Type: OTHER