Reports To: Executive Director, City Bar Justice Center | FLSA: Exempt

JOB FUNCTION

The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC), an affiliate of the NYC Bar Association, seeks a social worker to implement an interdisciplinary, trauma-informed client support structure for CBJC’s dozen civil legal aid projects. CBJC expands access to justice by providing high-quality, free civil legal services that benefit upwards of 25,000 New Yorkers each year who lack resources to hire private counsel. Pro bono partnerships with law firms and corporate legal departments, as well as strategic partnerships with courts, community organizations, and other stakeholders offer key support to CBJC’s three dozen-member team. The person hired for this new role will collaborate with CBJC leadership to co-design and then implement and administer a program to provide holistic support for clients’ non-legal needs as well as interdisciplinary assistance to CBJC legal teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support CBJC’s delivery of holistic and trauma-informed client services: o Help clients access human and social services through appropriate referrals (e.g., for shelter, medical and mental health care, public assistance), and develop service plans where needed;
  • Help advocate on behalf of clients for public entitlements and other resources with systems and agencies where applicable, and facilitate linkages for clients to access care and other services;
  • Provide short-term counseling, crisis intervention, and safety and risk management assessments to clients exhibiting the greatest immediate support needs;
  • Occasionally facilitate psychosocial education for clients to learn to assess/attend to their needs.
• Provide interdisciplinary assistance to CBJC’s legal function:
  • Provide support for client intake/interview, case narration, and case management when necessary (including, where applicable, by creating affidavits and providing expert witness testimony);
  • Facilitate holistic client services best practices, including by providing trainings to staff and individual and small group support to promote informed responses to mental health needs and dynamics of trauma, abuse, sexual assault, and other forms of violence, and other related topics;
  • Provide occasional legal team supervision support by assisting in reviewing individual cases, assessing client management and placement practices (including with pro bono volunteers), and helping legal teams reflect on and further develop trauma-informed client interaction skills;
  • Help to design and implement, and provide supervision for, a social work student intern program at CBJC to further support client and case management needs; o Participate in and occasionally facilitate staff meetings, as well as external community and partnership meetings and relevant trainings and seminars.
  • Various other duties and projects to be determined in collaboration with supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• New York-licensed LCSW; JD not required but a plus; strong LMSW candidates actively working towards LCSW may be considered.
• Minimum of three years of client advocacy experience, including experience facilitating linkages to other providers and navigating local, state and federal systems, benefits and agencies for those of limited economic means (NYC/NYS experience strongly preferred).
• Strong clinical and case management skills, including ability to demonstrate an understanding of clients’ physical, emotional, psychological, social, structural, and/or environmental risks.
• Sound knowledge of victimization issues and varied treatment modalities.
• Confidence and capacity to navigate medical, legal, and social service systems; experience working in a legal or other interdisciplinary setting a plus but not a requirement.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (including experience with written advocacy work such as affidavits, referrals and letters of support, psychosocial evaluations, etc.)
• Strong interpersonal skills, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team.
• Demonstrable crisis management skills, as well as strong workshop facilitation and groupwork skills.
• Solid clinical, case management, and advocacy supervisory experience; program management, policy advocacy, or administrative experience a plus but not a requirement.
• Strong computer skills across multiple platforms, databases, and applications.
• Demonstrable commitments to economic, racial and social justice; to work with diverse, immigrant, and under-resourced communities; to clients and communities that have experienced complex trauma; and to diversity, equity and inclusion values and practices.
• Bilingual English/Spanish highly preferred.

The City Bar Justice Center has a hybrid work environment. The person selected for this role will work out of our main office in midtown Manhattan and a satellite office in downtown Brooklyn part of the time, in the field when necessary to meet client needs, and remotely for the balance of time.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. We are not able to sponsor visas for this role.

Starting salary range for this position is $65,000-$75,000 (annualized), based on experience, for a 30-hour work week. This is a new position funded by a renewable, two-year grant. The New York City Bar Association provides a competitive benefits package including generous paid time off (vacation, personal, sick time, holidays including closing the last week of the year, day off each year for volunteer work, extra time off in summer), choice of medical plans (some offered at almost no charge to employee), dental, vision, 401K, life insurance, commuter benefits program, Employee Assistance Program, short-term/long-term disability insurance, employee discounts, and more!

To apply: please send (1) a cover letter explaining your interest, (2) a resume, and (3) three professional references (note: references will not be contacted without informing the candidate first) to https://newyorkcitybarassociation.applytojob.com/apply/Fh9q6ocHQK/Social-Worker-City-Bar-JusticeCenter

The City Bar is a proud equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, and we particularly encourage applications from candidates belonging to communities historically under-represented in the legal profession. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, marital status, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law. With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, the organization will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons due to their religious beliefs, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition or because the individual was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.