Social Worker, Misdemeanor Alternatives to Incarceration

Job Description

Job Description

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies:

1. Operating Programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges;
2. Conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn’t; and
3. Providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

Backed by decades of on-the-ground experience and nationally recognized expertise, we bring innovative, practical, and lasting solutions to justice systems nationwide.
Learn more about our work at

THE OPPORTUNITY

Manhattan Justice Opportunities seeks to rethink justice in Manhattan and build a justice system that is more responsive to individuals’ and communities’ needs. Manhattan Justice is a centralized, court-based screening, resource, and referral hub that provides judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys at New York County Criminal Court and Supreme Court with a wide array of social service-based sentencing options in misdemeanor and felony cases. Manhattan Justice offers onsite case management, psycho-educational groups, and restorative justice programming, and provides referrals to community-based service providers for mental health, substance use, employment, primary health care services and more. These services, which are open to anyone who needs them—including mandated participants’ families and friends, and others affected by the criminal justice system—help people address underlying issues in their lives, build stability, and decrease their likelihood of further justice involvement. 

Manhattan Justice is seeking a Social Worker to engage and assess program participants and connect them to a full range of wraparound services, including, community-based social services and evidence-based interventions. Reporting to the Clinical Supervisor, the Social Worker will be responsible for conducting assessments and intakes, making referrals to community-based service providers, offering comprehensive trauma-informed case management and individual counseling sessions, facilitating psychoeducational groups, and providing compliance monitoring for people with open misdemeanor and felony cases.

An essential and dynamic feature of the Social Worker’s role will be close collaboration with the Manhattan Misdemeanor Alternative to Incarceration Court, a new problem-solving court.  The Social Worker will assess and prepare treatment recommendations for potential participants and provide long-term care coordination and compliance monitoring for a caseload of participants. Court-based social work is an exciting, unique, and demanding area of practice, and the Social Worker role involves navigating and constructively engaging with differing and, at times, competing stakeholder perspectives. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Conduct intakes and clinical assessments for mandated and voluntary program participants; 
• Develop treatment recommendations for potential participants to be shared with court stakeholders (judge, defense counsel, prosecutor and court staff), when necessary; 
• Provide comprehensive, clinically-informed case management and individual counseling services to a caseload of participants charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses;  
• Facilitate and help to develop and/or revise curricula for a range of on-site psychoeducational groups and individual case management sessions; 
• Provide referrals to community-based services that address issues such as substance use, mental health issues, trauma, domestic violence, housing, and educational/vocational needs; and other challenges in participants’ lives (e.g. family court cases and other civil legal issues); 
• Manage and monitor compliance with treatment mandates, including care coordination with providers; 
• Provide written and verbal compliance reports to legal parties and coordinate responses to non-compliance issues, including re-engaging participants and arranging return on warrants;  
• Provide crisis intervention and de-escalation, as needed; 
• Assist with outreach to participants and defense attorneys to ensure all mandated participants are effectively engaged; 
• Enter and maintain appropriate up-to-date participant information, including assessment, case management, attendance, and case outcome data; 
• Provide clinical services as described above to program participants on a voluntary basis post-mandate; 
• Facilitate coordinated service delivery from on-site agencies and community-based partners for mandated services and voluntary referrals; 
• Collaborate closely with intake specialists, case managers, and social workers on the clinical team; 
• Collaborate closely with staff at the Midtown Community Justice Center and other Center for Justice Innovation operating projects; 
• Assist the Clinical Supervisor with the development and implementation of new initiatives; including best clinical practices, and appropriate evidence-based interventions; 
• Participate in clinical group supervision, staff meetings, and trainings, as scheduled; 
• Attend evening court and community-based events and meetings, as needed; and 
• Additional tasks as necessary. 

Qualifications:    

• LMSW, with a minimum of 1-2 years in criminal justice and/or related fields, such as healthcare, substance use and mental health treatment, homelessness and housing services, education, job training/workforce development, child welfare and family services, youth services, elder care services, domestic violence programming, sex offense treatment, and services for people with development disabilities, is required;
• Experience in a court or criminal justice settings, including working with incarcerated people, preferred;
• Knowledge and/or lived experience related to the criminal justice system and its impacts on communities; 
• Experience with co-occurring disorders, trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches preferred; 
• Commitment to being participant-centered and using holistic and strengths-based approaches, as well as the cultural humility to work with people from diverse backgrounds; 
• Willingness and ability to work collaboratively with a variety of court personnel and on-site partner agencies in a high-pressure/fast paced work environment; 
• Skill and openness to constructive engagement with differing and, at times, competing stakeholder perspectives; 
• Excellent organization and time management skills; 
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills; 
• Bilingual (English and Spanish-speaking) preferred; and;
• SIFI eligible preferred. 

Position Type: Full time.

Position Location: Manhattan, NY.

Compensation:  The compensation range for this position is $57,500 - $75,700 and is commensurate with experience. 

Benefits: The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.

At this time, the Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.

In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. Please refer to the job posting for relevant contact information. If contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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