Counselor, Felony Alternative to Incarceration

Counselor Position at The Center for Justice Innovation

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: operating programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges; conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn't; and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

The Center for Justice Innovation is seeking a Counselor to join a team of staff—including social workers, case managers, and a peer navigator—who work with defendants participating in the Manhattan Felony Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) Court. The Felony ATI Court, which is led by Administrative Judge Ellen Biben, seeks to forge a new response to individuals charged with felonies by linking them to community-based social services. The Court is the first of its kind, providing an innovative model for other jurisdictions seeking to develop and implement meaningful post-conviction sentencing options for individuals facing felony charges.

Reporting to the Clinical Director of Felony ATI, the Counselor will be part of a team that provides neutral, third-party assessments and case management services to the Felony Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) Court. The Counselor will be responsible for conducting independent clinical assessments, providing referrals to community-based services, offering comprehensive clinical case management, and monitoring participant compliance.

An essential and dynamic feature of the Counselor's role will be close collaboration with key stakeholders. The Counselor will work regularly with the judge and court staff from New York Country Supreme Court who oversee the Felony ATI Court, as well as with other stakeholders, including the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and New York City defense organizations. Court-based work is an exciting, unique and demanding area of practice, and the Counselor role involves navigating and constructively engaging with differing and, at times, competing stakeholder perspectives.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conduct detailed risk-need profiles and clinical assessments for potential Felony ATI Court participants;
• Develop treatment recommendations for services for potential Felony ATI participants to court stakeholders (judge, defense counsel, prosecutor and court staff);
• Provide comprehensive, clinically-informed case management services to a caseload of pre-plea and court-mandated Felony ATI participants to help address issues such as substance use, mental health issues, trauma, domestic violence, housing and vocational needs, and other challenges in a participant's life (e.g. new arrests, family court cases and other civil legal issues);
• Make appropriate community-based referrals for a variety of social service needs;
• Manage and monitor compliance with treatment mandates, including care coordination with providers;
• Provide written treatment updates for court stakeholders for all court-involved participants;
• Participate in regular interdisciplinary case conferences with court stakeholders;
• Coordinate with court stakeholders on any non-compliance issues and assist clients in getting back into compliance, including re-engaging clients, arranging return on warrants, and implementing graduated responses to encourage future compliance;
• Facilitate and help to develop and/or revise curricula for a range of on-site psychoeducational groups and individual case management sessions;
• Attend court on calendar days, as needed, to help clients navigate court and collaborate with court staff and stakeholders;
• Collaborate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the resource coordinator, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other court and programmatic staff;
• Assist with toxicology testing and reporting, as needed;
• Provide crisis intervention and de-escalation, as needed;
• Provide voluntary referrals to community-based services, as needed;
• Establish and maintain linkages with community partners who can support program work;
• Assist the Clinical Director with the development and implementation of new initiatives; including best clinical practices, and appropriate evidence-based interventions;
• Enter and maintain appropriate up-to-date participant information, including assessment, case management, and case outcome data;
• Provide clinical services as described above to program participants on a voluntary basis post-mandate;
• Participate in clinical group supervision, staff meetings, and trainings, as scheduled;
• Attend evening community-based meetings and events, as needed; and;
• Assist with other programmatic and administrative tasks to support the Felony ATI Court's activities, as needed.

Qualifications:

• MHC, with a minimum of 3-4 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;
• Licensure as LMSW or LMHC is strongly preferred;
• Experience using trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches and working with participants with substance use, mental health, or co-occurring needs, co-occurring disorders, preferred;
• Experience working with and addressing the specific needs of young adults, LGBTQ+ people, and women preferred;
• Knowledge and/or lived experience related to the criminal justice system and its impacts on communities;
• Commitment to, and experience using, holistic and strengths-based approaches, meeting "participants where they are", as well as the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-competent manner;
• 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 written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide succinct and comprehensive verbal updates about treatment engagement and compliance to legal stakeholders during court appearances and case conferences;
• Excellent organization and time management skills; and;
• Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred.

Position Type: Full-time.

Position Location: Manhattan, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $60,500 - $78,800 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.