Social Worker, Alternatives to Incarceration

Social Worker

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives (BJI) seeks to reengineer the experience of criminal court in Brooklyn, New York by providing judges and attorneys meaningful alternatives to bail, fines, and jail sentences. Operating out of Kings County Criminal Court and nearby satellite offices, Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is a team of social service providers, court-based resource coordinators, and others who seek to improve the quality of justice. By providing meaningful pre-trial supervised release and post-conviction sentencing options, Brooklyn Justice Initiatives seeks to use an arrest as a window of opportunity to change the direction of a participant's life and avoid the harmful effects of incarceration. Brooklyn Justice Initiatives Diversion team is seeking a Social Worker! While the Social Worker's primary focus will be with those engaged in our Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) program, they will also be expected to provide occasional support for our pre-arraignment diversion program, Project Reset. Responsibilities include conducting intakes and assessments; providing comprehensive case management; offering individual counseling; facilitating psychoeducational or therapeutic groups; and supporting participants engaged in ATI and early diversion programming. The Social Worker will monitor participant engagement, send court date reminders, promote compliance with court conditions when applicable, submit progress and compliance updates to the court, and provide voluntary referrals and ongoing support beyond the initial mandate when appropriate. This position requires strong clinical judgment, flexibility in a fast-paced court environment, and the ability to build effective partnerships with legal system stakeholders and community-based providers. The Social Worker will collaborate with judges, attorneys, court personnel, and community partners to ensure coordinated and culturally responsive service delivery across programs.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide comprehensive, clinically informed case management services to adult and young adult participants that address issues such as substance use, mental health, trauma, housing, and educational/vocational needs;
• Conduct clinical assessments and provide individualized service and programming recommendations to court parties for review;
• Provide case management and individual counseling services to a caseload of short- and long-term mandated participants;
• Complete intakes of early diversion and Alternative to Incarceration participants;
• Assist with crisis intervention and de-escalation;
• Manage and monitor participant compliance with service mandates;
• Coordinate with defense counsel, prosecutors, judges, court personnel, and community partners to ensure holistic and culturally responsive service delivery throughout the participant's engagement;
• Provide accurate written participant reports to the court and other court stakeholders in a timely manner;
• Make referrals and establish linkages with community-based organizations to support participant goals, including referrals that meet immediate needs and those that support ongoing stability;
• Facilitate coordinated service delivery for on-site agencies and community-based agencies;
• Maintain timely, accurate case notes and records in the online case management system, documenting participant engagement across ATI and early diversion tracks;
• Track participant progress, service engagement, and referral outcomes to inform program evaluation and continuous improvement;
• Assist with data collection and reporting that demonstrates program impact and supports data-informed practice.
• Participate in interdisciplinary treatment meetings;
• Facilitate and develop a range of on-site groups that are both cognitive behavioral and psychoeducational in nature;
• Assist ATI management with the development and implementation of new programs, initiatives, and/or interventions;
• Assist ATI management with administrative responsibilities, as needed;
• Assist ATI management with data collection and management;
• Assist with grant reporting requirements, as needed;
• Provide clinical services as described above to program participants on a voluntary basis post-mandate;
• Attend all required staff meetings and trainings;
• Bi-lingual preferred;
• Attending Brooklyn Justice Initiatives' and community-based events after hours, as needed; and;
• Additional relevant tasks, as needed.

Qualifications: The candidate must have a master's degree in social work (MSW) from an accredited institution and be Licensed (LMSW) or eligible for Licensure in New York State within 3 months of hire. The ideal candidate will have 1-2 years of experience in social service settings; experience working in the criminal-legal system or with impacted individuals is preferred. Candidate must be a skilled writer and communicator, organized, able to work in a fast-paced multi-disciplinary setting, and maintain strong relationships with multiple agencies and stakeholders. They must be able to take initiative, work independently, and feel comfortable navigating multiple computer/online based systems simultaneously including online case management databases, Microsoft Office, Google Suites, Slack, Zoom, etc. Prior experience working with young adults, un-housed individuals, or those with mental health, substance use, or co-occurring disorders is a plus. Bi-lingual preferred.

Position Type: Full-time

Position Location: Brooklyn, New York

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%.