Mitigation Specialist - MICA (Bronx) - Bronx, NY

The Legal Aid Society has an opening for a hybrid Mitigation Specialist. The Mitigation Specialist will work with the MICA attorney and Mitigation Specialist in the MICA Project, and the Social Work Unit to provide comprehensive services with clients who are primarily dually diagnosed with mental health and substance use disorders.

The Mitigation Specialist will be working primarily in the Social Work Unit. As part of the legal team, the Mitigation Specialist helps clients navigate through legal and social service systems and create case plans to address their identified needs. They will be responsible for providing biopsychosocial assessments, treatment and reentry planning, referrals, in-court advocacy (treatment court), case management services; conducting informational and training seminars; writing persuasive mitigation reports; serve as a consultant to attorneys and social workers; supervising social work interns, providing crisis counseling and intervention to clients.

The Mitigation Specialist is responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with treatment providers and government entities; and maintaining knowledge of current trends and best practices in areas of mental health and substance use.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Interview clients, and complete psychosocial and risk assessments using validated instruments
• Provide crisis intervention, brief treatment, or short- term counseling services to individuals who are being monitored in mental health court
• Identify and interview collateral sources of information. Collateral interviews are done with family members, friends, teachers, social workers, community members, and others connected to the client
• Request, review, and analyze life history records (i.e., school, medical, psychiatric) to document specific arguments within written reports
• Develop casework plans in conjunction with the MICA, Mental Health, and staff attorneys to develop alternative sentencing plans, provide advocacy in the courtroom
• Assess a client's readiness for treatment and make referrals to substance abuse treatment, individuals who are victims of domestic and intimate partner violence, mental health counseling, shelters, etc
• Provide re-entry planning and assistance
• Testify in court
• Gathering and analyzing the data to evaluate the impact of social work services with our client population
• Conduct training for LAS staff, social work interns, treatment providers, and criminal justice personnel
• Participate in the development and ongoing practice of specialty court parts
• Act as an expert social work consultant to the stakeholders in the criminal justice system and community providers regarding court advocacy, law reform, and re-entry

QUALIFICATIONS

• A MSW degree and proof of New York State Social Work License (LMSW or LCSW) must be provided before final decision of employment
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience
• Strong assessment skills and experience working with clients with the following special needs: mental health and substance use, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, neurological disorders, etc
• Ability to interface with Judges, District Attorneys, and Correctional Personnel
• Ability to negotiate with community-based organizations with the goal of increasing access for our clients to receive supportive services
• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Understanding the intersection of social work, mental health, substance use, and public defense
• Excellent organizational and time management skills. Candidate must be able to manage a diverse caseload and prioritize tasks
• Proficient in using Microsoft 365
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $81,195 - $120,690

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

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