SOCIAL WORKER (Part-Time)
Reports To: Social Worker, City Bar Justice Center
FLSA: Non-Exempt
JOB FUNCTION The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) seeks a New York-licensed social worker to assist on a part-time basis 10-20 hours weekly for CBJC's Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project operating in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (FedPro-SDNY). FedPro-SDNY is an innovative initiative providing free, limited-scope legal assistance to self-represented individuals (including incarcerated individuals) litigating civil cases in the Southern District, mostly in the areas of civil rights, employment discrimination, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Social Security benefits matters, and a range of other claims touching on core individual rights and the protection of livelihoods. The person hired for this new role will work alongside FedPro-SDNY's legal team to provide an interdisciplinary, trauma informed support structure for FedPro-SDNY's work with self-represented litigants. CBJC expands access to justice by providing high-quality, free civil legal services that benefit over 25,000 New Yorkers each year who lack resources to hire private counsel. CBJC also relies on partnerships with our affiliate, the New York City Bar Association, as well as with law firms, corporate legal departments, solo practitioners, law schools, the courts, and other stakeholders. In the past year, over 2,200 pro bono attorneys donated services to support clinics and client matter work drawn from CBJC's dozen civil legal services projects.
RESPONSIBILITIES: - Support CBJC's delivery of holistic and trauma-informed legal services to FedPro-SDNY self-represented litigants:
- 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.
- Provide interdisciplinary assistance to FedPro-SDNY'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 legal team staff and volunteers and individual and small group support to promote informed responses to mental health needs and dynamics of trauma, abuse, sexual assault, and other related topics.
- Work with CBJC's lead Social Worker in providing occasional legal team support by 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.
- Provide supervision for 2-3 social work practicum students supporting the work described above.
- Various other duties and projects to be determined in collaboration with supervisor.
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS - Minimum two years as a New York-licensed LMSW or LCSW.
- Minimum of two 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); experience working in a legal or other interdisciplinary setting a plus but not a requirement.
- Preferred, but not required: Seminar Training Field Instruction (SIFI).
- 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.
- 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.
- Demonstrated enthusiasm for public interest work, serving those who struggle with a lack of resources, and providing assistance to historically 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 largely work out of FedPro-SDNY's courthouse-based office in Lower Manhattan with occasional in-office presence at CBJC's main office in midtown Manhattan, and remotely for the balance of time. We are looking for a candidate available to start by early to mid-September. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. We are not able to sponsor visas for this role. The compensation range for this position is $35 - $45 hourly, based on experience. This is a part-time position for a minimum of 10 and a maximum of up to 20 hours per week (between regular business hours Monday through Friday) based on the program needs. To apply: please upload (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). The City Bar Justice Center is a proud equal opportunity 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 and unique experiences to apply. We welcome diversity of all kinds. 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.