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Job DescriptionThe Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is seeking a Forensic Social Worker with a deep commitment to public interest to join the citywide Immigration Law Unit’s New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), focusing on detained removal defense. The Social Worker will provide social work services to detained immigrant clients, including those with mental illness, who are in removal proceedings before immigration courts in Varick, Newark, and Elizabeth, as well as eligible non-detained immigrants at 26 Federal Plaza. The Unit is a recognized leader in the delivery of high quality legal services to immigrants in New York City and surrounding counties. The NYIFUP program provides low-income New Yorkers who are detained by ICE at the time of our intake with free, comprehensive immigration services ranging from removal defense, bond hearings, appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals, habeas corpus petitions in federal district court and Petitions for Review in the federal circuit courts, as well as seeking relief through affirmative applications before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and in family court proceedings on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) motions. The Unit specializes in the intersection between immigration and criminal law, and works collaboratively with all practice areas to serve the Society’s diverse immigrant clients through a comprehensive service model.ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES Assess clients and interview family members and other collateral contacts, including visits to detention centers, homes, and other off-site locations Make social service referrals to appropriate mental health and substance abuse treatment services and short-term crisis intervention; facilitate admission to psychiatric hospitals, detoxification services, or emergency housing; link clients to vocational and educational services; and help clients to access social networks and support to reduce isolation Review psychiatric records Court advocacy, either orally or in writing, to present client issues and mitigating circumstances Provide training to ILU staff on topics such as interdisciplinary collaboration, suicide prevention, and mental health diagnoses Participate in client intakes with attorneys Attend staff intake meetings and case conferences to provide general guidance on issues affecting the broader ILU caseload Assist with referral to appropriate psychiatrists/psychologists for evaluation Assist with record keeping and reporting Other duties as assignedRequirementsTRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS/ REQUIRED DOCUMENTS MSW degree and NYS license in social work (Licensed Master Social Worker [LMSW] or Licensed Clinical Social Worker [LCSW]) or the ability to obtain NYS social work license within 6 months of hire. Strong diagnostic skills with experience working with clients with the following special needs: MICA clients, clients with physical illnesses and physical disabilities, clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and clients with histories of substance abuse Ability to interface with court personnel and immigration judges Ability to negotiate with community-based treatment providers Ability to develop treatment plans quickly Excellent organizational and court advocacy skills Excellent computer skills Ability to work within a team model and an interest in research Spanish speaking is required. Proficiency in other languages is highly desirable.SALARY AND BENEFITSThe leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if, an offer is made. OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSIONThe leadership of 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, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.HOW TO APPLYAll applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email [email protected] 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; one’s gender identity may be male, female, neither or both, e.g., non-binary), 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 be distinctively male or female and 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.Required DocumentsREQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Please submit a cover letter and resume as a PDF
Posted on :
2021-08-06T08:15:51Z
