Forensic Social Worker, Parole Revocation Defense Unit

Job description

MAJOR PURPOSE OF THE POSITION: The Legal Aid Society, the largest social justice public interest law firm in New York City, has an immediate opening for a dedicated and passionate court-based Forensic Social Worker in the Parole Revocation Defense Unit (PRDU) in the Bronx office to provide client services. While working closely with the Criminal Defense attorneys, the Forensic Social Worker’s (FSW) primary role is to interview clients, and any collateral contacts, with the goal of gathering a life history to highlight mitigating circumstances such as mental illness, drug addiction, trauma and/or chronic poverty leading to a client’s involvement in the criminal justice system. The FSW will then advocate for an alternative to detention, an alternative to incarceration, or lesser sentence, based on mitigating factors. The FSW will evaluate clients and recommend a treatment program. The FSW will fill out necessary paperwork and provide supporting documents to facilitate a client’s interview with a program and/or to assure a client’s acceptance into a program. The FSW educates the client about treatment options, offers crisis intervention, and short-term counseling. The FSW provides ess...