Criminal Justice Specialist

About the position CASES is seeking a Criminal Legal Specialist to join their Nathaniel Community Success (NCS) team, an alternative-to-incarceration program serving individuals with mental illness and substance use problems in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team comprised of a Team Leader, Forensic Clinical Case Coordinator, Forensic Case Coordinator, Substance Use Specialist, Peer Specialist, and Program Assistant. The NCS team provides clinical case management and linkage to services for mental health and medical treatment. The role of the Clinical Criminal Legal Specialist is to provide a link between the court and the NCS program staff; this position will deliver ongoing updates to the court regarding NCS participants’ progress and will communicate information from the court to their NCS teammates and the participants. We believe that in-person operations are the best way to serve our clients, both directly and through essential operational support. This job requires work in our offices, court houses and the community.

Responsibilities

• Engage potential participants and their legal representation in and around the courtroom.
• Ensure participants understand the conditions of their mandate and engagement in CASES.
• Accompany participants to all court appearances and advocate to judges, verbally and through written court reports, for participants to be enrolled or maintained in the CASES diversion services.
• Effectively manage crises to ensure participant safety and well-being.
• Write professional and formal evaluation reports, in compliance with ATI requirements and quality standards, including court-ready reports in advance of scheduled court dates and in response to emergency or expedited situations.
• Collect and track information on participants’ intake and re-arrest cases, as well as warrants.
• Notify the court when participants are not in compliance, have gone missing (absconded), failed to report as required, or have been rearrested.
• Maintain excellent professional relationships with judges, district attorneys, defense counsel, probation, and other court partners to facilitate program participation and maintain the credibility of CASES in court.
• Collaborate with NCS teammates to ensure the court’s community supervision conditions are being met.
• Participate in team case reviews, including review of assessments, verbal, and written advocacy, as well as work with NCS teammates to develop ongoing supervision and treatment plans.
• Mentor less experienced teammates in the intricacies of Court procedures.
• Participate in clinical supervision, staff meetings, and in-service training programs.
• Participate in relevant quality improvement, staff training, coaching, and planning activities.
• Complete all necessary documentation, including entering participant information into the Salesforce databases.
• Provide culturally competent oversight, supervision, and management in accordance with the CASES policies and the delivery of excellent court services to address the needs of youth, young adults, adults, individuals with behavioral health needs, and the race and ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and criminal justice history of defendants and program participants.
• Required to be in court, office or field 5 days per week.
• Perform other related duties assigned by Team Leader.

Requirements

• LMSW, LCSW, LMHC with active NY State license or the ability to obtain licensure within six months.
• Highly articulate, resourceful, and professional – able to stand up in court; present detailed, persuasive arguments; and advocate with prosecutors and judges to approve continued participation in ATI program.
• Ability to work independently.
• Excellent analytical and written skills.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of participants and staff.
• Interest in, and sensitivity to, issues facing individuals involved in the criminal legal system.

Nice-to-haves

• Bilingual Spanish

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Vacation and Paid Time Off – starting at 25 days-off annually, plus an additional summer self-care day
• 12 Paid Holidays per year
• Retirement 403b Competitive matching up to 6%
• Employee Referral Program

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