Social Worker

THE ORGANIZATION The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice.

Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities.

Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways.

For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org. The Center is a 900-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work : creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system.

Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change.

Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.

S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies;

conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors.

The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution.

The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.

g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines / fees and reducing crime and violence.

Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.

Center Support A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications.

Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values.

THE OPPORTUNITY Launched in 1993, the award-winning Midtown Community Justice Center is one of the country’s first problem-solving courts.

It provides alternatives to fines and jail as a response to low-level crime. Seeking to reduce crime and incarceration, and increase public trust in justice, the Midtown Community Justice Center works with neighborhood stakeholders to improve Midtown Manhattan, and to serve the vibrant Midtown community, specifically those in need of services.

The Justice Center’s court responds creatively to low-level offending, seeking sentences that are restorative to the defendant and community.

In 2023, Midtown Community Justice Center celebrated 30 years of operation and was renamed to Midtown Community Justice Center to reflect the work we do in the community.

The work has continued to move upstream and beyond the walls of our physical space through expanded diversion initiatives, street outreach, and community engagement.

The Midtown Community Justice Center is seeking a Social Worker for its court-based, community-based, and voluntary programs, which includes the Emerging Adult Court for 18-25-year-olds, Misdemeanor Mental Health Court, Community Court, and referrals from downtown Manhattan Center site, Manhattan Justice Opportunities.

The Social Worker will be responsible for conducting assessments and intakes, making referrals to community-based service providers, offering comprehensive trauma-informed individual counseling and case management sessions, and facilitating psychoeducational groups.

• Responsibilities include but are not limited to : Conduct individual counseling sessions, psychoeducational and therapeutic groups, and clinical assessments;
• Provide recommendations for services and monitor treatment for court-mandated clients; Provide comprehensive, trauma-informed, culturally-responsive, clinical and case management services to clients (and, where appropriate, their families) that address issues such as substance use, mental health issues, trauma, interpersonal violence, housing, and educational and vocational needs;
• Attend interdisciplinary case conferences to help clients navigate the court; Collaborate with court staff and stakeholders, including defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges, and court officers;
• Maintain appropriate client information in electronic databases and paper files; Report on client progress and compliance to court partners (judges, defense attorneys, and prosecutors);
• Establish and maintain linkages with community partners who can provide appropriate interventions and services to court-involved individuals;
• Provide ongoing crisis intervention and de-escalation, as needed; Collaborate with team members to design and participate in community events;
• Participate in, and at times facilitate, staff meetings, team-building exercises, trainings, and site visits; Participate in evening and weekend community meetings, events, and programming, as needed;

and Perform other relevant duties, including coverage and support, as needed to support the Midtown Community Court and Center for Justice Innovation.

Qualifications : The ideal candidate will : Be an LMSW or LMHC with a minimum of two years prior work in criminal justice and / or a related field required.

• Candidates with a MSW will be required to obtain their license within 90 days of employment; Experience working within a harm reduction framework and commitment to staying up to date on harm reduction best practices required;
• Experience conducting clinical assessments; Experience with drug / alcohol treatment, mental health services, co-occurring disorders, trauma- informed, and anti-oppressive practice required;

Candidates must be willing and able to work collaboratively with colleagues and a variety of court personnel and partner agencies in a high-pressure / fast paced work environment.

• Court-based social work is a unique and demanding area of practice, and candidates must be open to constructive engagement with differing and, at times, competing perspectives;
• Experience with / or comfortability in learning to facilitate conversations related to identity, oppression, and privilege is a must;
• Experience and / or comfort working with ages 18 and over; Experience and commitment to creating, promoting, and maintaining a respectful, inclusive, and anti-racist work environment;

SIFI certification preferred; and Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred. Position Type : Full-time. Position Location : Midtown, Manhattan.

Compensation : The compensation range for this position is $57,500 - $73,500 and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA.

We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans.

We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%. The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, and as such, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law.

We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system.

Our aim is to create a supportive and respectful environment where every individual, irrespective of their background or identity, feels valued and included.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the requirement of the COVID-19 vaccination for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees.

Accordingly, the Center does not require all new hires be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus; however, the Center recommends all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up-to-date on the vaccination.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Kindly refer to the job posting for the relevant contact information. If the contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from making inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Powered by JazzHR