The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice is seeking an Assistant Social Work Supervisor for its Manhattan Trial office.  The Assistant Social Work Supervisor will have an active role in evaluating current local social work trends and developing new protocols and strategies to respond to the changing needs of our clients, communities, and our staff.

The Assistant Social Work Supervisor will assist the Social Work Supervisor in maintaining LAS’ high standards of service delivery and fostering a collaborative team environment throughout the Staten Island office. Along with directly supervising the Manhattan social work unit, the Assistant Social Work Supervisor will function as a member of the social work leadership team within the Criminal Defense Practice and will carry a small caseload. The ideal candidate should have a strong commitment to working with vulnerable populations, an understanding of the criminal justice system, supervisory experience, and an ability to effectively function as a member of an interdisciplinary team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Social Work Supervision and Support

• Provide individual supervision to assigned staff
• Facilitate monthly social work staff meetings
• Create and support new approaches to meeting staff and client needs
• Monitor social work practice and caseloads
• Participate in decisions regarding allocation of social work resources
• Ensure accountability and maintenance of practice standards
• Identify and create opportunities for staff development
• Provide emergency office and case coverage
• Initiate and coordinate special projects
• Provide in-service training and case consultation
• Conduct performance evaluations to promote and support professional development in staff
• Conduct case reviews to promote best case practice and ensure quality client services
• Participate in staffing and personnel decisions by coordinating and chairing interview committees
• Maintain small caseload
• Help develop and implement procedures and policies
• Provide support to the Community Liaison to complete escort requests and Uber coordination
• Participate in supervisory and management meetings
• Represent the Practice at external meetings and conferences
• Work with all Social Work Supervisors across the city and provide cross coverage for all Supervisors when not available
• Provide group supervision for staff, providing a space for SW to discuss complex cases
• Collaborate with staff Attorneys to improve interdisciplinary team approach.
• Partner and collaborate with Attorney in-charge and attorney supervisors to shape and develop professional practice and office culture (may vary by borough)

Team Development and Supervision

• Schedule employee hours, assign work, approve time off and remote work schedule requests following the guidance of LAS policy and procedures.
• Manage and coordinate staffing changes, i.e. processing separations, requesting new job postings, hires, coordination of leaves and accommodations
• Attend management meetings, participate in management trainings, and utilize current employment policies, practices and guidance as provided by management and Human Resources
• Conduct management and supervision practices that affirmatively support equity and inclusion in the workplace
• Supervise direct reports in setting performance standards, provide routine feedback as well as coaching/counseling, and issue disciplinary action as needed.
• Identify and provide training and development opportunities and ensure mandatory trainings are completed.
• Identify, delegate, and document work responsibilities, roles, and procedures to meet the mission of the department
• Identify and implement department/unit management and accountability practices to improve performance
• Resolve employee conflict, complaints, and address union concerns, with guidance from Human Resources
• Lead organizational and culture change for the unit
• Assist the Director with coordination of recruitment

Professional Development and other duties as assigned

• Participate in continuous professional development
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

• MSW degree
• NYS License in Social Work (LMSW or LCSW)
• Three years related experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Supervisory experience (may include supervision of staff, volunteers, or students)
• Prior work history with Criminal Defense preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and advocacy skills
• Knowledge of criminal justice, mental health, and substance abuse delivery systems
• Demonstrated skills in advocacy, mediation, and interviewing
• Ability to work in a team setting
• Proficient with MS Office, Excel spreadsheet and Teams
• Excellent ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure

Supervision Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to schedule, assign, and manage work and resolve problems as needed
• Ability to manage the work including assessment of work process and outcomes, gathering relevant information about the work, recommending alternatives, or elevate issues as needed
• Ability to clearly identify roles, responsibilities, delegate tasks and hold people accountable
• Ability to create and implement effective communication plans
• Ability to provide meaningful performance feedback for professional development including having difficult conversations and resolving sensitive employee issues
• Pursue continuous learning on forms of systemic oppression of marginalized identities and establish team norms and management practices using an equity mindset and informed by inclusive practices

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:   

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video
• Requires occasional or frequent physical movement to perform essential job functions which may include, bending, reaching, pulling, pushing, standing or walking for long periods of time, accessing small spaces
• May or will require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region
• Ability to lift 40 pounds on an occasion

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.  

Salary Range: $100,000 – $104,000 

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.  

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs  

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)  

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jo**************@le*******.org.  

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As 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); 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 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.  

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

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 (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.