Job Description: Provide social work services for children in the East Baton Rouge juvenile justice system for the East Baton Rouge Office of the Public Defender-Juvenile Section (OPDBR).
Must Have: LMSW licensure, access to a vehicle for use in local travel, cell phone, willingness to work outside of normal business hours.
The Community You Will Join: Through the untiring efforts of well-trained, professional public defenders, OPDBR provides zealous advocacy on behalf of indigent persons accused of crimes, providing holistic, dedicated, skilled, and client-directed advocacy for more than 600 indigent young people in the city’s juvenile justice system every year. Our clients are represented by multidisciplinary teams; case managers, social workers, attorneys, and investigators; that develop and implement comprehensive advocacy plans to help children achieve their goals in court and in life.
Responsibilities
Direct Representation
- Represent a caseload of youth in juvenile delinquency and Families in Need of
- Services proceedings, providing high-quality, zealous, client-directed support.
- Interview clients to assess needs and determine goals.
- Perform psychosocial and other assessments.
- Provide crisis response and mediation.
- Assist attorneys in communicating with clients and others with whom effective communication requires specialized skills.
- Develop case plans, including dispositional and reentry plans, and assessing client progress under those plans.
- Make referrals, find placement, and assist with logistics/enrollment to help clients and their families access needed services and benefits.
- Maintain regular contact with programs providing services to OPDBR clients, monitoring service quality and client progress.
- Provide expert consultation and advice to attorneys and other staff on issues including client family dynamics, adolescent development and psychology, the use of standard social work assessment tools, and available community-based services.
- Advocate for clients’ education rights in non-judicial forums, including at expulsion hearings.
- Gather educational, medical, and other records relating to the work of client services staff.
- Be available in the event of staff and/or client emergences/crisis to provide assistance and support to social workers, youth advocates, and/or clients as needed. Communicate with supervisors about emergencies as needed.
- Adhere to administrative compliance, and ensure the timely and accurate collection and analysis of efforts and outcomes data. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring note and file accuracy, reviewing caseload spreadsheets and weekly outputs.
Required Qualifications
- Deep commitment to the defense of indigent youth and recognizes that all advocacy must be driven by the expressed interests of clients;
- Excellent interpersonal and interviewing skills, and the ability to develop rapport with a wide range of people;
- Strong analytical ability;
- Excellent written and oral communication skills;
- Thorough understanding of social, psychological, medical, economic, and legal factors that affect adolescent behavior;
- Strong work ethic;
- Creativity and flexibility in solving problems and meeting challenges;
- Graduate-level social work degree from an accredited school of social work;
- LMSW, licensure or certification to practice masters-level social work in Louisiana, or eligibility to obtain such certification or licensure in the immediate future;
- Car ownership, or daily use of a car, with a valid driver’s license and insurance;
- Willingness to submit to a background check.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with low-income clients and young people;
- Familiarity with developmental psychology, mental health issues, the Baton Rouge public schools, and/or the geography, history/people of Baton Rouge and Louisiana;
- Understanding of relevant law and of the juvenile justice system.
- The position is full-time, and no outside compensated work is permitted. Depending upon case and client needs, social workers can expect to be called upon to work some nights and weekends.
To Apply
Please provide resume, three professional references, and a cover letter explaining your interest in the role to [email protected]. In the subject line of the email, please write “Social Worker.” Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Salary and Compensation
OPDBR offers a competitive benefits package that includes employer contributions toward health insurance, retirement contributions in lieu of Social Security, paid vacation and sick leave, and optional dental and vision coverage. Employees may select from multiple health insurance plan options based on individual or family needs.
The position is a hybrid of in-person and remote work, and is full-time. No other compensated work is permitted.
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Baton Rouge, LA 70802
