Social Work Supervisor, Holistic Services Unit

The Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice has an opening for a Social Work Supervisor in the Manhattan Trial Office. The Social Work Supervisor shares responsibility with other members of the borough supervisory team for the oversight of the Manhattan social work practice and the general management and operation of the office. The Social Work Supervisor will be expected to take the lead in evaluating current social work practice and developing new protocols and strategies to respond to changing needs. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary practice and decision-making, prior supervisory responsibility and substantive experience in working with children, youth, and their families and the service systems with which they interact.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Office Leadership & Program Management 

• Together with the Borough Attorney-in-Charge and Sr. Director of Holistic Service Unit, provide social work and managerial leadership to the Manhattan Trial Office, including supervision of the Assistant Social Work Supervisors 
• Reinforce and maintain staff accountability 
• Evaluate conflicting demands and prioritize workload

Quality of Practice & Client Service 

• Monitor and maintain high standard of representation and client service 
• Create and support new approaches to meeting staff and client needs
• Provide direct representation in client service while carrying a caseload
• Respond to client, community and staff concerns 

Office Operations & Resource Planning 

• Evaluate office needs and identify necessary resources to address the needs 

Litigation Strategy & Advocacy

• Analyze client service issues, lead and support legal strategy and supervise their implementation 
• Represent JRP and Legal Aid in the community 

People Management, Supervision & Training 

• Provide direct supervision and training support to all social work staff
• Provide direct supervision and professional development to Assistant Social Work Supervisor
• Foster and encourage teamwork and communication 
• Mentor and evaluate supervisory staff 
• Develop skills and knowledge of staff members 
• Other duties as assigned

Team Development and Supervision

• Supervise employee hours, assign work, approve time off, and remote work schedule requests following the guidance of LAS policy and procedures
• 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 in-service training, case consultation and development opportunities and ensure mandatory training is completed.

Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned

• Participate in continuous professional development.
• Maintain a small caseload, according to office workload needs.
• Attend management meetings, participate in management trainings, and utilize current employment policies, practices and guidance as provided by management and Human Resources
• Collaborate with child welfare and youth justice organizations and stakeholders to advance policies and best practices at the borough and/or citywide levels
• 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:

• A MSW degree
• NYS license in social work (LMSW) license
• Five years of related supervisory experience
• Knowledge of child welfare and youth justice systems, as well as service systems supporting mental health, substance use, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Demonstrated experience working with children, youth, and families in community-based or court settings, with a strong working knowledge of the systems that serve these populations.
• Strong assessment skills with experience in working with diverse client populations including individuals with trauma histories, co-occurring disorders, substance abuse disorder and mental illness
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary settings
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and advocacy skills
• Prior work history with JRP preferred

Preferred qualifications: 

• Proficiency in languages other than English desired, but not required

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 active, in-court environment, significant time using a computer; 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 require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region. 
• Ability to lift 10 pounds on an occasional/routine basis.

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: $118,600 - $123,600

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:

• Cover Letter
• Resume 

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email TalentAcquisition@legal-aid.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.