Counselor, Supervised Release Program. Job in Linden Gr8Jobs at Center for Court Innovation

The Organization

The Center for Court Innovation is committed to reducing crime and incarceration, addressing violence, supporting survivors, and building communities while strengthening public trust in justice. The Center seeks justice for marginalized groups, bringing an equity lens - particularly a racial and gender equity lens - to its work. For 25 years, the Center has worked to foster justice and equity to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities and, ultimately, to transform the justice system.

The Center is an 800-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 Court, 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

Researchers at the Center conduct independent evaluations, documenting how government systems work, how neighborhoods function, and how reform efforts change things. We believe in the action research model; accordingly, our researchers provide regular feedback on the results of the Center's own operating programs. The Center has published studies on topics including youth in the sex trade, reentry, gun violence, and drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Our researchers have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

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.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Staten Island Justice Center (the Justice Center) offers an array of programming for both youth and adults in Staten Island, focusing on engaging those with current or past justice involvement. The Justice Center provides judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys with alternative community sentencing options that hold individuals accountable in a way that is meaningful, proportionate, and restorative. The goal is to provide participants with individual and group services that help them to avoid future contact with the justice system and promote swift case resolutions that bolster public confidence in justice.

Staten Island Justice Center is seeking a Counselor for its Supervised Release Program. Supervised Release offers an alternative to jail, providing pretrial supervision, case management, and voluntary social services to people charged with misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses. Defendants are monitored to ensure appearance at their court dates, and they receive referrals to community-based programming such as job training, drug treatment, and mental health counseling. Following legislative changes in New York State that curtail the use of cash bail and pre-trial detention, the Center is anticipating dramatic growth in the population it will serve through Supervised Release, offering social workers and other staff the opportunity to contribute to an exciting program expansion at an unprecedented scale. As part of this expansion, the Supervised Release Program will provide services to a growing youth population and take on bail-eligible felony and misdemeanor charges, including violent felony offenses.

The Counselor will be responsible for monitoring a caseload of program participants, referring participants to voluntary social service interventions, and helping promote compliance with pretrial release conditions. The Counselor will stay in regular contact with participants, including facilitating in-person case management meetings and sending frequent court date reminders. The Counselor will also facilitate groups and assist in development of onsite services for participants. Additionally, they will be in communication with attorneys' offices, community-based providers, and draft memos to keep the court informed of participants' compliance.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Complete intakes of participants and administer risk and need assessment tool;
• Provide comprehensive, clinically-informed case management services to participants including regular in-person meetings and phone calls; this may include communication with clients on nights and weekends;
• Perform voluntary individual counseling sessions as needed;
• Facilitate group sessions for program participants;
• Conduct outreach to collateral sources as needed to provide supervision and court monitoring;
• Communicate with community-based service providers to facilitate, follow-up and assist participants with voluntary service referrals;
• Complete all necessary documentation and input data into computer database;
• Monitor and report compliance to court stakeholders and work with defense and prosecution to bring program participants into compliance as needed;
• Attend staff meetings and on-going trainings as well as participate in community events;
• Assist with the development of on-site programming that is responsive to participants' needs;
• Assist with data collection;
• Assist with other programming as needed;
• Attend Staten Island Justice Centers' events after hours, as needed; and
• Additional relevant tasks, as needed.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will possess a Master's in Social Work or an equivalent Master's level counseling degree. Candidates must either be currently licensed or obtain licensure in New York State within 90 days of hire. Excellent written skills are a must. Candidate must be a skilled communicator able to work in a multi-disciplinary setting and maintain strong relationships with multiple agencies and organizations both onsite and in the community. Prior experience with the criminal justice system and/or justice-involved communities is a plus - in particular, experience working with youth and young adults, individuals experiencing domestic violence, mental health issues, substance use disorder, and/or homelessness.

Position Type: Full-time, exempt with the ability to work nights or weekends, as needed.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $59,190 - $71,200 and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Court 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%.

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