Social Worker (Family Defense Unit) - White Plains, NY

http://www.lshv.org

Job Type: Family Defense Unit – Social Worker
Schedule Type: Full-Time

Overview

For more than 50 years, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) has been providing free, high-quality legal counsel in civil matters when basic human needs are at stake including: eviction and foreclosure prevention, domestic violence, disability, elder law, healthcare, consumer fraud and more.  Our services support almost 600,000 poor and low-income families and individuals who cannot afford an attorney in our seven-county service area.  With the gap separating those who can and cannot afford legal representation widening each day, we work to ensure that everyone has equal access to justice, regardless of their ability to pay.  As the only provider of comprehensive civil legal services in the lower and mid-Hudson Valley (Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan), LSHV is proud to have handled over 12,000 cases impacting nearly 27,000 household members including 9,000 children last year. LSHV is made up of ten offices, and a dedicated and highly skilled staff of attorneys, paralegals and administrative professionals.

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is dedicated to building a highly skilled workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We are committed to racial justice and promoting equity for all, and we continuously review and strengthen our processes and practices to empower our staff, clients and the communities we serve. Respect is a cornerstone of relationships among our staff.  Our affinity groups are self-directed and provide a space for members to support one another and their shared vision. We encourage applications from people of all identities.

As part of a collaboration with Westchester County and NYS’s Indigent Legal Services, LSHV’s Family Defense Unit (FDU) provides holistic and comprehensive interdisciplinary legal services to families with child welfare matters.  LSHV’s FDU represents parents in child welfare proceedings in Family Court including Article 10 cases and related custody, visitation, as well as permanency planning and termination of parental rights cases.  The FDU also works to prevent placement of children in foster care by advocating for parents at the earliest stages of child welfare engagement including at the investigation stage and by litigating emergency removal hearings.  Using a ground-breaking and nationally recognized approach to assisting parents, the Social Worker is part of a team which includes a staff attorney, social worker and family advocate in every matter ensuring that parents obtain the benefits and services they need to keep their families safe and stable

Job Description

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) has an immediate opening for a full-time Master’s level social workers to be part of the Family Defense Unit (FDU) to serve parents who are accused of neglect and abuse in investigations, administrative hearings, Article 10, Permanency Planning, and Termination of Parental Rights matters as well as other related family court matters in the White Plains, Yonkers, and New Rochelle Family Courts.   The position will be based out of the White Plains office but will require travel throughout Westchester County and appearances in all three Family Courts.  FDU Social Workers will take lead in developing a holistic case management plan in consultation with clients, attorneys, and the parent advocate, accounting for the strengths and needs of the client and the family. Additionally, social workers will provide crisis management and ensure clients have the support that they need to access critical legal and non-legal services to achieve clients’ goals of child safety and family stability including leveraging LSHV’s other programs and providing referrals to outside providers.  

Duties of the Position: Working collaboratively with attorneys, parent advocates and paralegals to represent parents in Child Protective (Article 10) and Termination of Parental Rights proceedings in Family Court, providing social work support and advocacy to clients, conducting intake and client interviews, assessing clients’ needs and goals, ensuring clients are engaged in appropriate and meaningful service plans, completing strength-based family assessments and address acute needs, referring clients for necessary services and at times accompanying them to meetings with CPS and other entities,  maintaining contact with service providers to obtain letters for court, advocating for clients with CPS and at foster care agency conferences, participating in team meetings as well as administrative meetings within LSHV, and keeping up to date client legal notes and entering data in LSHV’s database. Objectives of the teams include shortening lengths of stay for children in foster care, promoting quality visiting arrangements, and ensuring that families receive services that are well-tailored to expediting safe and lasting reunification.

Requirements

• Masters of Social Work;
• Two or more years of experience working with families in crisis, preferably in the Child Welfare or Family Court System, 
• Excellent people skills;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders;
• Ability to work independently as well as collaborate in a multidisciplinary team with other legal professionals, social workers, government agencies and other service providers;
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for the work of defending parents in Child Welfare Proceedings and Investigations and a desire to support parents;

Preferred

• Fluency in Spanish;
• LMSW license;
• Commitment to supporting the defense of people targeted by the family regulation system in Westchester county.
• Understanding of systemic oppression and Child Welfare as well as the impact on marginalized communities.
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people of various backgrounds
• Effective research, writing and advocacy skills
• Ability to multitask, organize schedule and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment 
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters

Salary: $65,000 to $85,000, DOE, with excellent benefits that include medical, dental, vision, life insurance and long-term disability coverages, as well as a defined contribution to 403b, loan repayment assistance and paid parental leave.  After a brief probationary period, this position may permit work from home up to two days per week.

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is a proud equal opportunity employer. People of all races, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, and veteran status, are strongly encouraged to apply.