Social Services Advocate Private Counsel Division, Administration

The Private Counsel Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services the public defender agency of Massachusetts is seeking applicants for a Social Services Advocate position. This state-wide position will be part of the Private Social Work Services Unit. They will work closely with the Innocence Program the Parole Unit Alternative Commitment and Registration Support Unit (ACRSU) and the Post-Conviction Unit under the guidance of the Director of Private Social Work Services providing direct client support and advocacy resource development and consultation and training to defense attorneys.

This position is statewide. While the PCD SSA can be seated in any CPCS office that has available space the position involves travel across the state to meet with clients collaterals and attend in-person meetings.

We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

Our Values

Courage Accountability Respect Excellence

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy community-oriented defense and the fullness of excellent legal representation. We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships while striving to accept listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs. It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals and in furtherance thereof we embrace and endorse diversity equityand inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity diversity and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility of each member of the CPCS community.

AGENCY OVERVIEW

CPCSis the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal delinquency youthful offender family regulation guardianship mental health sexually dangerous person and sex offender registry cases as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races ethnicities genders and/or sexual orientation identities abilities and limited English proficiency among other protected characteristics.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Private Counsel Division (PCD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services is seeking to fill a full-timeSocial Services Advocate (SSA) position to provide direct client support for the Innocence Program the Parole Unit Alternative Commitment and Registration Support Unit (ACRSU) and the Post-Conviction Unit. Clients represented by these units have been convicted of a criminal matter and are seeking relief through parole the appellate process or other post-conviction legal proceedings. The PCD SSA will work to ensure CPCS clients achieve the most favorable legal and life outcomes. This position also provides consultation and training for attorneys and resource development for the SSA Unit.

The position requires flexibility the ability to prioritize and problem-solve excellent organizational and written advocacy skills good judgement attention to detail and a trauma-informed person-centered approach. The PCD SSA must be able and willing to enter county and state correctional facilities. The PCD SSA is expected to adhere to the rules of confidentiality under the attorney-client relationship.

The Social Services Advocate will report to the Director of Private Social Work Services with direction provided by the Directors of the Post-Conviction Parole ACRSU and Innocence Program units.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelors degree in a social service field and one year of related experience or an equivalent combination of skills education and experience;
• Must have insured reliable and available transportation and a valid MA drivers license; and
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

A Masters Degree in Social Work Psychology or related field and a valid and active professional independent clinical license is strongly preferred.

Please submit a writing sample with your application preferably a redacted psychosocial report or discharge/release plan.

QUALIFICATIONS/ SKILLS

• Experience working with individuals and families of diverse racial ethnic cultural educational disabilities and economic backgrounds;
• Experience with conducting psychosocial interviews needs assessments and writing and executing discharge release or re-entry plans;
• Experience with case management coordinating services and collaboration as part of multi-disciplinary teams;
• Experience with drafting comprehensive defense-oriented written advocacy and release plans;
• Ability to conduct comprehensive records review and identify salient information (educational medical mental health psychological etc.);
• Knowledge of social psychological environmental economic legal and medical factors that influence behavior;
• Understanding of social structures and institutional barriers that cause disparities such as systemic racism and poverty;
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with colleagues and supervisors as well as with external service providers;
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple clients and responsibilities;
• Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends to meet with clients willingness to transport clients to programs attend meetings and conduct collateral interviews;
• Knowledge of basic computer skills Microsoft Windows virtual conference platforms (Zoom Teams etc.) and cell phone applications;
• Experience with unhoused or unsheltered populations is a plus; and
• Bilingual abilities are a plus.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The PCD Social Services Advocate responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conducting both brief and in-depth interviews with clients respecting their individuality and with cultural humility;
• Providing ongoing client contact during the duration of a case;
• Interviewing collateral contacts as directed by the attorney of the case;
• Performing needs assessments as part of developing home release and re-entry plans;
• Making referrals to viable services providers programs and applying for benefits programs housing and other areas of need;
• Providing direct client re-entry support including warm hand-offs and transportation to programs appointments and meetings;
• Drafting comprehensive release and reentry plans including mitigating factors and applicable research that supports findings and recommendations;
• Gaining a comprehensive knowledge of statewide and local programs and services for all ages and abilities;
• Working collaboratively with community-based services that support our clients;
• Assisting the Director of Private Social Work Services with case support projects trainings and coverage including recruitment and training of private Social Services Expert vendors;
• Providing social services consultations to attorneys including records and case file reviews; and
• Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race color national origin ethnicity sex disability religion age veteran or military status genetic information gender identity or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies. Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer Sandra DeBow-Huang at