Public Defender - Social Worker

Public Defender - Social Worker (2159-47)

Deadline to Apply : December 13, 2024

Work Location :

Hamilton County Public Defender Office

230 E. Ninth St., 3rd Floor

Cincinnati OH 45202

Pay Rate : Salary : $61,818

Job Function Statement :

The Hamilton County Public Defender Office is seeking social work professionals who will be under the general supervision of the Social Work Director. They will also work in collaboration with staff attorneys, investigators, support staff and other professionals. The social worker will be part of a holistic defense team working with adults; specifically, indigent clients who have been charged with misdemeanors or felony offenses.

This is a grant funded position for 2 years with no expectation that the position will be retained after the 2-year grant period has ended. The terms of the grant are from January 6, 2025 - January 6, 2027. Therefore, the hired individual will only continue to be employed if grant funds are available.

We are looking for individuals who are a good listener, empathetic, respectful, possess professional boundaries, and are motivated to help individuals who are in distress. All our clients are facing potential jail time or probation. Many of our clients present with several challenges such as : mental illness, substance use disorder, homelessness, physical illness, a lack of community support, and very limited financial resources. The social work professional will provide forensic social work services by assessing client's needs and eligibility for services. In some cases, this will require visits to the Hamilton County Jail. The social worker will facilitate client engagement with appropriate providers and recommend alternative placement to incarceration. The social work professional will assist attorneys in gathering client information and present mitigation information on behalf of clients in writing and in the courtroom. The social work professional will maintain a knowledge of available programs and services to assist in ensuring the best outcomes for clients. The social work professional may be asked to supervise and train interns / students from local universities.

Minimum Qualifications :

• Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, or a closely related field.
• Master's degree preferred.
• License Social Worker in state of Ohio preferred.
• Bilingual preferred.
• One year experience in the field of social work, preferably associated with the legal system, counseling and knowledge of social service agencies and programs.
• Must have car, a good driving record, valid driver's license, and current automobile insurance.
• Ability to establish rapport with clients, judges, court personnel, probation officers, attorneys, and support staff.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Pass background checks : BCI / FBI

Illustrative Duties :

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

The following are necessary to perform the duties of this classification. Items with

Knowledge of :

Case management; interviewing; psychology and or / human behavior; sociology or social work; agency providers / programs

Skilled in :

Excellent organization, communication, and interpersonal skills; emotional intelligence, cultural competency; public speaking; working knowledge of community services and resources; multi-tasking to meet deadlines.

Ability to :

Develop a rapport with clients; be an effective advocate for clients; handle sensitive face to face contacts and inquiries; define problems; collect data; establish facts and draw valid conclusions; apply principles to solve problems dealing with variety of variables; review and critique individual programming and make recommendations; establish and maintain good relationships with co-workers, attorneys, service providers, stakeholders, and court personnel; use statistical analysis; write accurate and meaningful mitigation reports; carry out instructions in written and oral form.

Salary : $61,818