Social Work Assistant - Lima, OH

Job Description - Social Work Assistant - Lima, OH (250008JE)

Public Defender Commission

Christina Black, christina.blacko.gov

Ongoing

United States of America-OHIO-Allen County-Lima

Compensation : $51,355 - $63,294

Full-time

Union : 1199

Mental Health

Technical Skills :
Mental Health

Professional Skills :
Building Trust, Collaboration, Customer Focus, Organizing and Planning, Confidentiality

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

Our Mission:
Advocating. Fighting. Helping.

Our Vision: A Fair Justice System.

Our Values:
Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people.

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This position is a Special Project position funded through June 30, 2027, as part of our Northwest Regional Hub project in Lima, Ohio, serving Allen, Hardin, and Putnam Counties.

You will serve as a Social Work Assistant in the Northwest Regional Hub (NWRH) of our Trial Services Division. The NWRH is located in Lima, OH, and serves individuals in Allen County, Hardin County, and Putnam County. We provide client-centered representation to indigent clients facing criminal charges. You will provide basic social services and collaborate as an integral part of a client’s case team to help ensure holistic support throughout the legal process.

You will assess client needs for community resources, make referrals, track client data, and also assist with identifying outpatient and intensive inpatient treatment for clients who would benefit from a more focused treatment program as part of their sentence. By addressing the client’s emotional, psychological, and practical needs, you play a vital role in navigating legal challenges and reducing the likelihood of recidivism.

You will work closely alongside attorneys and administrative staff in our office in Lima, and your work will include travel in Allen County, Hardin County, and Putnam County.

A successful candidate will have passion for working with a large team and assisting people who are facing the challenges of poverty. The preferred candidate will have professional or volunteer experience helping to pursue a fair justice system and strong communication and organization skills.

This position has intermittent travel needs that may change week-to-week, based on business or client needs. The successful candidate will also be self‑motivated and comfortable communicating via Teams or other conferencing software during those times.

The duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Perform basic assessment of clients’ needs for medical, financial, and housing assistance and community resources.

  • Assess referred clients who are at moderate‑high risk to reoffend and clients who have been judicially released and are on diversion or community control.
  • Interview clients, review clients’ case files, speak with clients’ attorney.
  • Request client records (including but not limited to court records, medical records, education records, jail/program records for jail time credit purposes).

• Make necessary referrals and submit paperwork for eligibility determination by provider.

  • Research available resources at government entities, faith and community‑based organizations, and other service providers.
  • Assist in securing medical benefits, housing, utility bill assistance, veterans assistance, and other assistance.
  • Identify availability and accessibility of appropriate and effective community interventions that will address the client’s needs and coordinates community linkage services as appropriate for client and client’s family while the client’s case is pending disposition, until client has successfully completed diversion, or until…