Counselor, Jail Diversion

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies:

Backed by decades of on-the-ground experience and nationally recognized expertise, we bring innovative, practical, and lasting solutions to justice systems nationwide. Learn more about our work ovatingjustice.org.

The Center for Justice Innovation is seeking a Counselor, Jail Diversion to join a team of clinicians who assess the clinical and services needs of defendants currently being held in pretrial detention. This will include coordinating closely with the Manhattan Felony Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) Court to identify and assess potential participants. The ATI Court, which is led by Administrative Judge Ellen Biben, seeks to forge a new response to individuals charged with felonies by linking them to community-based social services.

The Court is the first of its kind, providing an innovative model for other jurisdictions seeking to develop and implement meaningful post-conviction sentencing options for individuals facing felony charges.

Reporting to the Senior Social Worker, Jail Diversion, the Counselor will be responsible for conducting independent clinical assessments and drafting treatment recommendations for defendants being held in pretrial detention. The Counselor will conduct these assessments and complete these treatment plans according to a strict timeline, ensuring that the process is completed as quickly as possible. The goal is to provide information that will enable defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges to resolve cases as quickly as possible, significantly reducing the time people spend in pretrial detention.

An essential and dynamic feature of the Counselor’s role will be close collaboration with key external stakeholders. They will work regularly with New York City defense organizations and other defense attorneys, prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, staff at the Department of Correction and Correctional Health Services, the judge and court staff from New York County Supreme Court who oversee the Felony ATI Court, and an array of community-based alternative to incarceration and community-based providers.

Court-based clinical work is an exciting, unique and demanding area of practice, and the Counselor role involves navigating and constructively engaging with differing and, at times, competing stakeholder perspectives.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conduct individualized clinical assessments for people incarcerated in pretrial detention;
• Develop treatment recommendations that address issues such as substance use, mental health, trauma, domestic violence, housing, education, and employment, among other needs;
• Ensure that all assessments are completed and all recommendations are submitted according to a strict timeline;
• Share and review treatment recommendations with defense counsel;
• Present treatment recommendations to legal stakeholders (judge, defense counsel, prosecutor, and court staff), when necessary;
• When defendants are referred to the Felony ATI Court, make appropriate community-based referrals for a variety of social service needs, such as substance use, mental health, trauma, domestic violence, housing, and vocational needs;
• Participate in regular interdisciplinary case conferences with court stakeholders while cases are pre-plea;
• Attend court, as needed, to help clients navigate court and collaborate with court staff and stakeholders;
• Conduct warm handoffs to case management staff prior…