EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
Mitigation Specialists

Fidelis Mitigation Consulting, LCSW is a social work firm that provides defense advocacy to individuals who are charged with a crime. It is our mission to investigate, report and address the mitigating circumstances that have contributed to an individual's contact with the criminal justice system, such as mental illness, addiction, and poverty, and find creative and effective long-term solutions that meet the needs of the individual while ensuring the safety of the community at large.

 

Seeking New York State licensed clinical social workers on Long Island with good analytical and writing skills to conduct psychosocial investigations and write reports for criminal attorneys who represent their clients. Consultants make their own hours and are independent. Must be able to meet deadlines. Perfect for social workers looking to work from home, work part-time, make extra money and have flexibility with their schedule. Fluency in another language in addition to English is a plus and will increase compensation.

 

* MOST ASSESSMENTS ARE CONDUCTED VIA TELEHEALTH. HOWEVER, MUST BE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO JAILS ON LONG ISLAND (INCLUDING JAILS IN RIVERHEAD & YAPHANK) AT LEAST THREE TIMES A MONTH TO CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT IF A CLIENT IS INCARCERATED.

 

Compensation commensurate with experience and clinicians manage their own time. In addition, the more cases a clinician accepts, the more money they will make. Experience preferred. Excellent writing, clinical and communication skills are a must.

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Job Description

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Fidelis Mitigation Consulting, LCSW, a social work defense advocacy firm, has several openings for mitigation specialists on Long Island. The mitigation specialist's primary role is to conduct a psychosocial investigation that includes interviewing clients and any collateral contacts, and obtaining and reviewing records with the goal of gathering a life history to highlight mitigating circumstances such as mental illness, drug addiction, trauma and/or chronic poverty leading to a client's involvement in the criminal justice system. The mitigation specialist will then advocate for an alternative to incarceration, or lesser sentence, based on mitigating factors.

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The mitigation specialist will evaluate clients and may recommend a treatment program. In some cases, the mitigation specialist will link client to resources and facilitate a client's initial interview with a program and/or assure a client's acceptance into a program. In most cases, the jail and/or court will work to secure a program. The mitigation specialist educates the client about treatment options and offers crisis intervention and short-term counseling if necessary. The mitigation specialist will work collaboratively with the Lead Mitigation Specialist.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

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* Interview the client via video conference or in-person at the jail performing a thorough bio-psycho-social assessment. During this process, crisis intervention, brief treatment, or short-term counseling may also be performed.

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* Identify and interview collateral sources of information. Collateral interviews are done with family members, friends, teachers, providers, social workers, community members, and others connected to the client

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* Request, review, and analyze life history records (e.g. school, medical, psychiatric) in order to document specific arguments within written reports.

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*Develop casework plans in conjunction with the attorneys, develop alternative sentencing plans, and provide advocacy in court if necessary.

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* Assess a client's readiness for treatment and make referrals to substance abuse treatment, domestic violence, mental health counseling, shelters, etc. if necessary.

 

Locations​: Suffolk County, Nassau County and the Five Boroughs

 

Requirements

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* A New York Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
* Strong diagnostic skills with a background emphasis in working with clients with the following special needs: MICA, physical illnesses and disabilities, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and developmental delays, and histories of substance abuse
* Ability to negotiate with community-based treatment centers
* Ability to write persuasively
* Excellent written and oral communication skills
* Excellent organizational skills
* Strong computer skills
* Ability to work within a team model

* Must be able to conduct in-person interviews within Yaphank and Riverhead Correctional Facilities in Suffolk County when necessary (around once or twice a month).