Legal Services of Eastern Michigan - Social Worker

Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM) is a non-profit civil law firm which has been providing legal assistance to disadvantaged community members for over 70 years. It serves 14 mid-Michigan counties from offices in Flint. Saginaw, and Caro. The agency mission is to use advocacy to address the causes and effects of poverty. We envision communities where individuals have affordable access to resources to meet their justice needs and can pursue their legal rights through effective advocacy.

Position Overview

LSEM is seeking a dedicated full-time social worker to collaborate with attorneys and caretakers, providing dedicated, zealous, client- directed advocacy while addressing underlying issues that brought the family into the child welfare system. Pursuant to a contract with Genesee County, the social worker will provide services to caretakers who are at risk of becoming involved in child protective proceedings or who are already parties in child protective proceedings before the Family Division of the Genesee County 7th Circuit Court. Under this program, the social worker will work closely with the client and primary referral sources to prevent the unnecessary entry and/or prolonged stay of children in the foster care system. The social worker will work directly with attorneys and support staff. In addition to individual client work, the social worker is expected to be active in the community through participation in outreach and community organizations and to assist with identifying areas of crisis and use interviewing skills to assist clients in identifying goals and developing a course of action plan. The social worker will treat clients, coworkers, and others with dignity and respect.

Responsibilities

  • Provide timely services to clients and client groups through referrals and advocacy
  • Provide client services in a holistic and client-centered manner
  • Assess psychosocial needs, identifying and building from the strengths and needs of the parent Train or mentor other staff in areas of experience
  • Coordinate with staff to ensure holistic, high quality legal representation and provide clinical consultations to colleagues related to case advocacy and client counseling
  • Identify people and communities in need of help
  • Ensure compliance with funding requirements
  • Prepare and draft documentation required for funder reports as requested
  • Perform other work-related duties as assigned by the supervising attorney, Executive Director, or an Executive Director designee

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills

  • Excellent organizational, written and oral communication skills
  • Ability to relate comfortably to individuals of different racial/ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds
  • Ability to multi-task and complete projects in a timely matter under pressure
  • Demonstrated ability to work on a multidisciplinary team
  • Clinical understanding of mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and other pertinent areas of advocacy
  • A strong background in child welfare and knowledge of the child welfare system
  • Knowledge of communities to be served and demonstrated ability to forge community collaborations
  • Knowledge of and demonstrated commitment to public interest and LSEM’s mission
  • Experience or aptitude in working with appropriate office technology, including telephone systems, copiers, word processing, report generation software, internet research, client database, etc.

Qualifications

  • Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree from a Counsel on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program
  • Minimum 2 years of social work or legal setting experience preferred

Salary

Salary is commensurate with qualifications. Benefits for full time staff include but are not limited to: paid holidays, paid sick, vacation and personal days, life and disability insurance, BCBS health insurance, 403b retirement plan, and student loan repayment plan

Application

Interested applicants should email a resume, references, and cover letter to: humanresources@lsem-mi.org

LSEM is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We encourage all applicants to apply regardless of age, ancestry, color, creed, disability, marital status, medical conditions, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.

Date Posted