Social Worker (Family Law Assistance Group)

Legal Services of Eastern Michigan - Full-Time Social Worker Position

Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM) is a non-profit civil law firm which has been providing legal assistance to marginalized community members for over 70 years. It serves 14 mid-Michigan counties from offices in Flint and Saginaw. The agency mission is to provide civil legal services to those how need it the most and have the least access. We envision communities where individuals have access to justice and economic stability.

Position Overview

LSEM is seeking a dedicated full-time social worker to collaborate with attorneys and caretakers in providing 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 families overall needs, identifying and building from the strengths and opportunities of the parent
• Train or mentor other staff in areas of experience
• Coordinate with staff to ensure holistic, high quality legal representation and provide 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 social justice
• 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: [email protected]
LSEM is an equal opportunity employer and we encourage all qualified applicants to apply.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off

License/Certification:

• Clinical Social Worker License (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Flint, MI 48502