Director of Social Work - Children and Family Law - Committee for Public Counsel

The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the state public defender agency of Massachusetts, is seeking a full-time Director of Social Work to provide leadership, oversight, supervision, and training to the Social Workers and Parent Advocate staff across the Commonwealth.

We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

Our Values

Courage   •   Accountability   •   Respect   •   Excellence

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation.  We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships, while striving to accept, listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs.  It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals, and in furtherance thereof, we embrace and endorse diversity, equity and inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility of each member of the CPCS community.

AGENCY OVERVIEW

CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one.  The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics.

DIVISION OVERVIEW

The Children and Family Law Division (CAFL) of CPCS provides children, young adults, and indigent parents zealous legal representation in a range of civil matters involving families. These include child neglect and abuse cases (referred to in Massachusetts as care and protection or C&P cases); termination of parental rights cases; status offense (child requiring assistance) matters, guardianship-of-a-minor cases, and proceedings for certain minors to obtain judicial consent for an abortion. We provide this representation through a diverse community of public defenders. Our multidisciplinary legal teams defend families against unwarranted governmental interference and protect the constitutional and statutory rights of children, young adults, and parents. CAFL provides leadership, training, and support to staff members and private attorneys throughout Massachusetts.

CAFL’s legal advocacy plays a critical role in cases that affect families.  For a parent involved in a care and protection case, having a skilled CAFL legal team may mean the difference between the family’s reunification and the termination of parental rights – the “death penalty of family law.”  For a teenager who is the subject of a truancy case, CAFL’s advocacy may secure the special education services that enable the client to succeed in school and avoid being placed in a foster home with strangers.  For siblings looking for stability after the court has freed them for adoption, the CAFL attorney will fight to ensure that they are provided a permanent home that allows them to stay together.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director of Social Work is a CAFL leadership position and a member of the CAFL management team. The Director of Social Work will be primarily responsible for the leadership, oversight, supervision, and training of Social Workers (including Social Work Supervisors) and Parent Advocate staff across the state.

The Director will work closely with CAFL Attorneys in Charge, the CAFL leadership team (including Managing Directors, Directors of TPSU, EdLaw, Appellate Division, and Training), and the Directors of Social Services Advocacy and Social Work in the other CPCS Divisions.

The Director of Social Work will report to the CAFL Deputy Chief Counsel.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must: 

•  Be licensed in Massachusetts as an LICSW, LMHC, LRC, Licensed Psychologist, or similar licensure with a minimum of five years of experience working in the justice system, mental health field, or related social service role and be committed to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population;
• Be available to support Social Work staff including during evenings and weekends as emergencies and various needs arise;
• Have insured, reliable and available transportation, and a valid MA driver’s license; and,
• Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

The successful candidate will have some or all of the following:

• A commitment to client-directed representation on behalf of children, young adults, and parents involved in the family regulation/child welfare system;
• Experience related to and knowledge of clinical issues regarding child placement and adoption, substance abuse, domestic violence, and related fields;
• Knowledge of social, psychological, medical, economic, and legal factors that influence behavior;
• Skills and experience in interviewing clients, assessing their needs, case management, and service planning;
• Strong leadership skills and qualities;
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills;
• Strong written and oral advocacy skills;
• Demonstrated ability to develop, support, and mentor staff;
• Ability to work successfully with courts and leaders of other state and private organizations involved in the family regulation/child welfare system;
• Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and to reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the family regulation/child welfare system;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing;
• Proven ability to work effectively as part of a team and independently;
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities;
• Flexibility for occasional statewide travel, as well as work outside of typical business hours (e.g., for emergencies, trainings); and,
• Foreign language skills a plus.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Director of Social Work include, but are not limited to: 

• Overseeing the CAFL Social Worker and Parent Advocates department, including, but not limited to, direct supervision of the Supervising Social Worker, Parent Advocates, and Social Workers in catchment area, refining protocols and standards in offices as needed, evaluating and ensuring high performance through reviews and collaboration with AICs, and providing supervision to Social Workers who are pursuing post-graduate licensure;
• Data gathering and reporting as necessary to monitor the Social Workers’ caseloads and other issues which may have an impact on CAFL’s ability to effectively and zealously represent its clients; 
• Recruiting and hiring staff Social Workers;
• Developing and supporting cross-functional teams that work effectively to represent clients from a client-centered perspective and assist teams in resolving complex clinical and legal challenges;
• Partnering with the Training Department to identify training needs and develop and implement trainings for Social Workers, staff and private attorneys, and other staff as needed;
• Leading and participating in agency wide working groups to set Social Worker practice policies and participating in working groups with outside agencies in order to provide better services to clients;
• Participating in the CAFL leadership team in making strategic decisions so CAFL can effectively and zealously represent clients;
• Assessing and re-evaluating the role of Social Workers and how their work is being implemented as a member of the legal team;
• Providing direct social work advocacy to clients as needed;
• Working across CPCS divisions to promote collaboration, including on shared initiatives; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies.  Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.net