The Public Defender Division of CPCS is seeking applicants for the position of Social Services Advocate Supervisor for the state’s Southeast Region, covering Plymouth, Bristol, and Barnstable Counties. This includes the offices in Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, and Hyannis.  Under the direction of the Director of Social Services Advocates, the SSA Supervisor will assist in the hiring, supervision, and training of Social Service Advocates, and will also have their own reduced client caseload.  The SSA Supervisor’s primary base of operation will be a CPCS office that is located within this geographic region. 

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 Public Defender Division (PDD) provides legal services to adults who qualify for assigned counsel and are facing criminal charges. The PDD administrative office is in Boston and PDD currently has 17 trial offices located throughout the state, as well as an Appeals Unit, and a staff of approximately 250 attorneys and 100 other staff members. 

The mission of the Public Defender Division is to ensure that criminal defendants are given the fundamental protections of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Massachusetts Constitution. We believe that every defendant should not only receive zealous advocacy but respect and dignity as they deal with the potential loss of their liberty.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Public Defender Division of CPCS is seeking applicants for the position of Social Services Advocate Supervisor for the state’s Southeast Region covering Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable Counties. This includes the offices in Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, and Hyannis. Under the direction of the Director of Social Services Advocates, the SSA Supervisor will assist in the hiring, supervision, and training of staff Social Service Advocates in their region, as well as collaborating with and supporting the work of the SSA Director and CPCS management.

The SSA Supervisor will carry their own reduced client caseload and will work alongside attorneys in the region’s offices as part of the defense team. In this capacity, the SSA Supervisor can assist on cases through written or direct advocacy to support a positive legal and life outcome for our clients. This work includes bio-psychosocial interviewing and assessment, social history investigation, forensic case management, advocacy for clients within court, carceral, mental health, and social service systems, fostering family interactions and intervention, treatment and sentencing planning, report writing, testifying, and making direct connections between clients and programs. Social services intervention occurs at all stages of the court process, from the initial arraignment through resolution and post-conviction.

The SSA Supervisor’s primary base of operation will be in a CPCS office that is located within this geographic region.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Applicants for Social Services Advocate Supervisor must have: 

• A master’s degree in social work, psychology, or related field;
• A minimum of three years of experience providing social services to clients, including clinical assessments and community referrals;
• 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. 

Social Work Licensure (LICSW) and at least one year of supervisory experience preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

•  Experience working with individuals and families of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, educational, and economic backgrounds;
• Knowledge of social, psychological, environmental, economic, legal, and medical factors that influence behavior;
• Understanding of social structures and institutional barriers that cause disparities, such as systemic racism and poverty;
• Culturally appropriate skills in client interviewing, assessment, case management, and treatment planning;
• Knowledge of public and private social services systems and resources;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and persuasively orally and in writing;
• Proven ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team;
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within the office and the service provider community;
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities (strong organizational skills);
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends to handle emergencies;
• Knowledge of defense practice and the criminal legal system;
• Ability to supervise master level social workers for LICSW licensure preferred;
• Strong interpersonal, management, leadership, and supervisory skills;
• Strong writing and editing abilities;
• A demonstrated commitment to the development and training of CPCS Social Services Advocates and advancement of holistic practice in the legal defense field; and,
• Bilingual abilities are a plus.

Please submit a writing sample, such as a redacted clinical assessment, narrative biopsychosocial assessment, or client advocacy letter, along with your application.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

The supervisory duties of the Social Services Advocate Supervisor include:

• Regular one-on-one meetings with individual supervisees, as well as group meetings, to ensure quality of services to both clients and referring defense attorneys;
• In-the-field supervision, including accompanying supervisees on client interviews, including jail visits and in-court appearances and court testimony to support ongoing training;
• Overseeing the development of community resource information and relevant clinical research data;
• Collecting, monitoring, and analyzing caseload statistics to ensure that caseloads are appropriate;
• Responding to requests for consultation from attorneys in the assigned region;
• Collaborating with Attorneys in Charge of offices in the region on annual performance evaluations of assigned supervisees;
• Assisting in hiring new staff by reviewing application materials, interviewing applicants, and conducting reference checks;
• Providing back-up coverage for SSA referrals as needed; and,
• Other duties as assigned. 

 The training duties of the Social Services Advocate Supervisor include:

•  Providing orientation and ongoing training to new SSA hires;
• Assisting in developing, enhancing, and providing training programs and opportunities, for incoming as well as experienced staff;
• Assisting in training CPCS staff attorneys; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

The direct client duties of the Social Services Advocate Supervisor include:

• Maintaining close contact with clients over the duration of their case to build a strong working relationship;
• Conducting both brief and in-depth interviews with clients respecting their individuality and with cultural humility to obtain client histories; connecting with and interviewing collateral contacts;
• Performing needs assessments, developing treatment or service plans, referring clients to service providers, and making direct connections between clients and programs;
• Gaining comprehensive knowledge of statewide and local programming and services, and working collaboratively with community-based services that support clients;
• Collaborating with defense counsel to develop defense strategies and dispositional options which demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of our clients’ whole lives;
• Preparing and presenting courtroom testimony to describe services and dispositional alternatives arranged for the client;
• Preparing detailed and persuasive written advocacy for sentencing and mitigation purposes;
• Advocating for clients in a client-directed practice to facilitate best possible outcomes; 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