Position Overview

The Social Work Intern is primarily responsible for providing case management and mitigation services to clients across all of CGLA’s legal programs, managing a caseload in addition to other duties as assigned. In addition to providing direct services, the Social Work Intern engages with CGLA’s network of partner agencies and other social service organizations to achieve successful client outcomes. The Social Work Intern at CGLA serves as part of an interdisciplinary team, addressing the holistic needs of our clients as they receive legal services from CGLA staff attorneys. By targeting the root causes of legal problems, Social Work Intern addresses key domains related to engagement with the criminal legal system to assist in achieving the legal goal and to support the client throughout their legal case.

Essential Duties

Program Responsibilities 

• Engage effectively with both clients and attorneys as an integral part of CGLA’s interdisciplinary team approach to serving clients, including intake processes and case conferencing.
• Engage with clients and the assigned attorney to define legal goals and outcomes.

• Learn and demonstrate knowledge of procedural posture for legal cases to best support clients and attorneys.
• Prepare mitigation packets, provide ongoing support in court, and participate in conferences related to the client’s legal case.
• Assist in the implementation and periodic revision of the evidence-based holistic assessment model for CGLA clients.
• Support a continuous quality improvement plan for monitoring and enhancing the quality of services being provided by the Client Support Services program at CGLA.
• Maintain client confidence and protect operations by keeping information confidential.
• Support operations by following policies and procedures; participating in quality reviews; reporting changes as needed. 
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Direct Client Engagement 

• Provide support and guidance to clients with diverse needs throughout the duration of their case, from initial intake through case closing via client appointments, court dates, phone calls, and home/community visits.
• Assist client with goal-setting in other areas of life to serve the ultimate legal goal.
• Work closely with clients and service providers at each agency with which they are engaged as well as systems stakeholders, advocating for clients to receive the best possible services and care.
• Offer timely and direct services as support, guidance, and effective social work interventions for the client, presented to attorneys on the legal team.
• Provide emergency support to clients in crisis during internship hours; communicate with clients plan for crisis outside of internship hours. 
• Educate and support family members of clients as required by case.

Caseload Management 

• Manage cases to address client needs across five areas: legal standing, economic stability, housing stability, family connectedness, and substance use and mental health stability.
• Maintain accurate client records, case notes, and data tracking, and complete periodic reports.

Resource Management 

• Connect clients to partner social service agencies.
• Build and maintain partnerships with external organizations and stakeholders such as IDOC and CCDOC and community-based organizations through outreach and regular meetings to develop holistic network dedicated to meeting client’s needs in support of the legal goal as assigned.
• Track and share community resources with the CSS Team.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education

• Pursuit of Masters in Social Work. 

Required Skills

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both in writing and orally.
• Comfortable speaking to small and large groups.
• Exemplary interpersonal skills; comfortable working with a diverse population.
• Be self-driven, highly energetic and innovative.
• Ability to work within a fast-paced, team-centered environment.
• Ability to manage and prioritize competing needs.

Supervisory Responsibility

None.

Required Hours

Can be flexible based on intern’s needs. Most CGLA employees work Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. 

Travel Requirements

Travel to various City of Chicago court houses, and occasionally to suburban Cook County court houses, is required. Travel to client homes and external agencies to provide community-based services is also required. The Social Work Intern is not required to have a car, but must be able to regularly move throughout the city via public transport or carpooling with others on the team. 

Working Conditions

• Clients will work in a hybrid setting composed of work in the community, at court houses, in the CGLA office and remote work.
• Remote work is performed virtually at the intern’s home or approved “off-site” work location.
• Intern must have reliable internet access to work remotely.