Looking to make a difference! Become a Defender! 

The Defender Association of Philadelphia seeks a Social Worker/Social Service Advocate in our Child Advocacy Unit (CAU). The mission of Social Services in the CAU is twofold; to (1) strengthen individuals, families, and communities we serve by promoting safety, permanency, self-determination, and community engagement; and 2) to collaborate with attorneys in protecting the legal rights of dependent children while promoting their best interest, stability, well-being, and positive outcomes. The primary focus of this position is to explore the dependency issues that warranted the child and their family to become court involved and provide ongoing assessment of the child’s physical, emotional, educational, and social needs. This position serves as an active partner in the Defender Association’s efforts to provide high quality, client centered legal representation to dependent clients who range in age from birth to 21 years, advocate in court for the delivery of effective community based services for our clients and their families, and develop an appropriate permanency plan for every child and youth

What You’ll Do

• Manage a caseload of 60 dependent children 
• Maintain well documented and dated files on all clients
• Conduct client assessments in their home and/or dependent placements to determine their physical, social, emotional, and educational and treatment needs; 
• Collect collateral reports from placement agencies, schools, therapists, DHS, Community Umbrella Agencies (CUA), hospitals, and other service providers to assist with assessment and determining appropriate legal and social service recommendations in court; 
• Contact clients, caregivers, and service providers to gather information relevant to the case in preparation for court proceedings; 
• Actively participate in case related meetings to assure appropriate services are provided to clients.
• Prepare a written court report for each case in preparation for court that outlines each client’s progress in regard to placement, services received, education, medical needs, visitation with family, and progress of family members in meeting goals and objectives as outlined in the Single Case Plan.
• Establish and maintain rapport with attorney teammates on cases and discuss client needs and legal and social service recommendations throughout the life of each case
• Provide court support for attorneys by appearing in court and providing court testimony on behalf of clients when needed
• Connect and support clients with services and resources
• Attend weekly supervision meetings, team meeting as needed and unit trainings

What You’ll Need

• BSW or BA/BS in related Human Services field
• MSW OR MA preferred in related Human Services field
• Must be able to work with diverse client population
• Must have good organizational and collaborative skills
• Must be able to handle a number of tasks simultaneously
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be able to travel to various Courtrooms, clients’ homes and other community placements as needed

Benefits & Perks

• Generous and rich benefits plan with many employer paid benefits
• Substantial paid time off - 35 PTO days all federal holidays
• Six weeks of paid parental leave
• We are PSLF Loan Forgiveness eligible employer
• 403(b) Employer Match
• Meaningful & Impactful Work 
• Ongoing Training and Development of You

Who is the Defender Association? 

The Defender Association of Philadelphia is more than just a law firm. We’re the community’s lawyers. The Defender team – more than 500 attorneys, social workers, investigators, administrators, and other staff – make sure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to high-quality defense when facing criminal charges. Our mission-driven, client-centered model focuses on outcomes that support a system that is fundamentally fair and creates safer, stronger communities. Our unique model and approach give our staff with the skills and support they need to get the best outcomes for our clients. Come join our team! For more information, go Defender’s website and follow us @PhillyDefenders (Twitter, IG, Tiktok) and on LinkedIn. 

The Defender Association provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, The Defender Association complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.