What are the responsibilities and job description for the Public Defender - Mitigation Specialist (4225-47) position at Hamilton County, Ohio?
Public Defender - Mitigation Specialist
Deadline to Apply : December 13, 2024
Work Location :
Hamilton County Public Defender Office
230 E. Ninth St., 3rd Floor
Cincinnati OH 45202
Pay Rate : Salary : $58,074
Job Function Statement :
The Hamilton County Public Defender Office is seeking a Mitigation Specialist who will be under the general supervision of the Social Work Director. They will also work in collaboration with staff attorneys, investigators, support staff and other professionals. The Mitigation Specialist will be part of a holistic defense team working with adults; specifically, indigent clients who have been charged with misdemeanors or felony offenses.
This is a grant funded position for 2 years with no expectation that the position will be retained after the 2-year grant period has ended. The terms of the grant are from January 6, 2025 - January 6, 2027. Therefore, the hired individual will only continue to be employed if grant funds are available.
We are looking for individuals who are a good listener, empathetic, respectful, possess professional boundaries, and are motivated to help individuals who are in distress. All our clients are facing potential jail time or probation. Many of our clients present with several challenges such as : mental illness, substance use disorder, homelessness, physical illness, a lack of community support, and very limited financial resources. The Mitigation Specialist assess client's needs and eligibility for services. This may require visits to the Hamilton County Jail. The Mitigation Specialist will facilitate client engagement with appropriate providers and recommend alternative placement to incarceration. The Mitigation Specialist will present mitigation information on behalf of clients in writing and orally in the courtroom. The Mitigation Specialist will maintain a knowledge of available programs and services to assist in ensuring the best outcomes for clients. The Mitigation Specialist may be asked to assist in training interns / students from local universities.
Minimum Qualifications :
- Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, or a closely related field.
- Person with lived experience preferred.
- License Social Worker in state of Ohio preferred.
- Bilingual preferred.
- One year experience in the field of social work, preferably associated with the legal system, counseling and knowledge of social service agencies and programs.
- Must have car, a good driving record, valid driver's license, and current automobile insurance.
- Ability to establish rapport with clients, judges, court personnel, probation officers, attorneys, and support staff.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Pass background check : BCI / FBI
Illustrative Duties :
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :
The following are necessary to perform the duties of this classification. Items with
Knowledge of :
Case management; interviewing; psychology and or / human behavior; sociology or social work; agency providers / programs
Skilled in :
Excellent organization, communication, and interpersonal skills; emotional intelligence, cultural competency; public speaking; working knowledge of community services and resources; multi-tasking to meet deadlines.
Ability to :
Develop a rapport with clients; be an effective advocate for clients; handle sensitive face to face contacts and inquiries; define problems; collect data; establish facts and draw valid conclusions; apply principles to solve problems dealing with variety of variables; review and critique individual programming and make recommendations; establish and maintain good relationships with co-workers, attorneys, service providers, stakeholders, and court personnel; use statistical analysis; write accurate and meaningful mitigation reports; carry out instructions in written and oral form.
Salary : $58,074
