Allegan County has much to offer, with 24 Townships, 9 Cities, and 2 Villages across nearly 900 square miles. The landscapes range from the lakeshore to beautifully wooded lands, our County's natural resources are a gift to be treasured. Allegan County businesses, citizens, and employees are world-class, and we remain a welcoming, closely-knit community. We are one of the fastest-growing counties in Michigan.
Allegan County Government places high importance on our core values: Respect, Integrity, Commitment and Honesty. A common thread among our leadership, employees and volunteers is a strong desire to serve and be part of something meaningful. We were recently identified as "Best in Class Winner" among mid-size companies for our excellence in optimizing employee and organizational well-being. We have also received the Impact Award for excellence in educating our employees about their retirement plans and overall financial wellness. We are looking for dedicated, caring, energetic people to join our team!
Job Summary:
Provides expertise in the area of social work and mitigation while operating as a liaison between the public defenders and our clients as well as service providers, stakeholders, and the general public. M aintains a caseload of indigent clients for which they will serve as an advocate on the defense team by identifying clients' needs, coordinating referrals to community resources, providing case management and advocating through mitigation.
Starting Wage: $28.75 per hour, full-time
Excellent Benefits Plan: Health benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date
Medical, Dental & Vision (3 medical plans to choose from, 2 of which have a $0 premium)
County-funded Health Savings Account with our two high-deductible medical plans
County-paid employee life insurance coverage
County-paid short-term disability coverage, up to 52 weeks
Generous retirement plan, including a county contribution of 7% of your annual earnings
Tuition Reimbursement Program for college degree courses
Generous PTO plan, including front-loaded hours into PTO bank at hire, and annually on January 1.
13 paid holidays, in addition to PTO
FREE use of Allegan County government's two fitness centers
Responsibilities and Duties:
Provides holistic defense social work and mitigation expertise to assigned defense counsel through relevant social work/mental health research and the application of that research to individual indigent defense cases.
Collaborates with team members to advocate for reduced sentences and/or alternatives to incarceration for clients through gathering factual mitigation through interviews and obtaining records, analyzing records, researching and recommending alternatives to incarceration, and writing pre-pleading memoranda to judges and prosecutors seeking reduced sentences and alternatives to incarceration.
Advocates in various ways on behalf of clients to social service agencies, judges, programs, and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney's.
Work closely with clients to make appropriate referrals to address clients' social service needs such as drug treatment, housing, and other benefits and also assist clients in navigating social service agencies.
Provides social work expertise relating to the Holistic Defense project and in support of the office's objectives as established by the Holistic Defense Coordinator, Deputy Chief Public Defender, and Chief Public Defender by collaborating with stakeholders, the private sector, local, state, and federal unites of government and various county departments as directed.
Shall perform any other tasks as assigned by the Holistic Defense Coordinator, Deputy Chief Public Defender, and Chief Public Defender.
Travel: Travel is required 25%-50%
Education and Experience:
Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Education, or other related human services degree.
Master's Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Education, or other related human services degree with a non-social work Bachelor's degree is also qualified.
One (1) year of Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Holistic Defense experience or other human services related experience in a legal setting is preferred.
Additional coursework in mental health, substance abuse, or criminal justice reform is highly desirable.
Allegan County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. A copy of our EEO Utilization report is available on our website:
https://www.allegancounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/2802/637974740005930000
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