Social Worker

South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS), is the leading legal services program in Southeastern Massachusetts providing free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income clients with about 100 staff across four locations. Our core mission is to achieve justice for clients through community based advocacy.We prioritize legal services in domestic relations, housing, benefits, elder law, employment, education, consumer and immigration issues. Under new leadership, the organization is undergoing a period of growth and innovation.

This position is in our brand new Brockton office. This office is located in downtown Brockton, close to our community partners. It is organized to perform high level legal work based on a holistic, trauma informed model. Staff specialize but also receive training in a broad range of issues.This model works to advance equity for our clients individually as well as in the systems that touch their lives.Brockton is one of the most diverse cities in New England, with a rich history and vibrant community as well as a high poverty rate. The office is steps from the commuter rail and enjoys easy access by car from both the Metro Boston area and Southeastern Massachusetts.This is a hybrid position.

Duties Include:

This social worker will be part of an interdisciplinary team including a parent partner, attorneys, paralegals and support staff in the Brockton office. It is a key part of the Family Preservation Project is a statewide project that works with families involved with the state child welfare agency, the Department of Children and Families (DCF).The goal of the Family Preservation Project is to ensure families get the help they need to address areas of concern to DCF so DCF does not remove children from the home. This project works to keep children safe with their families and to avoid emotional trauma caused by removal. The social worker will identify client needs, make referrals for clinical and other services, develop safety plans, and work with the FPP team and the Brockton SCCLS office to do needs assessment and case planning. In addition, this position will play a key role in achieving the office’s vision of providing holistic trauma informed representation by doing intake and assessment for clients of the office to the extent capacity allows.

Qualifications:

1. An ideal candidate will have an MSW in clinical social work, at least two years experience in a clinical setting and experience with or willingness to learn about the legal issues affecting our clients
2. Experience working with clients in crisis including those who have experienced domestic violence and poverty, disabilities, substance use disorder, discrimination, or being unhoused
3. Excellent clinical skills as well as oral and written skills; creativity in meeting the needs of clients and communities
4. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team; commitment to ongoing professional development and growth
5. Knowledge of the community preferred
6. Commitment to equity in all forms and ability to engage effectively with people from diverse cultures, opinions and values, including staff, volunteers, and community members. Experience working with or connection to communities served by SCCLS Brockton, which include Haitian, Cape Verdean, Brazilian communities
7. Fluency in a second language which reflects our client communities (Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Khmer) preferred

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Salaries are based on a collective bargaining agreement scale with yearly standard increases and multi-lingual annual increment for demonstrated language skills. Benefits package includes health and dental with supplemental coverage, life insurance, disability, flexible spending account, 403(b) and loan forgiveness. Generous paid leave including sick, vacation, personal and holidays.

APPLY:

Submit letter of interest and resume by email to: LThelin@sccls.org with Subject Line: Brockton Social Worker

SCCLS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We strive to foster a healthy, inclusive environment where all staff, clients, and community members are valued, empowered and recognized, especially individuals who come from marginalized communities that are often under resourced, underserved, and underrepresented.