Social Worker (Forensic Social Worker/Forensic Professional Counselor)

All applicants must have an active District of Columbia licensure as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). All applicants must have one year of experience as social worker/case manager or other comparable experience in criminal defense mitigation, court-based client advocacy (for the mentally ill and/or dually diagnosed), or direct clinical services (mental health and/or dually diagnosed) for indigent clients in a criminal justice setting (i.e., Drug Court, Mental Health Community Court, etc.). Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) Required: In addition to a traditional resume, candidates should submit a separate narrative statement addressing the following quality ranking factors. These factors will be used to distinguish the best-qualified applicants from a group of persons basically qualified for the position. Failure to submit your narrative response for this job will negatively affect your eligibility and/or rating for this position. Experience working with arrested adults and understanding of the plight of persons from disadvantaged backgrounds. Direct defense experience working with adult clients on rehabilitation and dispositional issues. Knowledge of social work concepts and concepts related to rehabilitation and alternatives to involuntary hospitalization and/or confinement. Intense knowledge of mental illness. Demonstrated excellent writing and oral persuasion skills and ability to communicate effectively to broad spectrum of people. Demonstrated computer skills. Familiarity with treatment and rehabilitation resources available in the D.C. metro area. Knowledge of the court system. Detailed knowledge of the mental health system in general, and specific aspects of the experience related to those committed to mental institutions, including the effects of institutionalization. Experience in crisis intervention counseling and de-escalation. Qualifications Required for the Grade 12 To qualify for the Grade 12, a candidate must possess the aforementioned educational requirement and at least one year of general experience (described below): General experience is progressively responsible experience in social work concepts, counseling, or other work that indicates the possession of, or the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the forensic social work duties Qualifications Required for the Grade 13 To qualify for the Grade 13 a candidate must possess the aforementioned educational requirement and at least 2 years the following specialized experience: Candidates must have demonstrated and progressively responsible experience that is in, or closely related to, the work of the position that has provided the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to apply a body of concepts, regulations, decisions, or statutes; extracting data from various sources; and dealing with people for purposes such as assessing mental health and identifying rehabilitation resources for social work or similar purposes. Note: If hired at PDS Grade 12, a candidate may be promoted without further competition upon completion of one year of exemplary performance and upon maintenance of active professional social work (LICSW) or professional counselor license (LPC), subject to approval of the PDS Director. Highly Desired Qualifications: Candidates with bilingual Spanish/English skills are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDSDC) is interested in attracting the best talent for our organization. To be considered for this vacancy announcement, applicants should review the announcement in its entirety and follow the instructions within. To learn more about PDSDC, please visit https://www.pdsdc.org/.