Job Description

REPORTS TO: Court Operations Supervisor, Arraignments Supervisor, and/or Arraignments Team Leader       OVERVIEW: New York’s Arraignment, Criminal, Supreme and Family Courts provide avenues for individuals arrested in New York City to enter into CASES’ bail supervision, alternative to detention (ATD) and alternative to incarceration (ATI) programs. Defendants are instructed by the Courts to enroll in a CASES program and in doing so, to comply with community supervision requirements such as adherence to curfew, engagement in education and employment, case management participation and engagement in behavioral health treatment services. 

CASES’ Court Representatives work as part of small teams to provide a link between the Courts and CASES’ community programs. The Court Representative works with defendants, attorneys, judges and other Court stakeholders to facilitate suitable admissions into CASES’ programs, advocate on behalf of participants and report participants’ progress back to the Court. The Representative also collaborates closely with community program colleagues to ensure Court mandates are translated into programming. 

The Court Representative will need to draw on their thorough understanding of Court procedures, manage relationships with various Court stakeholders, and master an in depth understanding of CASES’ programs, especially eligibility criteria, to achieve these goals. 

CASES is seeking to interview candidates for prospective court representative positions, which open frequently throughout the year, as current staff go on to graduate school or are promoted here at CASES. We seek to build a pool of qualified applicants who are interested in working with our agency.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

•    Maintain excellent professional relationships with Judges, District Attorneys, defense counsel, Probation, and other Court partners to facilitate program admissions and maintain CASES’ credibility in Court; •    Review referrals to determine a person’s eligibility for CASES’ programs, including arrest case information, RAP sheet, attorney recommendations, and preliminary information about participant needs; •    Engage potential participants and their legal representation in and around the courtroom; •    Undertake screening interviews with potential participants to explain CASES’ program(s) and administer and score standardized mental health, drug use, and other screening instruments to identify needs and suitability for CASES’ programs; •    Ensure participants are matched to the appropriate treatment services based on assessed needs and eligibility; •    Achieve monthly intake and other performance targets; •    Write professional and formal court reports that convey a participant’s progress in community supervision and programming to the court; •    Accompany participants to all Court appearances and advocate to judges, verbally and through written court reports, for participants to be enrolled or maintained in CASES’ diversion services; •    Complete all necessary intake paperwork, including entering participant information into the Salesforce databases; •    Escort participants to and from programs, referrals, and other locations, as needed; •    Ensure participants understand the conditions of their mandate and engagement in CASES; •    Collaborate with CASES colleagues in the community, who are providing services, to ensure the Court’s community supervision conditions are being met, as input to Court reporting and advocacy; •    Participate in team case reviews for complex, high risk and media cases, including review of assessments, verbal and written advocacy, as well as working with clinical staff to develop initial supervision and treatment plans; •    Notify the Court when participants are not in compliance, have gone missing (absconded), failed to report as required, been rearrested; •    Collect and track information on participants’ intake and re-arrest cases, as well as warrants; •    Provide culturally-competent oversight, supervision, and management in accordance with CASES policies and the delivery of excellent court services to address the needs of youth, young adults, adults, individuals with behavioral health needs, and the race and ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and criminal justice history of defendants and program participants; •    Perform other related duties as assigned by Supervisors.  

Qualifications

•    Bachelor's degree required or at least 4 years of relevant work experience •    Highly articulate, resourceful, and professional – able to stand up in court and present detailed information •    Proven ability to function effectively in a high paced and stressful environment •    Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of participants and staff •    Interest in, and sensitivity to, issues facing justice-involved individuals •    Ability to quickly gather and evaluate the accuracy of information and use good judgement  •    Ability to formulate persuasive arguments for eligible defendants to be placed in CASES programs •    Excellent analytical and written skills  •    Ability to work autonomously •    Bi-lingual candidates strongly preferred

Additional Information

ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT A COVER LETTER OR COVER EMAIL, LETTING US KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHY YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE POSITION AND WHETHER YOU ARE WILLING TO WORK EVENING, NIGHT, AND/OR WEEKEND SHIFTS, ALONG WITH CURRENT RESUME AND LIST OF 3 PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES.  INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. No phone calls please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

CASES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with CASES is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position, without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or marital, military, or citizenship status. We also actively recruit individuals with lived experience in the criminal justice system.Your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.