Family Defense Unit (FDU) Social Worker

About usFor more than 50 years, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) has been providing free, high-quality legal counsel in civil matters when basic human needs are at stake including: eviction and foreclosure prevention, domestic violence, disability, elder law, healthcare, consumer fraud and more. Our services support almost 600,000 poor and low-income families and individuals who cannot afford an attorney in our seven-county service area. With the gap separating those who can and cannot afford legal representation widening each day, we work to ensure that everyone has equal access to justice, regardless of their ability to pay. As the only provider of comprehensive civil legal services in the lower and mid-Hudson Valley (Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan), LSHV is proud to have handled over 12,000 cases impacting nearly 30,000 household members including 10,000 children last year. LSHV is made up of ten offices, and a dedicated and highly skilled staff of attorneys, paralegals and administrative professionals. Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is dedicated to building a highly skilled workforce that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels supported to bring their authentic selves to work. We are committed to promoting equity for all, and we continuously review and strengthen our processes and practices to support our staff, clients and the communities we serve. Respect is a cornerstone of relationships among our staff. As part of a collaboration with Westchester County and NYSs Indigent Legal Services, LSHVs Family Defense Unit (FDU) provides holistic and comprehensive interdisciplinary legal services to families with child welfare matters. LSHVs FDU represents parents in child welfare proceedings in Family Court including Article 10 cases and related custody, visitation, as well as permanency planning and termination of parental rights cases. The FDU also works to prevent placement of children in foster care by advocating for parents at the earliest stages of child welfare engagement including at the investigation stage and by litigating emergency removal hearings. Using a ground-breaking and nationally recognized approach to assisting parents, the Social Worker is part of a team which includes a staff attorney, social worker and family advocate in every matter ensuring that parents obtain the benefits and services they need to keep their families safe and stable Job DescriptionLegal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) has an immediate opening for a full-time masters level social workers to be part of the Family Defense Unit (FDU) to serve parents who are accused of neglect and abuse in investigations, administrative hearings, Article 10, Permanency Planning, and Termination of Parental Rights matters as well as other related family court matters in the White Plains, Yonkers, and New Rochelle Family Courts. The position will be based out of the White Plains office but will require travel throughout Westchester County and appearances in all three Family Courts. FDU Social Workers will take lead in developing a holistic case management plan in consultation with clients, attorneys, and the parent advocate, accounting for the strengths and needs of the client and the family. Additionally, social workers will provide crisis management and ensure clients have the support that they need to access critical legal and non-legal services to achieve clients goals of child safety and family stability including leveraging LSHVs other programs and providing referrals to outside providers. Duties of the Position: Working collaboratively with attorneys, parent advocates and paralegals to represent parents in Child Protective (Article 10) and Termination of Parental Rights proceedings in Family Court, providing social work support and advocacy to clients, conducting intake and client interviews, assessing clients needs and goals, ensuring clie