Postconviction Unit Licensed Clinical Social Worker

The Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel (OADC) seeks a dedicated, skilled Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) to join our new Postconviction Unit (PCU). The PCU LCSW will play a vital role on our PCU interdisciplinary defense team, collaborating with the attorneys and other team members to best address the social and legal needs of our clients. This is an exciting opportunity to advance indigent postconviction representation and help shape this new defender unit. Our ideal candidate will be passionate about holistic defense; equity, diversity, inclusion; and social justice reform.

About Us:

The OADC is the state agency responsible for providing client services and

legal representation for indigent adults and youth charged with a criminal or delinquent act when the Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) has a conflict of interest. Traditionally, the OADC has contracted with over 400 private attorneys and another 500 legal service providers (forensic social workers/clinical advocates, paralegals, investigators, legal researchers, case assistants, etc.) to provide client services on an hourly basis. The PCU is a new in-house endeavor that provides direct client representation and services in the postconviction context. Our fundamental belief is that good holistic legal defense teams produce good results for our clients.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the OADC, through the practice of holistic public defense, is to help adults and children whom the government has charged with criminal and delinquent offenses. The OADC’s holistic practice model fosters ethical, informed, and standard-driven best practices in public defense. The OADC allocates resources in a manner intentionally designed to rebalance the disparate power wielded by the government in the criminal legal system. The OADC advocates for every client’s inherent worth and dignity by centering the client’s lived experiences and voice to achieve the best legal outcome.

The OADC is dedicated to zealous, client-centered advocacy rooted in social justice, integrity, and humility. We recognize that we are working within a broken and racist criminal legal system. Public defense advocates play an essential role in challenging bias and disparity within the courtroom, within our offices, and within ourselves. Statistical data and experiences support that there is a disparate presence of violent policing, over-charging, and harsher sentencing outcomes for Colorado’s people of color and other vulnerable populations. The OADC is unwavering in its support of decarceration, the decriminalization of youth, and equity within the criminal legal system.

Our EDI Vision:

accelerate Equity, advance Diversity, amplify Inclusion – together

#SeeStriveTransformTogether

The OADC believes that transforming EDI work at this core level takes courage and intention. The work has progressed from the inside out - beginning first with building a team united in its understanding of and deep commitment to EDI and working to actualize this commitment through efforts to shape and refine our culture, spaces, and practices.

About the Job:

The PCU will provide direct representation to indigent clients pursuing claims under Crim. P. Rule 35(c) and 35(a), where the OSPD has declared a conflict of interest. The PCU will operate independently within our agency structure. Once it is fully staffed, the PCU will consist of the Director, the Coordinator, four Staff Attorneys, one Paralegal, two Investigators, and one LCSW.

The PCU LCSW will use their skills, knowledge, and expertise to assist the team and strengthen clients’ postconviction claims through case management, assessment, analysis, and mitigation advocacy. Essential job functions will include:

• Serving as a collaborative member of the defense team, including consulting with attorneys and other team members on the appropriate approach to the case; maintaining regular and timely communications with the team; and providing support to the client.

• Adhering to the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct regarding client-attorney privilege and confidentiality.

• Conducting assessments to identify physical or mental health issues, substance abuse or other patterns potentially influencing the client’s development, personality, or behavior.

• Documenting and interpreting symptoms of mental and behavioral health to assist the defense in developing case strategies.

• Assisting the legal team in understanding major mental illness, intellectual and developmental disability, substance use issues, individual and transgenerational trauma, and neurological issues resulting from congenital or traumatic brain injury.

• Identifying medical or mental health experts, where needed, to further examine, evaluate, and testify regarding the client’s physical or mental health issues; and interpreting those results and evaluation findings.

• Reviewing legal file and discovery to identify areas of mitigation investigation that prior counsel did not pursue; building on prior investigation and countering erroneous themes, where needed.

• Obtaining and reviewing relevant records, evaluations, or reports; and analyzing the significance of the information relevant to the client’s circumstances and case.

• Assisting the interdisciplinary defense with the identification and collection of mitigation evidence to support mitigation themes and advocate for alternative sentencing options.

• Conducting mitigation interviews strategically, building rapport and trust with diverse individuals to gather pertinent mitigating information in a culturally responsive manner.

• Compiling a comprehensive well-documented life history for presentation to the defense team, experts, district attorneys, court, treatment providers, or others as appropriate.

• Summarizing and providing experts with legal, medical, psychological, educational, and institutional records, at the direction of the attorney, to highlight relevant information for their review.

• May assist in crisis intervention or risk assessment with approval or direction from the attorney.

• May include overnight travel.

About You:

• High level of curiosity and ability to think critically about prior

information

collected and areas of undeveloped mitigation.

• Ability to apply theories and practices of social work practice from a criminal defense perspective.

• Ability to assess implications of physical, mental health, substance use issues, and neurological conditions on development across the lifespan.

• Experience working as a part of a defense team serving individuals facing criminal charges.

• Ability to establish effective working relationships with clients, families, witnesses, court and institutional personnel, experts, and colleagues.

• Motivational, strengths-based interviewing skills with the ability to elicit

often embarrassing, sensitive details from clients and witnesses.

• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills.

• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary legal team.

• Self-directed organizational and time-management skills with the ability to meet sometimes short deadlines.

• Familiarity with the Colorado criminal system.

• Knowledge of adolescent development and trauma.

• Empathy to the needs and histories of individuals with criminal records.

• Ability to function under institutional pressure in detention centers and prisons.

• Ability to coordinate complex services involving multiple barriers.

• Commitment to transformational change of the criminal legal system and working with communities oppressed by the system.

• Ability to understand the complexities of client-attorney privilege and confidentiality.

• High level of initiative, enthusiasm, motivation, and professionalism.

• Curiosity and interest in furthering professional training and education.

• Proficiency in standard software applications such as Word, Excel, Acrobat, and PowerPoint; internet access and email required.

• Bilingual skills in English/Spanish a plus.

Qualifications for this position are:

• Master's degree in social work and current valid LCSW license.

• Candidates must maintain licensure and complete Continuing Professional Development requirements.

• Must have a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance, and access to a working vehicle.

We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and encourage individuals of many identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply. OADC values lived experiences. A criminal history will not necessarily disqualify a candidate’s opportunity, but the OADC will run a background check on any finalist.

If you are offered employment, the following are the conditions of employment:

• Be a current resident of the State of Colorado or become a resident of the State of Colorado within 30 days of the hire date;

• Be willing to submit to a routine background investigation, including a criminal history check; and

• If hired, the Immigration Reform and Control Act requires you to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the United States within three workdays.

Salary Range: $74,436 - $90,636

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Colorado

The Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, social class, national origin, marital or parental status, pregnancy, disability status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or political affiliation. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and an environment of representative diversity, and encourage individuals of many identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply.

To request accommodation, please contact Juanise Cornell at peopleadvocate@coloradoadc.com or (720) 994-2840 as soon as possible. Any person with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to participate in the hiring process. The person making the request may be asked to provide additional information regarding functional limitations and the type of accommodation needed, which will be kept confidential. Advance preparation may be required, so timely requests for accommodation are appreciated.

The State of Colorado is committed to providing employees with a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Click here for further information about State of Colorado Employee Benefits. In addition to benefits offered by the State of Colorado, there is a gym located in the Ralph Carr Building for use by OADC employees, you will receive an RTD pass, a cell phone stipend each month, and a flexible hybrid work schedule.