Director of Integrated Client Services

Appellate Advocates, founded in 1995, is a not-for-profit organization that provides high quality post conviction legal representation to individuals convicted in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Appellate Advocates’ attorneys represent clients in the Appellate Division Second Department, Court of Appeals Second Circuit, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island Supreme Court and Immigration proceedings.

Appellate Advocates’ attorneys also provide post-conviction legal representation in sex offender hearings, immigration proceedings, sex-traffic cases, and Domestic Violence Survivor Justice Act (DVSJA) cases. Appellate Advocates’ staff of attorneys, paralegals, social workers, and reentry staff, work collaboratively and across disciplines to deliver client-centered holistic representation.

Appellate Advocates is accepting applications for the position of Director of Integrated Client Services (“ICS”). This position reports directly to the Attorney-in-Charge and is responsible for overseeing, managing, and supervising the Prison-Based Services, Social Work, and Reentry programs at Appellate Advocates, in conjunction with the Supervisor of ICS. This is a senior leadership role requiring deep clinical, forensic, programmatic, and managerial expertise.

Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Strategy

• Oversee the Social Work, Prison-Based Services, and Reentry programs
• Develop and implement programmatic goals, policies, and workflows
• Ensure program protocols, referral processes, and tracking systems are current and effective
• Identify service gaps and implement improvements across ICS programming
• Collaborate with leadership on strategic planning and program development

Staff Supervision & Team Development

• Supervise Social Workers, Client Advocates, and Reentry Program Associates, in collaboration with the current ICS Supervisor, whom the Director will oversee
• Provide clinical supervision to LMSW staff
• Conduct annual performance evaluations and provide ongoing feedback
• Support staff professional development and training
• Facilitate regular team meetings

Clinical & Forensic Practice Leadership

• Provide consultation to attorneys on mental health, diagnoses, and external evaluations
• Review and edit clinical and mitigation-related written work (biopsychosocial, advocacy letters, reentry plans, parole submissions)
• Draft psychiatric evaluations as needed
• Conduct clinical assessments and provide guidance on complex cases
• Testify in resentencing hearings as necessary

Operations & Program Management

• Manage intake and assignment of referrals across ICS programs
• Oversee case tracking systems and reporting for internal and external needs
• Manage reentry program budget and inventory
• Ensure coordination across program areas to support client needs
• Provide crisis management support as necessary

Data, Reporting & Administrative Oversight

• Compile and analyze case tracking data for reporting, budgeting, and grant requirements
• Maintain accurate records of program activity and outcomes
• Support program evaluation and continuous quality improvement

Qualifications

• LCSW or License in Psychology required.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in forensic social work or forensic psychology preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work closely within an interdisciplinary office.
• Extensive knowledge regarding jail and prison operations, hierarchy, and structure.
• Experience working with individuals who have complex trauma and have been impacted by the criminal legal system.
• Expertise in drafting and editing mitigation reports, pre-sentencing, and biopsychosocial reports.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Experience and ability to author psychiatric evaluations.
• Excellent clinical assessment and clinical diagnostic and clinical engagement skills.
• Knowledge of the reentry landscape, service providers, and referral resources in NYC.
• Ability to travel to conduct prison visits as necessary.
• Experience in a courtroom setting and comfortability with providing testimony in resentencing hearings as necessary.
• Commitment to trauma-informed, client-centered, and anti-oppressive practice.

This position is required to be in the office five days a week for at least the first year, with the possibility of gaining at most one (1) teleworking day per week thereafter.

Salary and Benefits: This is a full-time, non-exempt, salaried position. Salary is commensurate with experience with a range from $120,000 - $150,000. Appellate Advocates offers a generous benefits package, including health and dental insurance, a 401(k), flexible spending and transit account, and paid sick and vacation time.

Application Deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis

To Apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and list of references to attention: Patricia Pazner, as a single PDF to apply@appad.org, referencing “Director of Integrated Client Services” in the subject line. Applicants with disabilities may e-mail apply@appad.org or call Melissa Taveras, Executive Assistant, at (212) 693-0085, ext. 252, to request and arrange accommodation for submitting an application.

Appellate Advocates is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, disability, or genetic information. Appellate Advocates is deeply committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and seeks to hire staff that reflect the full range of racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic identities of the communities we represent, particularly those communities disproportionately affected by the criminal legal system. We strongly encourage people historically underrepresented in the practice of law to apply.

Appellate Advocates offers a generous benefits package, including health and dental insurance, a 401(k), flexible spending and transit account, and paid sick and vacation time.

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