Social Worker (Housing Unit)

CLS’s Housing Unit is seeking to hire a full-time Social Worker. Social workers team with attorneys, paralegals, and peer advocates to assist clients with special needs, including providing clients with brief case management, referrals to other agencies and services, and crisis counseling. Social workers participate in case consultations and provide resource information and/or advice to case handlers assisting clients. Social workers also may conduct home visits or accompany clients to appointments or court to provide support.

Community Legal Services, Inc. of Philadelphia (CLS) is a non-profit public interest agency providing free civil legal services to low-income Philadelphia residents. As the largest provider of free civil legal services in the Philadelphia area, CLS is both locally and nationally renowned as a premier legal services provider dedicated to ensuring access to justice for all low-income individuals and communities. CLS has ten legal units covering a wide range of civil legal services.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The job duties and responsibilities necessary for this position include:

· Working with attorneys, paralegals, and peer tenant advocate to assist clients facing housing instability, including providing clients with brief case management, referrals to other agencies and services, and crisis counseling

· Participating in case consultations and providing resource information and/or advice to case handlers assisting clients

· Conducting home visits or accompany clients to appointments or court to provide support.

· Identifying and connecting clients to needed services

· Organizing and participating in community outreach and community education sessions

· Identifying and developing relationships with new community partners and building upon existing community relationships

· Assisting with ongoing special projects such as policy and legal changes, grant applications, data collection and analysis, etc.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

Supervise BSW and/or MSW social work interns. Responsibility for one’s own work product and work within a unit performing similar functions.

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and abilities:

· Provide a positive interactive liaison between the case handlers and their clients and other professionals and outside agencies

· Deal with people in a non-judgmental, empathetic, patient, and understanding manner which shows sensitivity, tact, and professionalism

· Exercise superior judgment, creativity, and decisiveness

· Listen to and understand information and ideas as presented verbally

· Communicate information and ideas clearly and concisely in writing and verbally

· Work with low-income and vulnerable individuals

· Excellent work ethic, organization, and communication skills

· Illustrate a high-level of commitment to racial justice advocacy

· Strong networking, relationship building and communication skills

· Experience with public benefits, housing, and utilites issues

· Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact well in a multi-cultural environment

· Ability to learn complex material quickly

· Initiative

· An ability to work as part of a team

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

· Masters in Social Work (M.S.W.) required.

· Aptitude for or demonstrated skill in client interviewing, written and oral advocacy

· Excellent writing skills

· Strong computer literacy

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

· Fluency in writing and speaking a language other than English, preferably Spanish, is strongly preferred, but not required

· Experience with rental housing issues is strongly preferred, but not required.

To Apply: CLS will accept applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.  You can submit your application on CLS’s website online at https://clsphila.org/careers/  or https://clsphiladelphia.applytojob.com/apply/ShnPBGAJxu/Housing-Unit-Social-Worker  

What to Include in your application: Please include a cover letter, resume, three professional references (at least two being past or current supervisors) identifying your relationship, and one brief writing sample (10 pages or less).  

CLS values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. CLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.  

Compensation: This is a full-time position covered by the collective bargaining agreement between CLS and the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, AFL-CIO and its affiliate District 1199C. The current minimum starting salary is $58,920 for entry-level applicants, which increases with relevant years of experience and according to the provisions of the current collective bargaining agreement. CLS asks for a minimum two-year commitment from individuals who accept an offer of employment. 

Benefits: CLS offers a very generous and competitive benefits package including 100% employer paid medical (including gender affirming care), life, and short/long-term disability benefits, a 403(b)-retirement plan with employer contribution, and a generous leave package, including 13 paid holidays and five personal holidays each year.  

Community Legal Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. CLS, Inc. does not discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, genetics, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, CLS complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training