The Bronx Defenders – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks an experienced social worker dedicated to the representation of parents in family regulation proceedings to fill a position as a Disability Justice Social Worker in our Family Defense Practice.

Founded in 1997, The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that has developed a nationally recognized model of representation called holistic defense, which provides people with teams of lawyers, social workers, and advocates to defend them zealously in court as well as to address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement.

Since opening our doors, we have grown into an organization of more than 400 staff members defending nearly 20,000 New Yorkers each year in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings who face incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation, among other devastating consequences.

Today we are reimagining the role of public defense even further, using community organizing and engagement, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation to partner with the communities we represent to bring about long-lasting systemic change.

We also share our model and lessons learned with current and future public defenders. We run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders from one end of the country to the next on how to move to a holistic model of representation.

Family Defense Practice

As residents of the most heavily disinvested borough in the city, families in the Bronx experience the highest rates of family policing and parent-child separation. We serve as the primary institutional provider defending parents and caretakers against the painful and unnecessary removals of their children in the Bronx. Together, our attorneys, social workers, and parent advocates provide the legal defense and support necessary to keep families together and interrupt generational cycles of family court involvement. 

Disability Justice

Parents in the Bronx who are living with disabilities are especially vulnerable to family regulation and the loss of their parental rights. New York is one of the 35 states where it is legal to include disability as an independent ground for termination of family bonds. The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) does not accommodate the disabilities of parents or provide necessary tailored support and often equates disability with child neglect. This position is meant to fight against this prejudice and provide specialized support to parents with disabilities at risk of losing their parental rights.

Reporting to a Social Worker Supervisor, the Disability Justice Social Worker will provide informed and targeted advocacy for parents living with mental health issues, intellectual disabilities, and developmental and physical disabilities to ensure that their rights are protected, and their families are not needlessly separated. The Family Defense Practice Disability Justice Social Worker will also develop a resource database, trainings, oral advocacy preparation, and resources to strengthen the practice’s representation of parents with disabilities.

Direct Representation of Parents Living with Disabilities

• Zealously advocate for parents living with mental health issues, intellectual disabilities, and developmental and physical disabilities in Bronx Family Court, Criminal Court, Child Protection Services (CPS) proceedings, and with community-based programs 
• Inform clients about the Family Court process and assist them in overcoming barriers while navigating the system  
• Provide clients support during court appearances and at community-based programs
• Assist clients in accessing appropriate resources and services to restore or maintain full parental rights
• Conduct supportive counseling, crisis intervention, and case management throughout the pendency of legal cases 
• Advocate for clients at Child Safety Conferences and Family Team Conferences 
• Engage in oral advocacy with the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), prosecutors, and other court and program staff  
• Assist with review of behavioral, medical, education, and other records 
• Prepare clients for court-related assessments
• Collaborate with external behavioral health experts to interpret external assessments
• Maintain case records in Bronx Defenders’ information case management system 
• Cultivate relationships with community programs and social services and benefits providers, and provide case management support and advocacy 
• Maintain a system to track outcomes with an eye towards minimizing the state’s ability to prosecute our clients

Training & Development

• Build relationships and institutional knowledge of resources and service providers specific to parents with disabilities
• Meet regularly with clients with Article 10 cases to uplift their stories and leverage them for narrative change through communications and testimony
• Provide mentorship to junior advocates
• Supervise and train interns
• Collaborate with the Social Work Training Advocate to facilitate in-house trainings on matters related to representation of parents with disabilities
• Participate in trainings within the office as well as external community events, conferences and webinars in which BXD is participating or presenting

To be eligible, candidates must have: 

• M.S.W. from an accredited School of Social Work

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Commitment to defending parents charged with abuse and/or neglect in child protective proceedings
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate with people from various backgrounds, identities and experiences
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively with lawyers and non-lawyers
• Commitment to zealous advocacy and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of the people we represent
• Effective research, writing, and oral advocacy skills
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings
• Strong analytical skills and thoughtfulness in employing resources to support clients
• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high stakes environment
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly
• Ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, and confidentiality around sensitive issues
• Commitment to raising one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level
• Demonstrated commitment to zealously representing parents with disabilities is strongly preferred but not required

This is a hybrid position.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 1-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $85,051 to $114,577. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; and a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is within the bargaining unit.

This position is exempt. By law, non-exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.

To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and a cover letter in one document. Your cover letter should share why you want to do this work, some key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this position, and any additional information you would like us to consider. This information allows us to understand your distinct perspective, experience and potential beyond the work history summarized on your resume. If selected for the position, your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience listed; we therefore encourage you to include all directly relevant professional experience on your resume. Please note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Applications will be accepted through June 6, 2025.

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating an anti-oppressive workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, disabled, neurodivergent and those directly impacted by criminal, civil, family and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we work with.