Social Worker (Long Island)

About Safe Passage Project

Safe Passage Project (SPP) is a highly focused nonprofit immigration legal services organization that provides free lawyers to immigrant children facing deportation. Founded in 2013, SPP has grown to include 50+ employees, two offices, and an annual budget of over $5 million. It manages over 1,300 open cases a year.

To date, SPP has supported more than 3,000 young people in NYC and Long Island. The New York Immigration Courts, some of the busiest immigration courts in the US, have more than 15,000 juveniles on their dockets, many of whom are fleeing trauma in their countries of origin such as gang violence and recruitment, abuse, and sexual assault. Immigrant children are not afforded free legal representation by the government, regardless of their age. As a result, more than half of immigrant children in immigration proceedings must go to court without the aid of a lawyer. Among unaccompanied children with legal representation, immigration court data shows that 73% are allowed to remain in the United States, whereas only 15% of unrepresented children are allowed to stay. This is where Safe Passage Project steps in, both through providing immigrant youth with direct representation by staff attorneys and through a robust network of pro bono attorneys who SPP attorneys train, mentor, and supervise.

About the Role

You will be joining a small team of social workers within a pro-bono legal aid organization and will be responsible for the planning and coordination of non-legal services for youth clients and their families in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Taking a trauma-informed approach, you will meet with young people, provide referrals and advocacy, give insight and support to the legal team, and help ensure basic needs are met so that the legal mission of Safe Passage Project can be fulfilled. This role is an exciting opportunity for an MSW who wants to support immigrant youth through the stressful and confusing U.S. immigration system. You will be supported by and report to Supervising Social Worker Samantha Norris.

This position will be based in our Long Island office in Farmingdale, New York, joining a team of attorneys, and paralegals, and working closely with another Long Island social worker.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Engage in continuous outreach and relationship-building with young people and their families to recommend services, make referrals, and ensure connection to services;
• Develop and maintain relationships with social service providers, schools, local government agencies, and community organizations to facilitate referrals for youth;
• Conduct social service needs intakes and psychosocial assessments;
• Collaborate with both staff and pro bono attorneys representing Safe Passage Project youth;
• Manage and maintain client files and case notes using the Salesforce database system and physical and electronic casefiles to track case activity;
• Assist with grant reporting requirements, including collecting and maintaining required data
• Work closely with the Supervising Social Worker on the most sensitive and/or complex cases to support their advancement;
• Provides task management support or supervision (if SIFI-certified) to MSW students during their field placement;
• Participate in case conferences with the social work team;
• Participate in organizational meetings.
• Possess a commitment to the work of Safe Passage Project and readiness to grow and learn with the Safe Passage Project team.

Qualifications

Education/Licenses:

• Master’s Degree in Social Work from an accredited university;
• Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). If no LMSW, the staff member must obtain their license within the first year of employment.

Skills/knowledge:

• Written and verbal Spanish language fluency required;
• Experience working with diverse communities, preferably with immigrant youth;
• Knowledge of the social, educational, health, and other services available to immigrant

youth in the New York City metropolitan area;

• An understanding of how to work with vulnerable populations using trauma-centered practices or willingness to learn and incorporate such practices in your work;
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team in a

fast-paced environment;

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel, and G Suite;
• A commitment to the work of Safe Passage Project and readiness to grow and learn with the Safe Passage Project team.

Compensation and Benefits
Safe Passage Project offers a competitive salary in the range of $66,421 - $74,263 annually and offers the following benefits:

• In a hybrid work environment
• Open Paid Time Off
• Medical plans (which includes 1 plan that has 100% premium coverage).
• Dental plans, Vision plans, and telehealth services.
• An employer-sponsored retirement savings plan- we provide up to 6% employer match of your 401(k) contributions
• 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave along with Unpaid Leave of Absence
• Short-term disability (STD) & Long-term disability (LTD) Coverage
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and Health savings accounts (HSA)
• Commuter benefits
• Voluntary Life Insurance plans
• Pet Health Insurance
• Yearly Professional Development Stipend
• Time off from December 24th to January 1st
• Home Office Stipend
• Paid Holidays
• Flexible work schedule

The team works on a beautiful campus at a terrific office location in Tribeca and in our Long Island office in Farmingdale, NY. Safe Passage Project is proud to have a top-down, bottom-up commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Safe Passage Project is an equal opportunity employer. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

For more information on Safe Passage Project, please visit www.safepassageproject.org.

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Last updated on Aug 27, 2024