Social Work Assistant - Lima, OH

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney. 

• Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping. 
• Our Vision: A Fair Justice System.
• Our Values: Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people. 

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This position is a Special Project position funded through June 30, 2027 as part of our Northwest Regional Hub project in Lima, Ohio, serving Allen, Hardin and Putnam Counties.

You will serve as a Social Work Assistant in the Northwest Regional Hub (NWRH) of our Trial Services Division. The NWRH is located in Lima, OH and serves individuals in Allen County, Hardin County, and Putnam County. We provide client-centered representation to indigent clients facing criminal charges. You will provide basic social services and collaborate as an integral part of a client’s case team to help ensure holistic support throughout the legal process. You will assess client needs for community resources, make referrals, track client data, and also assist with identifying outpatient and intensive inpatient treatment for clients who would benefit from a more focused treatment program as part of their sentence. By addressing the client’s emotional, psychological, and practical needs, you play a vital role in navigating legal challenges and reducing the likelihood of recidivism. You will work closely alongside attorneys and administrative staff in our  office in Lima,  and your work will include travel in Allen County, Hardin County, and Putnam County. 

A successful candidate will have passion for working with a large team and assisting people who are facing the challenges of poverty. The preferred candidate will have professional or volunteer experience helping to pursue a fair justice system, and strong communication and organization skills.

This position has intermittent travel needs that may change week-to-week, based on business or client needs. The successful candidate will also be self-motivated and comfortable communicating via Teams or other conferencing software during those times.

The duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Perform basic assessment of clients’ needs for medical, financial, and housing assistance and community resources. 
• Assess referred clients who are at moderate-high risk to reoffend and clients who have been judicially released and are on diversion or community control.
• Interview clients, review clients’ case files, speak with clients’ attorney.
• Request client records (including but not limited to court records, medical records, education records, jail/program records for jail time credit purposes).
• Make necessary referrals and submit paperwork for eligibility determination by provider
• Research available resources at government entities, faith and community-based organizations, and other service providers.
• Assist in securing medical benefits, housing, utility bill assistance, veterans assistance, and other assistance
• Identify availability and accessibility of appropriate and effective community interventions that will address the client’s needs and coordinates community linkage services as appropriate for client and client’s family while the client’s case is pending disposition, until client has successfully completed diversion, or until client’s community control ends.
• Track client progress and outcomes. 
• Participate in planning of support systems for clients.
• Maintain data on all current clients; maintain data on local social services; track client data; track court-ordered evaluation scheduling and communicate with stakeholders to monitor completion and records.
• Input records and case notes into web-based case management system.
• Prepare and maintain required reports and/or progress notes.
• Maintain working relationships with attorneys, justice stakeholders, clients, families, and facilities.
• Under the direction of State Assistant Public Defenders, prepare written and oral statements for in-court presentations as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 
• Answer phone calls and forward calls to appropriate parties for response.
• Coordinate attorney calls to clients and attorney visits to county jails and state prisons.
• Assist with retrieving documents at county, state, and federal courts and other offices.
• Provide administrative and clerical assistance.
• Assess referred clients who are at moderate-high risk to reoffend and clients who have been judicially released and are on diversion or community control.
• Interview clients, review clients’ case files, speak with clients’ attorney.
• Request client records (including but not limited to court records, medical records, education records, jail/program records for jail time credit purposes).
• Research available resources at government entities, faith and community-based organizations, and other service providers.
• Assist in securing medical benefits, housing, utility bill assistance, veterans assistance, and other assistance
• Identify availability and accessibility of appropriate and effective community interventions that will address the client’s needs and coordinates community linkage services as appropriate for client and client’s family while the client’s case is pending disposition, until client has successfully completed diversion, or until client’s community control ends.
• Participate in planning of support systems for clients.
• Maintain data on all current clients; maintain data on local social services; track client data; track court-ordered evaluation scheduling and communicate with stakeholders to monitor completion and records.
• Input records and case notes into web-based case management system.
• Prepare and maintain required reports and/or progress notes.
• Answer phone calls and forward calls to appropriate parties for response.
• Coordinate attorney calls to clients and attorney visits to county jails and state prisons.
• Assist with retrieving documents at county, state, and federal courts and other offices.
• Provide administrative and clerical assistance.

The Social Work Assistant Position is assigned to the State of Ohio’s 1199 Pay Schedule, Pay Range 9, presented below in table format. Starting pay will be at Step 1 unless required by contract/legislation; candidates with exceptional qualifications may be considered for higher starting pay. Our steps give a standard path for earnings growth: you move to the next step after 180 days and annually thereafter. We typically have fiscal year Cost of Living Adjustments as well.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at 614-466-5394 or HCM@opd.ohio.gov.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

• Requires current registration as Social Work Assistant as issued by State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & Marriage & Family Therapist Board in accordance with ORC 4757.29. 
• Job Skills: Mental Health; Building Trust; Collaboration; Confidentiality; Customer Focus; Organizing and Planning

Intentional omission of relevant information, falsification, or misrepresentation of information on the application will disqualify the applicant. In addition, such intentional acts are grounds for immediate termination of an employee.

Final candidates selected for this position will be required to undergo a drug test. An applicant with a positive test result will not be offered employment. Final candidates selected for this position will also be required to undergo a criminal background check and state income tax check. 

Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration. 

This position serves at the pleasure of the Ohio Public Defender and will have an unclassified status. 

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.