Job Description

Position Summary

The Marion County Public Defender Agency provides legal representation for Marion County citizens who cannot afford to hire their own lawyer in matters involving liberty interests, including criminal cases. Our services are provided as a public service. We work with the felony, misdemeanor, Title IV D, civil commitment, and juvenile courts. We also work on cases related to termination of parental rights as well as appeals. Our agency also offers education, services, and programs focused on different ways to serve jail sentences. The agency is able to do this by cultivating a productive, collaborative, and compliant work environment in order for our workforce to meet the needs of the constituents of Indianapolis and Marion County.

Position is responsible for providing clinical and consultation work as part of the legal team. In addition, maintain professional support relationship with clients and function as an advocate or guide to help with solutions to incarceration or long-term commitment. Independent judgment may be utilized as long as it is performed at the request of the supervising attorney. Independent judgment will also be exercised in researching and offering consultative opinions and litigation. Position reports to Administrator of Social Services

All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. We value diversity in perspectives and experiences among colleagues and the residents of this city of whom we serve.

Position Responsibilities

Address and assess need for competency and intervention

Assesses client needs and eligibility for services

Develop and maintain client case records, plans, and reports

Compile information for attorney use and for reporting purposes for grant

Refer clients to services and placement as appropriate

Work with outside agencies to coordinate and facilitate alternative placement options for agency clients

Conduct psychosocial evaluations with select agency clients as appropriate

Confers with attorneys and other staff on agency cases

Participate in gathering of mitigation information on behalf of the client

Attends and testifies at court proceedings

Works with outside agencies to coordinate and facilitate alternative placement options for agency clients

Participate in agency and community planning and education

Help to develop agency policies and procedures with regard to social work practices and program needs

Supervise and coordinate MSW interns from local universities

Conduct intake evaluations and screenings with selected agency clients

Supervise and train MSW interns on such evaluations

Participates in alternative placement discussions with attorneys in devising a plan for treatment

Report and provide information as the program require, including success rates and caseload numbers

Screens and assigns cases in the supervisor\'s absence

Must maintain confidentiality at all times

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities that management may deem necessary from time to time

Qualifications

Bachelor\'s Degree in Social Work, Licensed Social Worker (LSW), or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Must have Social Work certification or the ability to be certified by the State of Indiana. Two (2) years of experience as a Social Worker required. Must be computer literate. Knowledge of legal terminology, ethics, and court procedures required. Ability to communicate effectively, handle responsibility, collaborate independently with clients and co-workers. Must have ability to interact with people of different cultures, positions and walks of life.

Preferred Job Requirements and Qualifications

Master\'s degree in social work (MSW) preferred.

All rates are bi-weekly.

2023 Rate Sheet - To view our rate sheet, please copy and paste this link into your web browser: https://media.graphassets.com/fXBSN1Q7SQu0d2T9mmrA

Life Insurance Employee Only (rates per $1,000 per month):

Basic: Employer Paid

Optional Life Insurance Employee Only (rates per $1,000 per month)

Additional:

25-29 $0.053

30-34 $0.075

35-39 $0.090

40-44 $0.120

45-49 $0.203

50-54 $0.330

55-59 $0.545

60-64 $0.723

65-69 $1.208

70 + $1.867

IMPORTANT PERF UPDATE:

*For more information on eligibility options, refer to Proposal 21-288 https://bit.ly/3exq8yR

1. All employees hired/rehired after 1/1/2022 have a choice to select the PERF Hybrid plan (3% + Pension) or the INPRS My Choice: Retirement Savings plan (3% + 1% Contribution). The Hybrid plan consists of two components:

Annuity Savings Account (ASA) -This consists of the mandatory employee contribution of three (3%) percent of compensation (made for the employee by the City), plus interest credits or earnings. You\'re always vested in your ASA portion - it\'s always yours.

Pension - The pension portion of the retirement benefit is funded by contributions made by the employer over the course of the employee\'s career and separate from the annuity savings account. Employees enrolled in the PERF Hybrid plan are eligible for retirement benefits at age sixty-five (65) if they have ten (10) or more years of creditable service. After June 30, 1995, employees may retire at age sixty (60) with at least fifteen (15) years of credible service or if the member\'s age in years plus the years of credible service equals at least 85 and the member is at least fifty-five (55) years of age. With fifteen (15) or more years of creditable service, the employee may retire as early as age fifty (50) with a reduced pension.

2. Employees hired/rehired by the City and County between 1/1/2017 and 12/31/2021 will be automatically enrolled in the PERF My Choice: Retirement Savings plan. This plan is an annuity savings account (ASA) only plan and does not have a pension component. Any service that an employee has in the My Choice: Retirement Savings Plan will not count toward the service time requirements for pension eligibility in the Hybrid Plan.

With the PERF My Choice: Retirement Savings Plan, the ASA is split up into two parts:

Part one - This consists of the mandatory employee contribution of three (3%) percent of compensation (made for the employee by the City), plus interest credits or earnings. You\'re always vested in your ASA portion - it\'s always yours.

Part two - This consists of an additional variable rate contribution paid by the City toward your ASA. This variable rate contribution is currently 1% of your gross wages. Vesting in the value of the variable rate employer contribution will vary by length of participation. You are:

• 20 percent vested after 1 full year of participation

• 40 percent vested after 2 full years of participation

• 60 percent vested after 3 full years of participation

• 80 percent vested after 4 full years of participation

• 100 percent vested after 5 full years of participation

3. All employees hired/rehired prior to 1/1/2017 are grandfathered into PERF Hybrid plan. The Hybrid plan consists of two components:

Annuity Savings Account (ASA) -This consists of the mandatory employee contribution of three (3%) percent of compensation (made for the employee by the City), plus interest credits or earnings. You\'re always vested in your ASA portion - it\'s always yours.

Pension - The pension portion of the retirement benefit is funded by contributions made by the employer over the course of the employee\'s career and separate from the annuity savings account. Employees enrolled in the PERF Hybrid plan are eligible for retirement benefits at age sixty-five (65) if they have ten (10) or more years of creditable service. After June 30, 1995, employees may retire at age sixty (60) with at least fifteen (15) years of credible service or if the member\'s age in years plus the years of credible service equals at least 85 and the member is at least fifty-five (55) years of age. With fifteen (15) or more years of creditable service, the employee may retire as early as age fifty (50) with a reduced pension.

4. City Employees hired/rehired between 1/1/2017 and 12/31/21 that are members of the City AFSCME labor union can choose to enroll in either the PERF My Choice: Retirement Savings plan or the PERF Hybrid plan. Both plans are described above. Employees have 60 days to choose which option they want, and by state law this cannot be changed. If no choice is made, the employee will then be automatically added to the PERF My Choice: Retirement Savings plan.

The Indiana General Assembly has enacted a provision that allows public employees to make voluntary contributions in addition to the mandatory three percent (3%) contributions. Employees may contribute up to an additional ten- percent (10%) of their compensation per pay period to the annuity savings account. This means that the maximum level of contributions to the annuity savings account under this new provision is thirteen percent (13%) of an employee\'s compensation per pay period.

Employees who separate from the city within their first ten (10) years of employment need to contact INPRS - PERF regarding their ASA account.

City of Indianapolis and Marion County