Social Work Grant Opportunities
All Positions Require licensure with the Maryland Board of Social Workers (LMSW or LCSW-C). Both levels of licensure will be considered for grant positions, with salary commensurate with experience. Below are brief descriptions of our current grant opportunities.
Co-Occurring Diversion Project
The Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD) seeks a licensed Social Worker to reduce the incarceration of justice-involved individuals with a co-occurring disorder or complex mental illness in Southern Maryland.
PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Conduct screenings and assessments, and develop and implement individualized service plans for OPD clients identified as appropriate community-based treatment for a co-occurring disorder or complex mental illness.
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Collaborate with attorneys on coordinating treatment with the criminal case to ensure comprehensive holistic representation.
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Conduct data collection and analysis.
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Assist with grant reporting obligations.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Grant Funding Through: June 30, 2022*
Position Location: Southern Maryland (Charles County Office)
Decarceration Project
The social worker will be a key member of the team representing individuals serving life sentences or other long periods of incarceration, who are being considered for release.
PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Conduct biopsychosocial assessments to establish mitigating information in support of release and to identify re-entry needs.
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Develop and implement individualized service plans for OPD clients who have served long terms of incarceration and may be eligible for release.
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Collaborate with attorneys to advocate for release of clients serving long sentence terms who meet criteria for parole or other release.
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Coordinate with corrections staff and community-based service providers to ensure reentry needs are met in accordance with the service plan.
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Conduct data collection and analysis.
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Assist with grant reporting obligations.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Grant Funding Through: December 2023*
Position Location: Statewide (Baltimore City Office)
Diversion Linkages
Each Addiction Specialist will be a key member of the team working to identify public defender clients with a substance use disorder(s) and help determine if they could be better served in the community receiving treatment as a pretrial diversion.
PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Administer various screening and assessment tools to OPD clients, with a priority on clients who are currently held in pretrial detention.
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Collaborate with area service providers to link clients with the appropriate level of treatment and ongoing therapeutic services.
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Formulate individualized service plans and diagnostic impressions based on the assessment results.
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Collaborate with attorneys to implement service plans in coordination with the legal case.
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Assist with data collection and project reporting.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Grant Funding Through: December 2023*
Position Location: Anne Arundel County (Annapolis Office), Cecil County (Elkton) or Harford County (Bel Air).
Parental Defense Title IV-E
Parental Defense Social Workers provide social work expertise and services as part of the defense team representing parents whose children have been placed in the custody of DSS.
PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Provide expert clinical analysis and assessment in forensic social work and crisis intervention services for clients whose children have been placed in the custody of DSS.
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Ascribe to and able to apply Person In Environment, develop Ecomapping, Timelines and Genograms.
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Complete written biopsychosocial reports and recommendations for presentation to court or other appropriate agencies as requested by the assistant public defender and in conjunction with required court dates.
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Ensure that best practice policies and procedures for social workers are being followed in the representation of parents in abuse and neglect proceedings.
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Act as expert clinical consultant with attorneys regarding recommendations in parenting abilities, housing appropriateness, and compliance with court-ordered services.
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Develop, maintain and close client case files in accordance with OPD procedures and maintains client confidentiality.
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Assist with data collection and reporting.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Grant Funding Through: Ongoing*
Position Location: Western Maryland (multiple offices)
LCSW-C
Application for Social Worker II or LCSW-C level is available on our Statewide Job Site.