HIV Law Project provides innovative legal services and advocacy programs for underserved, low-income people living with HIV/AIDS, particularly women and their families; people of color;
undocumented immigrants, members of the LGBT community; and the homeless.

Social Services Worker/Casemanager

HIV Law Project is seeking a social services worker/case manager to join its legal team in providing comprehensive services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. HIV Law Project believes that all people deserve the same rights, including the right to live with dignity and respect, the right to be treated as equal members of society, and the right to fulfill basic human needs. Yet these fundamental rights are elusive for many people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). Through innovative legal services and advocacy programs, HIV Law Project fights for the rights of the most underserved PLWHAs. To fulfill its mission, HIV Law Project provides free legal services (including immigration, housing, public benefits, consumer, health care and family law) and ancillary social service support for HIV+ residents of the Bronx and Manhattan and homeless New Yorkers, initiates large-scale impact litigation, engages in public policy advocacy, and conducts grassroots advocacy trainings for HIV+ women.

Position Summary

Social services worker provides ancillary social support services, including permanency planning services, to the Law Project’s direct legal services clients. S/he conducts assessments to identify unmet needs; discusses permanency planning options; counsels clients and/or family members on issues related to HIV disclosure, coping with illness and mortality; conducts home visits; assists clients in securing appropriate non-legal services and benefits through referrals and follow-up; and maintains contact to assess progress and offer additional support throughout the legal case, as appropriate. S/he also conducts outreach and trainings to increase awareness of the HIV Law Project’s legal and support services, including permanency planning, prepares educational material, and assists in contract reporting. S/he also works closely with other community-based organizations, participates in outreach and off-site intake initiatives, and conducts community education workshops.

Reports to: Managing Attorney

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

Understanding the agency’s mission, culture and values, and fulfilling all job functions and responsibilities in a manner consistent therewith.
Developing a strong working relationship with legal providers; help educate legal staff on social problems and issues confronting clients (e.g., mental health, substance use, etc.), and work with staff in identifying and understanding these potential barriers to effective legal services in an effort to enhance and improve case outcomes.

Providing ancillary social support services to all direct legal service clients in need of such services. This includes, but is not limited to:

Conducting individual and family assessments, including access to appropriate HIV primary care services;
Making home-visits to conduct assessments and provide services, as necessary and appropriate;
Developing case plans in consultation with the client and legal provider;
Crisis intervention and short-term counseling until long-term services are in place;
Counseling clients and/or family members on issues related to HIV disclosure, coping with illness and mortality;
Counseling clients with minor children about permanency planning options, assisting family in identifying appropriate resources, and assisting in HIV disclosure, as necessary and appropriate;
Assisting new caregivers in securing needed services and benefits;
Providing clients with on-going support throughout legal case, including accompanying clients to court or to other providers, as necessary;
Making appropriate referrals for HIV primary care, mental health, substance use, case management, and housing services, and conducting follow-up to ensure services are secured and in place.
Fulfilling all administrative responsibilities, including file maintenance, timekeeping, case opening and closing, monthly reporting requirements, etc., in an accurate, efficient and timely manner.
Contributing to a positive work environment through direct, open communication and by fostering team building and cooperation.
Understanding and acting in accordance with Article 27-f of the Public Health Law.

Minimum Qualifications

Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred. A bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of one year prior work experience as social service provider or case manager in an AIDS service organization. Other equivalent work experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Prior experience with and/or strong desire to work with low-income PLWHAs required.

HIV Law Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Women, People of Color, Gays and Lesbians, Transgender People, Veterans, PLWHAs, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Please send Resume and writing sample to Cynthia B. Knox, Deputy Executive Director at cbknox@hivlawproject.org. Only those candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

Get Involved

"My first day of work at HIV Law Project, I spoke to clients and received an authentic taste of working as a non-profit attorney. In the first months of working, I was trusted with a high level of responsibility in both researching and writing in a wide variety of areas of law. While the learning curve has been high, I cannot think of a better way to gain genuine legal experience during my deferral year.

The staff at HIV Law project is very friendly, professional, respectful, compassionate and highly impressive. Each employee at HIV Law Project works diligently and tirelessly to help our clients. Moreover, the staff chose to integrate me, to treat me as an associate very early on and to respect my autonomy while providing me with invaluable guidance and continuous hands-on training on matters from housing law, to immigration law, to public benefits. I am very fortunate to be working for such an amazing organization and I look forward to the remainder of my deferral year."

Nicole Lonsway, Attorney,
White & Case, Fellow at HIV Law Project

"As a deferred associate, I could not have imagined a more fulfilling way to spend my time off. I was immediately welcomed by the entire staff and given the responsibilities of a new staff attorney. From day one, I have been in contact with clients and advocating on their behalf. I have a caseload of approximately 10-15 cases with issues that range from housing and welfare to immigration and domestic violence.

Aside from providing direct legal assistance to our clients, I have also been given the opportunity to work with the women in our Center for Women and HIV Advocacy and conducted training on domestic violence. I also have been following and researching legislation before the New York State Senate which would allow HIV-positive individuals to donate their organs to HIV-positive recipients. It has been an experience unlike anything I was exposed to in law school, and the hands-on, general practice of the HIV Law Project has prepared me to hit the ground running when I start at my firm."

Kelly Karneeb, Attorney,
Fried Frank, Fellow at HIV Law Project

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