The Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights (LCCR) seeks a Social Worker for the East Baton Rouge Client Services Team. The role's primary responsibility is to ensure – through direct client services and case management – that the social workers, youth advocates and social work interns on the team provide high-quality, client-directed support for every eligible youth in East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court. The Social Worker is additionally tasked with representing LCCR’s interest within juvenile justice reform through participating in groups and working on a multi-disciplinary team to ensure effective client outcomes.

The Community You Will Join

The Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights (LCCR) is a non-profit law office that fights to keep children out of the justice system so they can thrive in their homes and communities. We both represent individual children in their court cases and address the systemic issues that trap mainly poor, Black youth in the justice system.

Youth Defense: As the youth public defender in New Orleans, our Children’s Defense Team represents over 90% of children in the city who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. We provide each child with a holistic team – a lawyer, social worker, investigator, and youth advocate – to address both the causes and consequences of an arrest.

State and Local Advocacy: We advocate for policies that reduce the number of children in the justice system and provide better alternatives to arrest and incarceration. For the kids who do enter the system, we support policies that keep them safe, protect their rights, and get them home as soon as possible.

The Difference You Will Make

The Social Worker will provide high-level, zealous, client-directed support and case management for youth in juvenile delinquency and families in need of support proceedings. The social worker will interview clients to assess needs and determine goals, perform psychosocial and other assessments, as well as provide crisis response and mediation.

Additionally, the social worker will assist attorneys in communicating with youth clients and others whose effective communication requires specialized skills. Additional responsibilities of the role include, developing case plans, mitigation, assessing progress, making referrals, finding and assisting with logistics/enrollment to school, job, housing, and other support placement. The social worker is expected to maintain regular contact with programs providing services to LCCR clients, monitoring service quality and client progress.

Staff social workers provide expert consultation advocate for clients’ education rights in non-judicial forums, and gather educational, medical, and other records relating to the work of client services staff. Social workers and team members are expected to be available in the event of staff and/or client emergencies/crisis to provide assistance and support to social workers, youth advocates, and/or clients as needed.

Your Expertise

An LMSW, licensure or certification to practice masters-level social work in Louisiana is required. Social workers must be deeply committed to indigent youth and understand expressed interest representation. Excellent interpersonal and interviewing skills, and the ability to develop rapport with a wide range of people as well as excellent written and oral communication skills are required. Car ownership or daily access to a car with a valid driver’s license and insurance is required. Candidates must be willing to submit to a background check.

Ideal candidates will have a demonstrated understanding of social, psychological, medical, economic, and legal factors that affect adolescent behavior and will be creative and flexible problem solvers.

Salary and Compensation

The position offers a salary of $50,000-$58,000 depending on years of experience and based on an established pay scale. LCCR offers employee benefits that include unlimited flexible paid time off, employer paid health, dental, and vision insurance, and parental leave. The position is full-time, and no other compensated work is permitted.

To Apply

Please provide a resume, cover letter and three professional references, explaining your interest in the position to jobs@lakidsrights.org. In subject line of the email, please write “EBR Social Worker.” Applications will remain open until 8/15/2025.

LCCR values diversity and is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. People of color, women, LGBT persons, people with disabilities, and those directly impacted by the justice system are encouraged to apply for all positions.