Mitigation Specialist

Maricopa County; Colorado; On-site; USD 43,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition reimbursement

Paid vacation and sick leave

Child care benefits

Healthcare insurance

Job summary

Maricopa County is seeking a Mitigation Specialist to work with youth involved in the juvenile delinquency system. This role entails collaborating with defense attorneys to ensure the best representation for clients, conducting assessments, and advocating for treatment options.

The ideal candidate is passionate about helping youth, has experience in casework, and possesses a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.

Qualifications

• Two years of paid casework experience within a relevant agency.
• Passion to work with youth and assist in their development.

Responsibilities

• Interview clients and families to develop treatment plans.
• Assess social and medical histories of clients.
• Network with community agencies for client resources.
• Prepare correspondence and reports for court.
• Testify in court on behalf of clients.

Skills

Youth work experience

Casework experience

Bilingual (English/Spanish)

Mental health assessment

Interviewing skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, or related field

Master’s degree in Psychology or related field

Job description

Posting Date 10/05/26 Application Deadline 10/12/26 Pay Range $31.00 - $42.55 hourly Salary offers are based on the candidate's equivalent experience and internal equity with other employees within the same job classification. This position is eligible for overtime compensation for all hours worked over 40 in the designated workweek. Job Type Unclassified

About the Position

We are looking for a person who has experience working with youth and and has a passion to help them so they have better life outcomes. The Mitigation Specialist plays a vital role on the defense team; positively and enthusiastically working with the juvenile’s attorney and investigators in order to best represent them through the juvenile delinquency system. If you are motivated, inquisitive, and like to study the life experiences of others, this is the perfect position for you.

About the Office of the Public Advocate

The Office of the Public Advocate seeks professionals, both attorneys, and legal staff members, to join our legal defense team! We're committed to the mission of protecting the fundamental rights of our clients. We're dedicated to providing effective legal representation to all indigent persons, those individuals who are not able to afford the services of private lawyers, when appointed by the Maricopa County Superior Court. Our clients include juveniles charged with criminal offenses, parents, and children in dependency and severance matters (loss of parental rights), and people facing court-ordered mental health evaluation and treatment.

Benefits

• Proud to Offer Work with a greater purpose
• Tuition reimbursement
• Exceptional work-life balance, with hybrid and alternative work schedule options
• Opportunities for growth and development within Maricopa County
• Low-cost, high-value healthcare for you and your qualifying dependents
• Child care benefits, including access to our on-site center Maricopa County Kids Club, dedicated to serving Maricopa County families
• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave
• Extensive wellness program, including an incentive
• Enrollment in the Arizona State Retirement System, a defined retirement benefit requiring a 11.98% per paycheck contribution rate that includes a 100% employer match on Day 1

Job Contributions

• Interview client/family to assist in the development of mitigation and treatment/sentencing plans
• Conduct assessments and conferences, attends case staffings; provide input regarding clients’ needs; make suggestions regarding treatment and disposition
• Make and monitor referrals to provide follow-up and intervention
• Present and/or submit reports to representing attorney and the court in an effort to obtain the best possible sentencing outcome
• Testify in court
• Assess clients’ social and medical histories, psychological evaluations, education and legal documents
• Locate residential treatment centers, group homes, foster homes, and outpatient treatment programs as a resource for clients
• Network with individuals and community agencies for access to social, educational and employment resources for clients
• Prepare correspondence, social histories, reports and submit social histories to psychologists and attorneys
• Frequently meet with clients in juvenile detention facility, the office, out in the community and provides supportive resources.

Qualifications

• Two years of paid casework experience within a criminal justice, social service or court agency
• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Behavioral or Social Science, or another related field
• A combination of post-secondary education and/or job-related experience may substitute for the minimum qualifications on a year-for-year basis
• Valid Arizona driver’s license upon hire
• Casework experience within a public defender organization, an Arizona criminal justice agency, an Arizona court department, or a probation department
• Experience and passion to work with youth
• Experience identifying mental health symptoms, exposure to trauma, physical/neurological defects, or drug/alcohol use
• A Master’s degree in psychology, social work, behavioral or social science, or another related field
• Intermediate Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills

Work Conditions

Requires the ability to work with traumatic subject matter (crime scenes, accidents, etc.) in a fast-paced environment with frequent stressful situations. Work may be performed in office and other enclosed areas, as well as various outside locations. May require long periods of sitting while completing paperwork, standing and moving about during course of performing duties. Accuracy; decision making; and concentration/vigilance are constant requirements. Interruptions; time pressure; high volume of work; handling multiple or complicated tasks; unscheduled tasks; frequently changing tasks; teamwork; working in close physical proximity with others; and public contact are frequent occurrences. Work requires travel to and from job related locations during the course of a scheduled workday, subject to County policies regarding the use of County vehicles and/or private vehicles on County business.

Selection Procedure

Consideration will only be given to candidates who submit online applications. Candidates will be contacted primarily through email and their Workday online application profile. Must pass a pre-employment background and/or fingerprint investigation as required by statute or policy, including drug and alcohol testing requirements for positions designated as safety-sensitive. Maricopa County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process or to perform the essential functions of the position under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact [e-mail] to initiate the interactive process.

We are Maricopa County. Who is that, you may ask? Forbes has rated Maricopa County one of Arizona’s Best Employers in 2024. We are over 13,000 employees strong, providing vital services for one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, with over four million residents who call Maricopa County home. You may wonder what we do, and it may be easier to answer that by asking what are you interested in! Join us and you will become part of a dynamic group of diverse and talented professionals who are passionate about making a difference and giving back to their communities. We offer career paths and opportunities in just about every job category and job level imaginable, so your journey with us is what you make of it! Along with offering purposeful careers, you can expect a rich selection of economical and comprehensive healthcare options, robust retirement plans, tuition and loan payment programs, and multiple paid leave options, as part of an overall generous compensation and benefits package. Thinking about career options, then please think about us! We are Maricopa County, and we are looking forward to working with you.