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Community Reception and Safety Liaison

The Bronx Defenders
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The Bronx Defenders – an innovative, progressive, holistic defense office in the South Bronx – seeks a welcoming reception professional with a commitment to social justice and working with marginalized, low-income communities to fill a position as Community Reception and Safety Liaison. 

The Bronx Defenders is a public defender non-profit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the legal system, and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. BxD seeks thoughtful, creative individuals with a strong commitment to social justice to join our dynamic and diverse staff. Our staff of over 400 includes interdisciplinary teams made up of criminal, civil, immigration, and family defense attorneys, as well as social workers, benefits specialists, legal advocates, parent advocates, investigators, and team administrators, who collaborate to provide holistic advocacy to address the causes and consequences of legal system involvement. Through this integrated team-based structure, we have developed a groundbreaking, nationally-recognized model of representation called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for the people we defend.

Each year, we defend more than 20,000 low-income Bronx residents in criminal, civil, family, and immigration cases, and reach thousands more through our community intake, youth mentoring, and outreach programs. Through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community organizing, we push for systemic change at the local, state, and national levels. We take what we learn from the clients and communities that we serve and launch innovative initiatives designed to bring about real and lasting change.

 Community Reception Team

Our Community Reception Team is the first point of contact for many clients and community members with The Bronx Defenders. Our reception space is intentionally designed to be an open, welcoming and safe space for community members to seek assistance with legal and social services, await meetings with their attorneys or advocates, and receive support for a myriad of issues. As one of the only public defender offices that engages in proactive representation, we also offer legal support to eligible community members who are involved or anticipate being involved in the criminal, family, immigration, or civil court system. Other frequent visitors of community reception include candidates for employment, colleagues in the legal profession, and constituents of the organization. 

Responsibilities 

Reporting to the Reception Supervisor, the Community Reception and Safety Liaison will work collaboratively with administrators, lawyers, social workers, and other advocates to help clients and community members navigate our office space, and ensure the safety and wellbeing of clients, community visitors, and staff by helping to de-escalate conflict. The balance of administrative work and client and community-facing duties in this role will vary over time depending on the needs of the community and organization. 

Reception Duties 

  • Greet and assist the people we represent, community members, and other visitors in a proactive, empathetic, and engaged manner
  • Help the people we represent and community members navigate check-in and intake processes
  • Answer questions about our organization and services  
  • Direct the people we represent and community members to resources and connect them with appropriate advocates, including handling triage of walk-in community members 

Administrative Duties 

  • Answer and direct calls using switchboard and phone system  
  • Record and relay messages from the people we represent to staff members   
  • Build rapport and maintain communication with staff   
  • Provide administrative and clerical support for staff, clients, and community members including copying, scanning, faxing and printing documents, checking voicemail and emails, and accepting mail and packages 
  • Assist with event setup in the reception space 
  • Help maintain organization and cleanliness of reception area
  • Escort the people we represent to other buildings at Bronx Defenders Campus and local sites to meet client needs (e.g., client emergency fund food pick-up at neighborhood bodega)

Safety and De-Escalation Duties

  • Promote safety and security of staff, clients, and community members by:
    • Being aware of activities and interactions in the reception space and the larger BxD campus
    • Addressing client, community member, and staff concerns throughout BxD campus
    • Informing the people we represent and community members of BxD policies, including reception space policies 
    • Diffusing potential conflicts at the BxD campus using trauma-informed de-escalation techniques 
  • Participate in BxD “first responders” group, safety committee, and other similar initiatives
  • Work with the BxD leadership to develop visitor policies and protocols 
  • Seek assistance from other BxD staff, supervisors, the Management Team and outside resources, including emergency response, when necessary to de-escalate conflicts 
  • Participate in critical incident memorialization and debriefs, as appropriate

General Duties

  • Maintain confidentiality and discretion regarding client issues 
  • Attend team, supervision, and office-wide meetings and trainings
  • Develop authentic, meaningful interactions with the people we represent, community members and visitors through empathy, listening, and collaboration with team members
  • Work to help create an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to overcome stressful situations and an understanding of human diversity and behavior as a natural reaction to it

Qualifications 

To be eligible, candidates must have:

  • Spanish fluency
  • Experience working with people struggling with addiction, mental illness, and/or court involvement
  • Training in conflict resolution and de-escalation using patience, empathy, and a trauma-informed approach

 Candidates must demonstrate:

  • Experience working in and with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities   
  • Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences 
  • Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively as part of a team
  • Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment 
  • Strong organization skills 
  • Meticulous attention to detail
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office and ability to learn other applications for communication and recordkeeping
  • Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
  • Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection, and shift behavior accordingly 
  • Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters 
  • Commitment to raising one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level 
  • Knowledge of the Bronx community is a plus 

This is a fully in-person position. 

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is not within the bargaining unit.

This position is non-exempt. By law, non-exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 2 - 5 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $57,625 - $62,749. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; and a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy. More specific information about salary and benefits will be provided when and if an offer is extended.

To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and a cover letter in one document. If you would prefer to send in a video or audio statement in lieu of a cover letter, you may upload your resume as a document and separately upload a video or audio statement. Your cover letter or video/audio statement should share why you want to do this work at our office, some key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this position, and any additional information you would like for us to consider. This information allows us to understand your distinct perspective, experience and potential beyond the work history summarized on your resume. Your cover letter may be up to one page if written or up to 3 minutes if an audio/video statement. If selected for the position, your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience listed; we therefore encourage you to ensure your resume is up to date. Please note that applications without a written cover letter or audio/video statement will not be considered.

Applications will be accepted through December 20, 2024. Please contact Marterra Walker, Managing Director of Administration, via email at marterraw@bronxdefenders.org with any questions regarding the position. 

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating an anti-oppressive workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, disabled, neurodivergent and those directly impacted by criminal, civil, family and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we work with.