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Montgomery County, PA · 1 day ago

Assistant Chief - Mental Health Unit

Norristown, PA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$95K/yr - $127K/yr

5+ years exp

Montgomery County, PA, Office of the Public Defender represents clients in criminal and dependency matters. The Assistant Chief of the Mental Health Unit will focus on representing clients with serious mental illnesses and assist colleagues in their representation efforts, including civil commitment hearings and competency evaluations.

GovernmentLaw EnforcementPublic SafetySocial Assistance

Responsibilities

Overseeing the legal status of all clients who are in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility (MCCF) with a serious mental illness

Overseeing the legal status of clients who are in Norristown State Hospital

Representing Public Defender clients diagnosed with serious mental illness from arrest through trial

Consulting with and retaining mental health experts, including specialized experts, to secure initial assessments and evaluations

Working with the Public Defender’s Social Services Unit to find and effectuate placement of clients/patients with appropriate treatment providers and facilities

Representing clients at commitment hearings who are found incompetent to proceed to trial

Representing clients who have been found not guilty by reason of insanity and could be within the jurisdiction of the courts

Representing clients in Behavioral Health Court and/or Veteran’s Treatment Court

Representing patients in hearings on petitions brought pursuant to the Mental Health Procedures Act (civil commitment hearings)

Maintaining longitudinal data regarding arrests, bail, and mental health commitments to ensure compliance with best practices

Attending community events, programs, and educational forums to speak about mental health and the criminal justice system

Following up with clients who are placed in the community to ensure transition is made smoothly and assist in providing information to make transition successful

Support planning and legal processes for individuals to receive competency restoration in the least restrictive setting whenever possible

Qualification

Juris Doctorate DegreeAdmission to the BarTrial experienceCriminal law knowledgeMental Health Procedures ActLegal researchAnalytical abilityMicrosoft 365 knowledgeSupervisory experienceFluency in SpanishCommunication skillsOrganizational skillsProblem-solving skills