Anyone working at agencies where time walking with clients to housing court or DHS counts toward workload instead of dinging us for missed billable units? I’m a Christian social worker in the Bronx with a caseload of 32 asylum-seeking families, and I’m looking for NYC roles that center the marginalized, pay a livable wage (around $65–75k), and leave room to practice justice beyond checkboxes.
I moved from a Medicaid-billable clinic to the social work team at The Bronx Defenders, where ‘housing court’ and DHS accompaniment counted as field contacts against caseload instead of billables; my salary was in your $65–75k range. In interviews, ask how they code advocacy time (caseload-based vs units) and listen for phrases like encounter codes for court/DHS, otherwise it’ll ding you later. If you’re in the Bronx, check https://www.bronxdefenders.org/jobs/; I can connect you with a supervisor if that helps.
, this drives me nuts too; in my last search, Brooklyn Defender Services had social work roles that counted accompaniment and waiting time as service, with salaries in the mid-60s to low-70s, which fits your $65–75k. One concrete step: in interviews ask, “Do you count time spent traveling and sitting with clients at city agencies as units toward workload?” If you’re open to Brooklyn over the Bronx, check BDS | Careers — would family defense or immigration be a better fit for your 32 asylum-seeking families?
Unionized legal services orgs often treat “court time = service” and don’t dock you for the waiting-room marathon; look at Legal Services NYC, Legal Aid, and NMIC. The pace is still brisk and paperwork heavy, but the union pay scales are solid — start with Career Opportunities & Internships - Legal Services NYC, and @katie_r91’s defender org tip points in the same direction.
At my last nonprofit, accompaniment time only counted when we blocked it on the calendar and tagged it “field contact” in the EHR, so I asked for that code and policy to be written into my offer letter. In interviews, ask to see the productivity matrix and a sample week showing how escort time hits quota — if they won’t show it, I’d pass; @katie_r91, have you gotten orgs to share screenshots?
Try NYC Health Home care management or supportive housing teams (CUCS, Goddard Riverside, CAMBA) — they usually treat accompaniment as service when it’s in the care plan; the documentation load is real so you’re not doing justice work on your lunch break. Ask to see their “productivity grid” and whether travel/wait time is counted toward targets before you apply — want me to DM a couple current postings?