Mitigation Specialist

Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services (SBIDS)

Our mission is to fulfill the constitutional promise of a zealous defense by providing our clients with team-based advocacy that champions their human dignity and achieves just outcomes on their behalf.

SBIDS Current Job Openings

About the Position:

• Who can apply: Anyone
• Classified/Unclassified Service: Unclassified
• Full/Part-time: Full-Time
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Eligible to Receive Benefits: Yes
• Veterans’ Preference Eligible: Yes

Compensation:

• Annual Salary Range: $45,000.00 - $50,732.88

Note: Salary can vary depending upon education, experience, or qualifications.

Employment Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, mental, dental, vision, and additional coverage
• Sick & Vacation leave
• Work-Life Balance programs: parental leave, military leave, jury leave, funeral leave
• Paid State Holidays
• Employee discounts with the STAR Program
• Retirement and deferred compensation programs

Visit the Employee Benefits page for more information

Position Summary & Responsibilities:

Position Summary:

The Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services is accepting applications for the position of Mitigation Specialist in the Tenth Judicial District Public Defender Office in Olathe, Kansas.

The Board of Indigents’ Defense Services (BIDS), through its regional public defender offices like the Tenth Judicial District Public Defender Office, represents adults charged with felonies who cannot hire an attorney. By supporting and elevating public defense in the State of Kansas, BIDS empowers its team to provide relentless representation and collaborative, holistic advocacy in service of client-centered outcomes.

The Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services is in the process of remaking its public defense model with a renewed emphasis on building public defense offices with an interdisciplinary team-based collaborative defense system that uses community connections and resources to better represent not just an individual’s case, but the client as a whole.

We are looking for dynamic, client-centered Mitigation Specialist who are passionate about the importance of public defense and are interested in aiding our efforts to fundamentally rebuild our system and transform the public defender office in the Tenth Judicial District into a model of collaborative public defense practice.

Job Responsibilities may include but are not limited to the following:

Mitigation Specialist operate under the supervision of the Chief Public Defender or the Deputy Public Defender. Mitigation Specialist play an important role on the defense team, and are primarily responsible for developing and conducting a renewed mitigation plan, interviewing mitigation witnesses, writing mitigation witness interview reports, identifying relevant records and collecting those records, consulting with the defense team, and preparing and serving subpoenas, among other tasks. Mitigation Specialist in the Tenth Judicial District Public Defender Office must be willing and able to review, organize and summarize mitigation records, discovery records, and trial attorney records.

Mitigation Specialist are expected to locate and effectively interview witnesses (both fact witnesses and mitigation witnesses) in order to obtain all available facts and information about the client and the client’s life. It is expected that they will be able to meet with witnesses both friendly and hostile to the client’s case. The Mitigation Specialist must be fully prepared to engage with witnesses over a period of time that will allow for disclosures of sensitive information. Mitigation Specialist must possess advanced verbal and written communication skills and will promptly prepare detailed reports of investigations for the defense team. In rare occasions, the Mitigation Specialist may be required to testify in court.

Candidates for this position should have strong communication, organization, and analytical skills. Mitigation Specialist must abide by the ethical and professional standards required of criminal defense teams.

It is expected that the duties of a Mitigation Specialist will include the following:

• Assist with the development of a renewed mitigation plan and monitor the progress of that plan.
• Identify, contact, and interview witnesses, take witness statements, prepare affidavits, and offer testimony when needed on witness statements.
• Review and process trial counsel’s mitigation and investigation records as well as identify new areas of investigation leading to new record requests and processing. Records may include, but are not limited to, medical, psychological, educational, historical, and military documents.
• Organize, review and summarize medical, psychological, educational and ancestry records and locate and request records.
• Meet with clients and witnesses in a custody setting (jails, prisons) and out of custody, including at their place of residence or employment.
• Attend court proceedings and provide courtroom assistance as needed.
• Coordinate with experts to provide assistance in cases when requested.
• Prepare and serve subpoenas.
• Conduct relevant background investigations and obtain records to locate witnesses.
• Obtain signed releases from clients; communicate with records custodians at schools, medical facilities, psychiatric facilities, drug treatment providers, and the VA, among others, to obtain records for the defense team.
• Obtain and document prior criminal history.
• Complete review and indexing of paper files and video.
• Other projects as assigned by the Chief Public Defender or Deputy Public Defender.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Must have a level of proficiency in Microsoft Office Word and Excel and Outlook, Adobe Acrobat Pro and Dropbox to become proficient in organizing and maintaining extensive collections of documents and records for a team of attorneys and staff members.
• Must be able to work independently but collaboratively and manage their time to complete tasks under firm deadlines in an efficient manner.
• Must be able to respectfully interact with clients, colleagues, and the courts.
• Must have attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and a willingness to learn.
• Must follow the highest standards of professional conduct, including confidentiality requirements. Must have a keenly developed and uncompromising set of personal and professional ethics.
• This position requires frequent local, state-wide, and national travel.

Qualifications:

Education

• Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent

Licensing & Certification

• Must have a valid driver’s license

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience in social work or journalism is beneficial but not required

All Employment is subject to the Governor’s Salary Approval

Recruiter Contact Information:

• Name: Shawn Keeling
• Email: bidsrecruiter@sbids.org
• Phone: 785-296-6631
• Mailing Address: 700 SW Jackson Street, Suite 500 Topeka, KS 66603

Job Application Process

• Cover letter
• Resume
• List of three professional references
• If you are claiming Veteran’s Preference, please also include your DD214

Ensure you upload all required documents during the application process.

If you have any further questions please contact:

Shawn Keeling

Human Resources Professional, Administration Office

State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services

Helpful Resources at jobs.ks.gov: “How to Apply for a Job – Instructions” and “How to Search for a Job – Instructions"

Post-Offer/Pre-employment Requirements

Kansas Tax Clearance Certificate required:

In accordance with Executive Order 2004-03. Each applicant (even non-residents) who is selected for a State of Kansas job vacancy must apply for a Tax Clearance Certificate within 10 days from the date of the offer letter by accessing the Kansas Department of Revenue's (KDOR) website at www.kdor.ks.gov/apps/taxclearance/Default.aspx .

If you need assistance with the tax clearance, please contact KDOR at (785)296-3199 or by email at kdor_specialprojects@ks.gov

How to Claim Veterans Preference

Veterans' Preference Eligible (VPE): Former military personnel or their spouse that have been verified as a "veteran"; under K.S.A. 73-201 will receive an interview if they meet the minimum competency factors of the position. The veterans' preference laws do not guarantee the veteran a job. Positions are filled with the best qualified candidate as determine by the hiring manager.

Learn more about claiming Veteran’s Preference

How to Claim Disability Hiring Preference:

Applicants that have physical, cognitive and/or mental disabilities may claim an employment preference when applying for positions. If they are qualified to meet the performance standards of the position, with or without a reasonable accommodation, they will receive an interview for the position. The preference does not guarantee an applicant the job, as positions are filled with the best qualified candidate as determined by the hiring manager.

Learn more about claiming Disability Hiring Preference at the following link: Disability Hiring Preference | Kansas Department of Administration (ks.gov).

PLEASE NOTE: The documentation verifying a person's eligibility for use of this preference should not be sent along with other application materials to the hiring agency but should be sent directly to OPS. These documents should be sent either by fax to (785)296-7712, scanned and emailed to Gustavo.Victoriano@ks.gov, or can be mailed/delivered in person to:

ATTN: Disability Hiring Preference Coordinator
Office of Personnel Services
Landon State Office Building
900 SW Jackson, Rm 401
Topeka, KS 66612

Equal Employment Opportunity

The State of Kansas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, political affiliation, disability or any other factor unrelated to the essential functions of the job.

If you wish to identify yourself as a qualified person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and would like to request an accommodation, please address the request to the agency recruiter.