Constituent & Grievance Specialist

Job description

The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is an integral part of the City’s evolving criminal justice system, participating in reform initiatives and strategies aimed to move the City towards a smaller jail system without compromising public safety. The DOC is responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment for our employees, visitors, volunteers, and people in our custody. Importantly, safe jails enable DOC to provide people in custody with the tools and opportunities they need to successfully re-enter their communities. The DOC operates facilities and court commands across the five boroughs with more than 7,500 diverse professionals and knowledgeable experts. The Office of Constituent and Grievance Services (OCGS) serves as the Department's centralized office for receipt, coordination, oversight, and resolution of constituent complaints, incarcerated individual grievances, and other matters requiring Department review and response. Acting as a critical link between the Department and the broader community, OCGS promotes transparent, accessible, and responsive communication with incarcerated individuals, their families and loved ones, legal representatives, advocates, elected officials, oversight entities, community stakeholders, and members of the public. The Office of Constituent and Grievance Services seeks a Constituent & Grievance Service Specialist/Coordinator. Under executive direction of the Executive Director of Constituent Services, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties: Constituent Relations & Intake: Serves as the initial point of contact for constituents, advocacy organizations, elected officials, external stakeholders and people in custody by receiving, documenting, reviewing, and coordinating responses to complaints, inquiries, and requests for information. - Receive, review, and process complaints received from people in our custody and constituents through multiple intake channels, including email, telephone, correspondence, and electronic systems. - Conduct preliminary review, investigate and resolve complaints by determining appropriate category, urgency, routing and outcome. - Coordinate investigations and communicate with correctional facility and agency divisions to obtain information, updates and results. - Manage assigned complaint caseload from intake through closure. - Prepare verbal responses and written correspondence for people in custody, constituents and external stakeholders. Field Visits & Direct Engagement: Coordinates complex constituent complaints and grievance matters requiring extensive research, interdepartmental coordination, documentation review, and case monitoring. Maintain professional neutrality during field visits and interviews. - Conduct scheduled and/or as-needed field visits to Department facilities to provide people in custody with an opportunity to discuss complaints, inquiries and grievances. - Conduct in-person interviews with people in custody to clarify the nature, scope, and circumstances of a complaint or grievance. Confirm, to the extent practicable, complaints submitted or placed on behalf of a person in custody. - Escalate urgent, serious, or potentially time-sensitive matters identified during field visits in accordance with established OCGS protocols. - Monitor assigned cases, response deadlines and follow-up requirements. Program Operations, Support & Quality Assurance: Supports compliance, quality assurance reviews, reporting requirements, and performance monitoring standards. - Monitor assigned cases to flag urgent matters, ensure timely responses and compliance with established service standards. Identify cases requiring supervisory review. - Monitor performance metrics and response timelines. Prepare statistical and operational reports. - Assist with identifying complaint trends and recurring issues. - Document the substance of field visits and interviews. - Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and assist with strategic planning initiatives. - Assist with developing training materials and user guides. - Performing related operational and support duties as assigned. CORRECTIONAL STANDARDS REVIEW - 52615 1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and two years of full-time paid experience in correction, social work, psychology, law, public administration or related field providing direct services to an inmate or detention population within a correctional or related facility; or 2. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of full-time paid experience as described in “1” above; or 3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Service as an inmate in a correctional or related facility may be substituted for a portion of the required experience up to a maximum of two years on a year for year basis. A graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in social work, psychology, law, criminal justice or public administration which includes a field placement performing duties as described above may be substituted for up to one year of full-time paid experience as described above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of full-time paid experience as described in "1" above. The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.