Job ID: 306200

Social Worker - Help Desk

Counsel to Secure Justice

Location: Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Apply by: 20 Nov 2026

Relevant Sectors

Human Rights, Law, Migration, Conflicts, Justice

Social, Gender, Education, Youth, Child

About Counsel to Secure Justice (CSJ)

Counsel to Secure Justice (CSJ) works to expand access to justice for children and strengthen child protection systems by integrating a restorative approach. Established in April 2012, CSJ’s work spans legal and psychosocial support for child sexual abuse survivors since 2013, mental health support, restorative and access-to-justice support for children in conflict with the law, and capacity building of institutional and grassroots child protection stakeholders. CSJ has worked in Chhattisgarh since 2020 in partnership with key child protection and juvenile justice stakeholders, including UNICEF, the Chhattisgarh Police, and the Department of Women and Child Development. Its work in the state has included strengthening child protection and juvenile justice systems, capacity building, diversion, psychosocial support, restorative practices and rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law.

About the Project

CSJ is implementing a Juvenile Justice Helpdesk in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to strengthen access to socio-legal guidance, case-related support, psychosocial care, rehabilitation and reintegration for Children in Conflict with the Law (CiCL). The Helpdesk will work closely with the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), Observation Home, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Child Welfare Committee (CWC), District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU), and other relevant stakeholders. The programme recognises significant gaps in consistent psychosocial support, family reintegration and rehabilitation planning for children in conflict with the law. The Helpdesk will therefore provide structured psychosocial care through individual sessions, group engagement, emotional well-being activities, restorative circles, trauma-informed interventions and follow-up.

Position Overview

We seek a competent and committed Social Worker – Psychosocial Care to work in the Raipur HelpDesk project. The Social Worker will work directly with Children in Conflict with the Law and their families to assess psychosocial and rehabilitation needs, strengthen family relationships, support restoration and reintegration, and facilitate access to relevant services.

A key responsibility of the role will be working closely with the Observation Home (OH), including supporting staff with Social Investigation Reports (SIRs), rehabilitation planning, and child-centred case management. The Social Worker will also conduct regular home visits to children's homes, family follow-ups, and field visits to support assessment, rehabilitation, and reintegration. The Social Worker will work closely with the Social Worker and Counsellor to ensure that children's legal, psychosocial and rehabilitation needs are addressed in a coordinated manner. The Social Worker will refer children identified as requiring counselling or specialised mental health support to the project's Counsellor.

Job Responsibilities

Helpdesk Management: Maintain a mandatory presence at the Helpdesk, located outside/near the JJB, 5 days a week, and ensure it remains accessible and functional.

Referral Generation & Stakeholder Liaison: Build strong relationships with JJB members, Observation Home staff and other stakeholders to proactively generate referrals to the Helpdesk.

Intake & Case Assessments: Conduct intake, needs assessments and identify children requiring socio-legal, legal aid, rehabilitation or other support.

Socio-Legal Support: Provide child-friendly guidance on case status, hearings, orders, bail and other juvenile justice procedures.

Legal Coordination: Liaise with DLSA, lawyers and legal service providers regarding children's cases, including case follow-up, bail and hearings.

Psychosocial Assessment & Support: Conduct psychosocial and needs assessments of Children in Conflict with the Law, provide structured support and follow-up, and facilitate group activities, emotional well-being sessions and restorative circles.

Counselling Referrals: Identify children requiring counselling or specialised mental health support and refer them to the Counsellor or appropriate service providers.

Observation Home Coordination: Work closely with the OH and its staff on children's psychosocial, family and rehabilitation needs, case discussions and child-centred rehabilitation planning.

SIR Support: Assist in the preparation, review and follow-up of Social Investigation Reports (SIRs), including gathering information through child/family interactions and field visits.

SIR Capacity Building: Support and train OH staff on SIR preparation, child-sensitive information gathering, family assessment and documentation, and provide ongoing handholding where required.

Family Engagement & Home Visits: Engage with parents/caregivers and conduct home visits to children's houses to assess family circumstances, risks, care environments and reintegration needs.

Rehabilitation & Reintegration: Develop and follow up on individualised rehabilitation, restoration and reintegration plans, including post-release support.

Service Linkages: Facilitate linkages with education, vocational training, mental health, rehabilitation, livelihood and social protection services.

Field & Stakeholder Coordination: Undertake regular field and institutional visits and coordinate with the JJB, OH, DCPU, DLSA, SJPU, families, government departments and service providers.

Team Coordination: Work closely with the Legal & Case Management Social Worker and project Counsellor to ensure integrated legal, psychosocial and rehabilitation support.

Documentation & Reporting: Maintain records of assessments, SIR-related work, home visits, rehabilitation plans, referrals and follow-up; prepare case/activity reports and contribute to M&E.

Child Safeguarding: Ensure children's safety, dignity, privacy and confidentiality and follow CSJ's safeguarding protocols.

General Programme Support: Participate in meetings, reviews, trainings and other programme activities and undertake additional responsibilities assigned by the Programme Manager.

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Child Development or a related discipline.

3–5 years of experience in psychosocial support, child protection, counselling, casework, family strengthening, or rehabilitation will be preferred.

Experience of working directly with Children in Conflict with Law (CiCL) will be preferred.

Knowledge of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 is essential.

Experience of working with children and families facing vulnerability, trauma or institutionalisation will be an advantage.

Experience conducting home visits and working with communities and service providers will be preferred.

Skills & Competencies

Strong understanding of child rights and child protection principles.

Understanding of the Juvenile Justice system and willingness to develop strong working knowledge of the JJ Act and related procedures is a must.

Understanding of psychosocial needs of children in conflict with the law.

Ability to work using trauma-informed and restorative approaches.

Strong interpersonal, active listening and communication skills.

Ability to establish trust and rapport with children and families.

Strong family engagement and rehabilitation support.

Ability to conduct psychosocial assessments and develop practical rehabilitation plans.

Strong fieldwork, home-visit and follow-up skills.

Ability to identify appropriate referral and service linkages.

Strong documentation and reporting skills.

Empathy, patience and a non-judgmental approach.

Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information.

Reporting

The Social Worker will be part of the Juvenile Justice Helpdesk team and will work under the supervision of the Programme Manager/designated programme supervisor. The Social Worker will work closely with the Social Worker, Counsellor and other CSJ programme staff.

Travel: The role requires regular home visits, family follow-up, institutional visits, stakeholder coordination, and other field-based programme activities in Raipur and adjoining districts, as required.

We encourage women candidates from underserved communities to apply

To apply, send your resume to careers@csjindia.org with the subject line “Application for Social Worker – HelpDesk”.