The Legal Aid Society has an opening for a Program Coordinator to join the Government Benefits/ Disability Advocacy Project(“DAP”) unit. DAP staff provide representation, legal assistance, legal advocacy, and education to clients with disabilities who need income and related support from city, state, and federal programs especially federal disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. These benefits allow low-income individuals with disabilities and their families access to food, housing, and basic necessities.  Defending our client community’s right to these benefits is crucial to our clients’ ability to live with dignity and to maintaining the diversity that defines New York City.

Reporting to the Director, the Program Coordinator will work with the Government Benefits/DAP management team, Office Managers and their teams, case handlers, and the Civil Grants & Contracts Team. The Administrative Program Coordinator will help establish and implement efficient systems for data collection and case management updates. The Practice Coordinator will also help screen and coordinate referrals for our government benefits/DAP legal services teams.

The ideal candidate will be a talented team player, with exceptional organizational skills and a particular ability to develop efficient systems for data entry and client outreach. The ideal candidate would also share a deep commitment to public interest practice and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders in the legal, court, and public service communities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Coordination

• Assist existing Legal Aid clients to obtain assistance from other Legal Aid units
• Ensure accountability and maintenance of practice standards
• Organize and manage the case management system and other electronic case matter files
• Assist in developing community education materials and training for clients and other advocates
• Work with paralegal support staff to obtain benefit award information
• Work with paralegal support staff to obtain medical records
• Assist with program development, implementation, and reporting
• Coordinate the creation and updating of our shared online DAP practice resources for case handlers
• Coordinate and develop best practices for internal DAP referrals for our legal services teams and external DAP referrals from our community partners
• Maintain strong relationships with our DAP-related subcontractors
• Foster and encourage teamwork and communication
• Represent Civil Practice and Legal Aid in the community

Case Management and Administration

• Work with the Government Benefits/DAP management team, Office Managers and their teams, case handlers, and the Civil Grants & Contracts Team to ensure that Government Benefits/DAP case matters are timely updated with data required for grants management
• Oversee and ensure collection of data for grants/contracts: work with the case handlers to ensure that all cases are timely updated with data required for grants management including accurate service levels, completed forms, other information needed to establish eligibility and outcomes; and are timely marked as ready for closing in the case management system
• Work with case handlers to upload all documents needed for programmatic audits in the case management system within one week of intake and before case closing
• Be responsible for overall quality assurance in the case management system by; finding any duplicate cases or clients; ensuring all cases are registered to the appropriate case handler in the case management system; ensuring that all cases where casework is complete have been closed
• Coordinate with the DAP supervisors and Office Management team to ensure cases are timely closed and archived once casework is completed
• Follow-up with and/or interview clients to obtain information needed to properly enter and/or update cases, as needed
• Interview and assess client requests for services as appropriate

Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned

• Participate in continuous professional development
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or work experience consistent with the position
• Excellent computer skills including Office 365 and all Microsoft Office programs, especially Microsoft
• Commitment and ability to advocate on behalf of low-income people with disabilities
• Highly self-motivated and able to work independently
• Demonstrated ability to accurately and quickly gather data, compile information, and keep accurate records
• Excellent organizational skills Excel, and demonstrated ability to work with databases
• Excellent judgment, including the ability to handle sensitive or confidential information
• Ability to multitask

Preferred qualifications:  

• Proficiency in Spanish preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Position-Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Ability to work in a team setting, including strong communication and follow-up skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to manage relationships and effectively communicate with the office management team; case handlers; and Civil Grants and Contracts team

Supervision Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to schedule, assign, and manage work and resolve problems as needed
• Ability to manage the work including:assessment of work process and outcomes, gathering relevant information about the work, recommending alternatives, or elevate issues as needed
• Ability to create and implement effective communication plans

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:  

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $71,000 – $76,781

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if, an offer is made.

Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York State to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/find-aid-you-need/new-york-state-loan-forgiveness-programs

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jo**************@le*******.org.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.