Legal System Advocate- LEAD Program

Burien, WA, United States

Description

The REACH Program of Evergreen Treatment Services works with individuals struggling with homelessness and addiction to help them achieve stability and improved quality of life. Through outreach, engagement, and ongoing relationships REACH focuses on reducing harm and supporting healing. REACH bridges gaps and supports client autonomy by helping individuals access essential resources such as housing, health care, entitlements and treatment.

The REACH Team is passionate about creating a hospitable and welcoming environment for all people while providing quality services on an individually tailored basis to our clientele. The REACH program values diversity, is committed to racial equity and social justice, and appreciates hard work, creativity and a good sense of humor.

The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) is a program of REACH designed to help local law enforcement divert individuals suspected of low-level drug offenses and prostitution from the criminal legal system to case management services. The Vital program is a collaboration between REACH, Harborview Medical Center, and Plymouth housing group in an effort to provide intensive case management to people experiencing co-occurring disorders with the goals of improving social and health outcomes, such as a reduction in jail time and ER visits. The Reentry program serves residents of South King County by providing outreach and community resource connection as people transition out of incarceration.

JOB SUMMARY

Salary- $78k yearly

Hours -M-F, 8:30am-4:30pm

This position is critical to the function of all diversion programs at REACH. The Legal System Advocate position will provide administrate support to case managers by staying current on legal advocacy requirements and processes, maintaining updated paperwork, engaging in high level communication, and maintaining effective collaboration with diversion prosecutorial partners and community stakeholders. The Legal System Advocate will also be available to case managers as needed for legal advocacy consultation when questions arise.

The nature of this position is extremely independent, requiring excellent interpersonal relationship and communication skills, organization and time management skills, a deep understanding of the impact of criminal legal system practices on marginalized communities, the harm reduction model of care, creative thinking, multitasking, and conflict resolution skills. This is a brand-new position to the LEAD and diversion programming at REACH. It’s an innovative position that will inform our organization in developing internal comprehensive individualized case management systems that ensure equity in service delivery and developing best practices.

JOB FUNCTIONS (May Include):

· Building relationships & communicating with multiple prosecutorial municipalities, public defense attorneys, and department of corrections for REACH diversion programs

· Developing best practices for REACH case managers in building effective relationships with prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and department of corrections working in partnership with REACH diversion programs

· Working in partnership with REACH case managers and supervisors to provide mitigation and legal advocacy on behalf of clients registered in REACH diversion programs

· Improve service delivery systems between case managers and prosecutorial partners

· Developing systems to effectively track clients on warrant status, supporting case managers in quashing client warrants and communicating the efforts with law enforcement and prosecutorial partners

· Attend Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) court calendar in Seattle Municipal Court & court hearings at the request of LEAD Supervisors

· Develop harm reduction focused legal summary reports on client progress to submit to prosecutorial partners

· Monitor overarching inequities in criminal legal system practices by tracking patterns of arrests, court filings, and case resolutions of all REACH clients in diversion programs

· Participate in public relations involving harm reduction messaging focused on legal advocacy for REACH clients, criminal legal system impacts on marginalized communities, and inequity within the legal system

· Apply innovative harm reduction approaches and utilize working knowledge of the Involuntary Treatment Act Competency System on behalf of clients to improve communication and collaboration with prosecutors and defense attorneys. Maintain effective systems tracking.

· Build a formal relationship with legal services outside of the REACH contractual partnerships with King County Prosecuting Attorney Office, Seattle, Burien, & Kent Municipal Court (i.e., LEAD Legal, Victim & Sexual Assault Advocate programs

· Represent LEAD to community stakeholders using effective communication and strategic partnerships to best leverage LEAD strengths and contribute to the success of the program.

· Maintain a case load of clients with high legal advocacy needs during case manager vacancies to ensure continuity of care for LEAD participants. Case load size may vary due to the number case manager vacancies

· Additional duties as assigned

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education

High school diploma or equivalent required, undergraduate degree preferred. Academic training in the social service field and in the area of substance use disorder treatment preferred. Master’s Degree highly preferred.

Experience

A minimum of five years’ experience in work related to social work or outreach programs. Experience providing services to addicted individuals from a harm reduction perspective essential. Experience with case management, homelessness and co-occurring disorders preferred. Two years supervisory experience (or equivalent) preferred.

Knowledge Requirements

1. Computer literate, with basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, as well as a high level of initiative in keeping current with technological change.

2. Ability to prioritize workload and activities of self and complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner.

3. Ability to develop and maintain basic budgeting and accounting systems that function in a transparent manner.

4. Dependable, able to work under pressure, receptive to change, willingness to learn, cooperative approach to problem solving.

5. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, clients, and outside contacts from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds; good diplomatic skills.

6. Possession of a valid Washington State Motor Vehicle Operator’s License (local travel on behalf of the Agency is a job requirement).

7. Must be able to pass a Washington State Patrol criminal background check

8. Flexible team player.

9. Excellent attention to detail.

10. Knowledge of budgeting.

Language Skills

1. Ability to read and interpret general business correspondence, policies and procedures, referral information, financial documentation and applicable government regulations.

2. Ability to write business letters, uncomplicated reports, instructions and procedures.

3. Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from patients, staff, referral sources and the general public.

Mathematical Skills and Reasoning Ability

1. Thorough knowledge of and ability to apply business arithmetic skills accurately and rapidly.

2. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where standardization may be limited. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, schedule or diagram format.

3. Basic math skills.

Physical Requirements

1. The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear; frequently required to stand, walk and kneel; occasionally to climb balance, or stoop; rarely to crouch or crawl.

2. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, color and peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate.

Equipment Used Computer, photocopier, fax machine, phone, and possible use of the program van.

Inclusivity and Reasonable Accommodation:

· Evergreen Treatment Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

· ETS will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation, or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship for ETS. We also seek to provide reasonable accommodation for the interview process.

Check Out ETS’ Excellent Benefits - Part of Your Total Rewards Package in this Role!

Key Benefits :

· Medical and Dental benefits, as well as voluntary Vision benefits.

· 403b Retirement Plan with employer match starting at 2% at 1 year, and Roth IRA.

· Basic Life/ADD/FSA tax saving accounts for health and dependent care.

· Employee Assistance Program (EAP), voluntary long-term disability coverage.

· Vacation (starting at 2 weeks/year at 6 months), Sick leave (24 days/year at 6 months).

· Mental health leave (12 days/year).

· Holidays (12 days/year) and one Floating Holiday per year.

Exceptional Perks :

· Wellness stipend ($50/month) to use for wellness benefits such as massage, fitness classes, gym membership, meditation, therapy, park passes, etc.

· Transportation stipend ($40/month) and mileage and parking reimbursement when traveling.

· License renewal reimbursement (variable) and tuition/training assistance (variable).

· Referral bonus ($100/$250) and sign-on bonuses for some positions at certain times.

· Longevity awards ($50 - $750 over milestone anniversaries, and for REACH programs).

· Discounts for Woodland Park Zoo, Verizon Wireless, and Corporate Shopping.

· Professional development: ETS is committed to supporting all staff on their career paths so that ETS is a place to join and contribute fully in the short term and also grow and thrive long-term.

Work at Evergreen Treatment Services and make a difference in our community!

· ETS has been working to transform the lives of individuals and their communities through innovative and effective addiction and social services in Western Washington for over 50 years. Learn more about our mission and values .

· Change begins within. We strive to foster and sustain a diverse and inclusive community within our organization. Find out how we are working to achieve racial equity, health equity, and community justice.

· Our Clinic Services and REACH teams bring critical professional expertise and heartfelt compassion to the work they do every day to serve our most vulnerable community members. Check out the compelling stories told by our patients, clients, and staff members that provide more information and a clear picture regarding our organization’s essential work.

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