Paralegal, Medical-Legal-Community Partnership
Position: Paralegal, Medical-Legal-Community Partnership
Background:
The Medical-Legal-Community Partnership (MLCP), a program of Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA), seeks to hire a paralegal to become part of a unique legal care team. PLA is a non-profit organization primarily funded by the Legal Services Corporation. In the MLCP, legal staff operate on-site at eleven community health centers and clinics. They collaborate with the centers’ healthcare teams to address the legal aspects of patients’ medical and social services needs that so often undermine access to effective care. By working in partnership, medical, legal and social service staff can collectively address the host of issues that can impede vulnerable populations’ access to-- and ability to benefit from-- protocols to treat and prevent illness.
MLP teams address such issues as: health insurance access and income supports; housing safety and security; utility shutoff prevention; legal status; family stability and child welfare issues; domestic violence and other health-harming legal issues. We have had success at our existing partnerships and are currently pursuing additional health centers with which to partner.
MLCP staff members work closely with healthcare providers as part of a team approach to provide holistic care and improve community health outcomes. The team works collaboratively at different sites throughout the city. The MLCP is expanding to additional clinics and we are currently seeking a paralegal whose time would be split between Health Center 2, 1700 South Broad Street, and Strawberry Mansion Health Center, 2840 West Dauphin Street OR Health Center 5, 1900 N 20th Street, and Health Center 9, 131 East Chelten Avenue.
Responsibilities:
The successful candidate will have a variety of responsibilities, serving the needs of health center patients through direct service and capacity building efforts. Although the candidate will have dedicated time to each activity, she or he should be flexible, dynamic, and able to allow both aspects of this position to inform the other.
Paralegal duties include: interviewing and advising patients who become clients via referrals from health center staff; working with healthcare providers to understand the relationship between clients’ legal, medical, and social circumstances; evaluating a client’s situation and making appropriate referrals; negotiating with local and state agencies to help clients access critical benefits; representing clients in administrative proceedings; researching, understanding and utilizing statutes and regulations (including those that fall under the Affordable Care Act); coordinating and managing case referrals; community outreach and education on legal rights.
Capacity building duties include: building partnerships with relevant community organizations, health centers, or other organizations to strengthen the MLCP, developing a nuanced understanding of the needs of our clients and their communities, planning for expansion to additional health centers, collaborating with all members of the MLCP team, and preparing funding progress reports.
Minimum Qualifications:
We seek a college graduate with a demonstrated commitment to community service, a high sense of empathy, and an eagerness to work on a collaborative team. This person is a resourceful problem-solver with excellent written and oral communication skills. Academic background in public health, health policy, legal studies, or social services preferred but not necessary. Attention to detail and ability to follow specific protocols are a must. Fluency in Spanish is required.
Salary and Benefits:
Salary commensurate with experience and comparable to other public interest salaries. PLA provides excellent benefits including fully paid medical for employees and their dependents, a 403B retirement plan, and generous paid leave.
Application Process:
Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is an equal opportunity employer. PLA values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness, and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. PLA invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.
Send cover letter, resume, references, and five-page writing sample, preferably in one PDF document, to work@philalegal.org.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. We encourage applicants to submit applications early.