Project Coordinator/Community Services - Legal Assistant Developer- Onsite

30 hrs/week- Onsite

LEGAL ASSISTANCE DEVELOPER: OHA is seeking a Legal Assistance Developer to ensuring compliance with the Older Americans Act and other applicable federal and state laws while promoting equitable access to high-quality legal services for older adults, particularly those with the greatest economic and social need.

The position develops and implements policies, manages statewide initiatives, monitors program performance, and identifies opportunities to strengthen legal assistance services and elder rights protections.

Success in this role requires the ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with legal services providers, courts, advocacy organizations, government agencies, and community partners. The LAD also leads public education and outreach efforts related to elder rights, abuse prevention, consumer protection, advance planning, and alternatives to guardianship.

Preferred skills:

Strong candidates will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Strong leadership and organizational skills.
• Experience in program administration, public policy, and strategic planning.
• Experience working with the aging network, legal services providers, or public sector agencies serving older adults.
• Have strong written and communication skills and able to present to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrate strong mastery of computer and technology skills, including Microsoft Office Suite products.
• Demonstrate leadership skills in outreach and collaboration.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate data to identify trends and opportunities.
• Familiar with understanding and applying local, state, and federal regulations in overseeing programs.
• Ability to multi-task, work independently, and as part of a team.

Core Competencies:

• Elder Rights Advocacy
• Strategic Planning
• Legal Services Coordination
• Technical Assistance
• Regulatory Compliance

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: To have the assigned responsibility to serve as the designated Legal Assistance Developer (LAD) within the RI Office of Healthy Aging. In accordance with Section 731 of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and 45 CFR 1324.303, the LAD provides statewide leadership to secure, protect and advance legal rights of older adults, strengthen and promote access to justice and legal services, coordinate and provide technical assistance and training for the legal services programs funded under the OAA, and to do related work as required.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Works under the supervision of OHA unit director.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED:

• To develop strategies to strengthen access to justice and legal services, advising agency leadership on emerging elder law issues, legal trends, and policy initiatives, and incorporating legal assistance priorities into the State Plan on Aging.
• To coordinate statewide legal assistance services funded under the OAA by promoting equitable access to legal services, prioritizing older adults with the greatest economic and social need, collaborating to improve service delivery and identify unmet legal needs, facilitating partnerships among legal services providers, advocacy organizations, courts, bar associations, and community-based organizations.
• To provide technical assistance, consultation, and training to: Adult Protective Services, legal assistance providers, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, aging network partners, other service providers serving older adults.
• To promote education and access to legal and financial planning services that support informed decision-making, increase awareness of advance planning tools and less restrictive alternatives to guardianship, collaborate with stakeholders to expand access to resources that help older adults maintain autonomy and avoid unnecessary fiduciary proceedings.
• To develop and promote elder rights and consumer education initiatives that help older adults understand their rights, make informed decisions, access legal protections and benefits, maintain autonomy and self-determination, and increase awareness of abuse prevention, consumer protection, housing, health care decision-making, public benefits, and financial exploitation.
• To monitor statewide legal capacity, identify gaps and emerging legal issues affecting older adults, recommend program improvement, conduct data analysis and evaluation.
• To build collaborative relationships with state agencies, disability and Veterans organizations, and community partners.
• To do related work as required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Education: Such as may have been gained through; graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in the field of legal and/or human and social services, or a related field of study.

Experience: Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in elder law, legal services, aging policy, public administration, or a related field.