Advocate Supervisor - Rural Justice Initiative

Job Description

Job Description

Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) is excited to announce that we are now recruiting for a RJI Advocate Supervisor as part of our new Rural Justice Initiative (RJI).

The Rural Justice Initiative Advocate Supervisor is a project-funded position established as part of Disability Rights Texas' (DRTx) participation in the Rural Justice Initiative (RJI), a collaborative effort designed to expand access to civil legal services for low-income Texans living in designated rural communities and legal-desert counties. The Rural Justice Initiative (RJI) Advocate Supervisor, under the direction of the Project Supervisor, is responsible for monitoring the quality of the casework provided by the RJI Advocates for the Texas Access to Justice Foundation Rural Justice Initiative, a five-year, multiregional initiative designed to expand access to civil legal services for low-income Texans with disabilities in designated rural and legal-desert communities.

The Advocate Supervisor serves as the direct personnel supervisor for RJI Advocates assigned across geographic service regions and project-wide issue areas. The position is responsible for advocate performance management, professional development, workload monitoring, casework quality assurance, and coordination with the RJI's multidisciplinary legal service teams and RJI staff.

The Advocate Supervisor works collaboratively with assigned attorneys and the Attorney Project Supervisor to support timely and effective delivery of legal advocacy services. Attorneys retain responsibility for legal advice, case strategy, and legal representation decisions. The Advocate Supervisor retains assigned personnel supervisory responsibilities, consistent with DRTx policies and the approved RJI governance and accountability structure.

The position supports implementation of RJI project objectives and performance measures, including monitoring advocate contributions to case services, documentation requirements, and geographic service delivery goals.A discretionary limited caseload may be useful for maintaining advocacy expertise, addressing staffing gaps, or supporting complex cases, but should not undermine supervisory capacity and d as approved by the Project Supervisor.

As such, the Advocate Supervisor must comply with organizational priorities, policies, and procedures in determining client services which may include interviewing clients, reviewing records, negotiating favorable outcomes, mediating disputes, supervising referrals, and assisting attorneys with representation of clients at administrative hearings and trials. At all times, the Advocate Supervisor will follow the advice, counsel and direction of an attorney when conducting investigations, developing case strategies, identifying case issues, and applying applicable rules, policies, and regulations.

As part of RJI, Community Engagement and education and training will be provided for persons with disabilities, parents, advocates, and professionals/service providers. As such, this position might be needed to attend and participate in various community functions and group events, outreach activities, and the like to promote and present information regarding the organization’s services and programs and create awareness for the RJI initiative.

Essential Functions

1. Provide supervision, mentoring, training, support and proper case handling direction to RJI advocates within the RJI structure.

1. Coordinate with RJI attorneys assigned to geographic teams regarding advocate assignments and casework needs.

1. Monitor RJI advocate workloads across regions and issue areas.

1. Identify geographic or substantive service gaps requiring reassignment or additional support.

1. Participate in RJI team meetings to address casework coordination, capacity, and barriers to service.

1. Monitor advocate contributions to RJI deliverables and timely case progression.

1. Follow and implement the organization’s client services policies and procedures regarding client interviews, case records, investigations, and case documentation.

1. Master technical information of applicable program areas and relevant statutes and policies. Should be considered a content expert on issue team area of