Legal Assistant Developer

State of Maryland • Baltimore City, MD

9d • Onsite

About The Position

Introduction The Maryland Department of Aging helps establish Maryland as an attractive location for all older adults through vibrant communities and supportive services that offer the opportunity to live healthy and meaningful lives. Through action, investment, leadership, and reform, the Department will create a society in which all older Marylanders can lead lives that are healthy, financially secure, socially connected, and purposeful throughout their full lifespan. This is a contractual position, with limited benefits. GRADE 19 LOCATION OF POSITION Department of Aging 36 S. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21201 POSITION DUTIES The Legal Assistant Developer will lead efforts to secure and maintain the legal rights of older adults. This position is responsible for overseeing compliance with the Older Americans Act (OAA) and leading the state’s legal services advocacy system through policy development and stakeholder engagement. By building strong partnerships with stakeholders and legal providers, the Developer will coordinate technical assistance, training, and resource targeting to protect the rights of older Marylanders. The position serves as the statewide Legal Assistant Developer for the State Unit on Aging (SUA) ensuring that legal services are available to older adults and those with disabilities demonstrating the greatest economic and greatest social needs. This position serves in a leadership role that ensure compliance with the Older American Act (OAA) as related to those mandated activities found with Title III and Title VII of the Act as related to legal assistant development. Build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders that result in strong partnerships supporting the new statewide vision of a legal services advocacy system focused on older and vulnerable adults including those at risk of guardianship, conservatorship, or other fiduciary proceedings. Ensure that all OAA Title III-B Legal Assistance Programs within the State deliver high quality legal assistance to older and vulnerable adults. Evaluate and monitor for compliance to ensure it is meeting federal regulations. Collaborate with State Unit on Aging Staff. This position works with statewide stakeholders such as Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), legal service providers, long-term care ombudsman; Elder Justice agencies, adult protective services; and others to coordinate and provide oversight of legal assistance for older and vulnerable adults. ● Develop key partnerships including that with local area agencies on aging. ● Works with stakeholders to assess and identify groups of people living with the greatest social and financial needs who need legal services, paying particular attention to individuals with low-income, from historically marginalized communities, and living in rural areas. ● Develop guidelines and guidebooks and recommend policies and procedures for legal services in a variety of areas, such as but not limited to housing assistance, Medicaid, denials, appeals, grandparents raising grandchildren. ● Identifies and works with AAAs in developing and implementing legal programs designed to address the needs of older and vulnerable adults. ● Provides technical assistance, training, and other supportive functions to area agencies on aging, legal assistance providers, Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs, adult protective services, and other service providers. ● Solicits input from citizens and providers of long-term care services statewide. ● Work with AAAs and legal providers in developing case priorities and other mechanisms to ensure that legal assistance services are properly targeted. ● Ensures comprehensive needs assessments are completed statewide. ● Creates a statewide plan that defines the vision of a high quality, high impact legal service delivery system for older and vulnerable adults statewide ● Analyzes ongoing program operations and utilizes program data to recommend modification or modify policies and procedures for enhanced effectiveness. ● Work with State Monitor to regularly evaluate and monitor the OAA Title III legal assistance programs to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws, regulations, and standards. ● Determine training needs for legal providers, AAAs, Ombudsmen, and other stakeholders appropriate to enhance the quality and quantity of legal assistance. ● Provide training or obtain training opportunities as permitted by available resource. ● Collaborate with a variety of stakeholders on elder justice issues, including discussions at the legislative level, attending hearings, and implementing new regulations. ● Issues reports defining statewide standards for the delivery of legal assistance services. ● Review and enforce guidelines for SUA reporting of legal assistance activity into the OAAPS-SPR portal. ● Work with providers to establish and ensure data collection and reporting of legal assistance activities and services into the Legal Assistance Provider SPR Tool (LAPST).

Requirements

• A Juris Doctor degree or equivalent law degree from an accredited school of law.
• Six months of experience working with stakeholders and/or legal providers to ensure compliance with the Older Americans Act.

Nice To Haves

• State and/or federal grant experience.
• Experience working with external stakeholders to build partnerships and provide training.

Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to secure and maintain the legal rights of older adults.
• Oversee compliance with the Older Americans Act (OAA).
• Lead the state’s legal services advocacy system through policy development and stakeholder engagement.
• Build strong partnerships with stakeholders and legal providers.
• Coordinate technical assistance, training, and resource targeting to protect the rights of older Marylanders.
• Serve as the statewide Legal Assistant Developer for the State Unit on Aging (SUA).
• Ensure that legal services are available to older adults and those with disabilities demonstrating the greatest economic and greatest social needs.
• Ensure compliance with the Older American Act (OAA) as related to those mandated activities found with Title III and Title VII of the Act as related to legal assistant development.
• Build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders that result in strong partnerships supporting the new statewide vision of a legal services advocacy system focused on older and vulnerable adults including those at risk of guardianship, conservatorship, or other fiduciary proceedings.
• Ensure that all OAA Title III-B Legal Assistance Programs within the State deliver high quality legal assistance to older and vulnerable adults.
• Evaluate and monitor for compliance to ensure it is meeting federal regulations.
• Collaborate with State Unit on Aging Staff.
• Coordinate and provide oversight of legal assistance for older and vulnerable adults.
• Develop key partnerships including that with local area agencies on aging.
• Work with stakeholders to assess and identify groups of people living with the greatest social and financial needs who need legal services, paying particular attention to individuals with low-income, from historically marginalized communities, and living in rural areas.
• Develop guidelines and guidebooks and recommend policies and procedures for legal services in a variety of areas, such as but not limited to housing assistance, Medicaid, denials, appeals, grandparents raising grandchildren.
• Identify and work with AAAs in developing and implementing legal programs designed to address the needs of older and vulnerable adults.
• Provide technical assistance, training, and other supportive functions to area agencies on aging, legal assistance providers, Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs, adult protective services, and other service providers.
• Solicit input from citizens and providers of long-term care services statewide.
• Work with AAAs and legal providers in developing case priorities and other mechanisms to ensure that legal assistance services are properly targeted.
• Ensure comprehensive needs assessments are completed statewide.
• Create a statewide plan that defines the vision of a high quality, high impact legal service delivery system for older and vulnerable adults statewide
• Analyze ongoing program operations and utilizes program data to recommend modification or modify policies and procedures for enhanced effectiveness.
• Work with State Monitor to regularly evaluate and monitor the OAA Title III legal assistance programs to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws, regulations, and standards.
• Determine training needs for legal providers, AAAs, Ombudsmen, and other stakeholders appropriate to enhance the quality and quantity of legal assistance.
• Provide training or obtain training opportunities as permitted by available resource.
• Collaborate with a variety of stakeholders on elder justice issues, including discussions at the legislative level, attending hearings, and implementing new regulations.
• Issue reports defining statewide standards for the delivery of legal assistance services.
• Review and enforce guidelines for SUA reporting of legal assistance activity into the OAAPS-SPR portal.
• Work with providers to establish and ensure data collection and reporting of legal assistance activities and services into the Legal Assistance Provider SPR Tool (LAPST).

Benefits

• Contractual employees who work for an agency and have a current employment contract of 30 or more hours a week (or on average 130 hours per month) will be eligible for subsidized health benefits coverage for themselves and their dependents.
• View rates on the Department of Budget & Management website, State Employees, Health Benefits, Contractual/Variable rates.
• You can also elect to enroll in dental coverage, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and life insurance, but will be responsible to pay the full premium for these benefits.
• Leave may be granted to a contractual employee at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, not to exceed 40 hours per calendar year.

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees