PARALEGAL I BILINGUAL

Whitman-Walker Health • Washington, DC

4h • $49,350 - $61,688 • Hybrid

About The Position

Whitman-Walker Health is a federally qualified health center serving the greater Washington community, with a mission to provide high-quality, culturally competent care, especially to individuals facing barriers to access, and with expertise in LGBTQ and HIV care. The Legal Services Program, established in 1986, offers pro bono legal counseling and representation to individuals living with HIV, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, on civil legal issues related to their diagnosis. The program also serves LGBTQ individuals and families, and Whitman-Walker health care patients, on matters within its expertise, including discrimination based on HIV, sexual orientation, or gender identity; Social Security disability, Medicaid, Medicare, and other public benefits; private health and disability insurance; elder law; immigration; wills and advance directives; and name and gender marker changes for transgender individuals. The legal staff rotates among three offices in Washington, D.C. Whitman-Walker Health operates on an integrated care model, where legal professionals address health-harming legal problems as part of a collaborative team with medical, behavioral health, and dental providers. This position is part of the oldest medical-legal partnership in the country.

Requirements

• Commitment to working with people living with HIV; persons of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and low-income clients.
• Sense of humor, a strong work ethic, a demonstrated ability to work well with others in stressful situations, and excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Thorough knowledge and experience with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, database management and utilization, online meeting platforms, and online document creation/sharing tools.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, or demonstrate professional experience through former employment, volunteer, and/or academic achievements.
• Written and oral fluency in Spanish or Amharic is required.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience with public benefits and insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Retirement and Disability, health insurance including subsidies available through the Affordable Care Act, and updating identity documents.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and paralegal case support to attorneys on legal matters including, but not limited to, discrimination based on HIV, sexual orientation, or gender identity; Social Security disability, Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal, state and local public benefits programs; private health and disability insurance; elder law; immigration; wills, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives; medical confidentiality; medical debt; and name and gender marker changes on legal records for transgender persons.
• Handle a caseload of matters related to a number of public benefits and insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Retirement and Disability, and health insurance subsidies available through the Affordable Care Act.
• Perform a variety of tasks, including client intake and counseling; investigation and analysis of cases; legal research and writing; drafting documents; coordinating meetings with clients; tracking governmental submissions, and assisting other legal staff with all efforts directed toward client assistance.
• Provide backup client intake and counseling to the Intake Coordinator for walk-in clients.
• Work with the Legal Services Operations Manager to support all legal staff needs including filing and file storage, technology needs, community outreach, volunteer relations, and administration of legal clinics.
• Assist the Legal Services Director, Supervising Attorney, and Operations Manager with various aspects of program administration.
• Be based at the office on Florida Ave. NW/1701 14th Street NW, but must be available and willing to rotate on an as-needed basis to our other two locations. This position will also meet with clients in their homes, in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other community settings, as needed, and must have the flexibility to travel throughout the greater Washington metropolitan area when needed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level