St. Christopher Medical-Legal Partnership Paralegal

Community Legal Services, Inc.•Philadelphia, PA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

Community Legal Services (CLS) is seeking a paralegal to work at CLS’s Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. The Integrated Care for Kids partnership is CLS’s fifth MLP and focuses on coordinating medical care, social services, and legal services for children and youth with complex physical and behavioral health diagnoses and their families. The paralegal will work closely with the lead MLP attorney to provide legal advice and representation, spending at least two days per week at St. Christopher’s Hospital. The paralegal will be formally co-located in CLS’s SSI Unit, helping families to access and maintain disability income for eligible children and youth.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED
Demonstrated history of exceptional organizational skills
Demonstrated ability to work independently and take initiative
Demonstrated reliability
Ability to learn and retain a large volume of complex material
Strong writing and other communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills
Ability to interact well in multicultural environments
Computer literacy, including proficiency in using Microsoft Office
Willingness and flexibility to travel within the City of Philadelphia
Ability to complete the credentialing process required by St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, including a criminal background check and child abuse history clearance.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or Associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies
Experience working at a social services agency, at a nonprofit advocacy organization, or in a health care setting
Proficiency in a world language, with a strong preference for Spanish proficiency
Client interviewing skills

Responsibilities

Working closely with clinical and social work staff and community partners in the Integrated Care for Kids partnership to build trusting, collaborative, and respectful relationships.
Partnering with the MLP attorney to develop, adjust, and maintain systems for screening and identifying patients with legal issues.
Conducting in-person intake interviews at St. Christopher’s Hospital at least two days per week for patient families who are identified as having legal issues.
Responding to legal referrals from Integrated Care for Kids partners, and tracking referral outcomes consistently in CLS’s case management system.
Providing legal advice, referrals, and representation to patient families in the area of SSI disability law, as well as other legal areas as needed, under the close supervision of the MLP attorney.
Assisting the MLP attorney in identifying the training needs of the Integrated Care for Kids partners, and providing the training when appropriate.
Assisting the MLP attorney in identifying and executing new ways to address unmet legal needs among patient families, including through pop-up legal clinics, pro bono partnerships, and self-help materials.
Collecting case outcome data and other data that demonstrates the success of the MLP and synthesizing or analyzing the data when needed.