Receptionist/Intake Paralegal

Legal Services NYC•Staten Island, NY

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers. LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer. Staten Island Legal Services (SILS) fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. SILS provides high-quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Staten Island’s diverse low-income populations. SILS focuses on the problems that have the greatest impact on our clients —preserving affordable and decent housing, preventing foreclosures, representing survivors of domestic violence, assisting in obtaining government benefits, obtaining immigration status and preventing deportations, and advocating for the LGBTQ community, students with educational needs and people with disabilities. SILS is a part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), which is the largest provider of civil legal services in the country. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers. LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center.

Requirements

Experience working directly with the public
Demonstrated ability to maintain a calm, helpful demeanor in a sometimes stressful and fast-paced environment
Be able to handle a busy reception desk and interact with a wide range of people including low-income clients, case handlers, and representatives of community organizations
Excellent attention to detail and able to meet deadlines
Excellent client interviewing skills (the ability to identify a client’s needs quickly and accurately)
A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities
Strong written, communication and organization skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to learn and adapt to new technologies
Spanish language fluency is required

Responsibilities

Welcoming prospective clients and visitors to the office and directing them to the appropriate case handler or external resource
Answering the phones, including responding to inquiries regarding our services, directing calls, and taking messages
Performing preliminary intake or screening interviews, including preparation of appropriate forms, which may require occasional typing
Conducting screenings and intake via telephone, video, and in-person at our office and off-site to determine whether prospective clients can be assisted by our office, including obtaining necessary demographic data, initial determination of financial eligibility, and ascertaining type of problem
Coordinating follow-up services, including appointments, referrals, client correspondence, and gathering documents and other information
Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of our office priorities and intake
Maintaining familiarity with internal and external referral resources to ensure appropriate client referrals
Identifying appropriate referrals for people who cannot be assisted by our office, and making referrals
Opening and closing files for clients and ensuring compliance with program protocols
Distributing basic client service information materials
Assisting case handlers on client-related matters, including making phone calls, sending basic correspondence and obtaining information
Entering and tracking information in electronic format, including databases and grant management systems and other formats, running reports with the data, and assisting in preparation for audits
Maintaining client-related files, including copying, scanning, uploading and distributing documents
Interpreting, translating, and using language assistance resources
Sorting and distributing the mail
Other tasks as assigned consistent with the collective bargaining agreement