Cantonese Speaking Client Advocate

CANTONESE-SPEAKING CLIENT ADVOCATE

6-month Contract Position

Interviews will be held in January 2025

Legal Assistance to the Elderly (LAE) seeks an enthusiastic and compassionate advocate to join our team. This is a 6-month contract position. For almost 45 years, LAE has provided free legal advice and representation to San Francisco’s seniors and adults living with disabilities. Our mission is to protect and advance the right of San Francisco’s seniors and adults with disabilities to be housed, healthy, financially stable, and safe. Our primary practice areas are Eviction Defense/Housing (tenants only), Foreclosure Prevention, Income Benefit advocacy, Physical and Financial Elder Abuse Prevention, Health Law, Debt Collection Defense, End of Life Planning, CARE Court Representation and Conservatorship Defense. LAE is a friendly and collaborative work environment. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bilingual in Cantonese and English
• Strong, written, verbal, and interviewing skills
• Organized and able to manage projects independently
• Patient and flexible
• Comfortable with case management systems and other office technology
• Patient and flexible
• Respectfulness of and openness toward those with social and cultural backgrounds different from one’s own.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE

• Knowledge of Mandarin, Russian, Tagalog or Spanish
• Cultural knowledge of San Francisco’s Cantonese-speaking seniors
• Interest in legal issues related to poverty and/or aging
• Experience working with elderly, disabled or homeless individuals or those experiencing a crisis

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

General Purpose: To provide support to clients, our housing team and intake teams.

Client Services

• Conduct intake interviews with Cantonese and English-speaking clients in person and by phone
• Present completed intakes at weekly case review meeting
• Maintain accurate computerized client files and other documentation
• Provide translation for Cantonese-speaking clients on a variety of legal matters
• Work with San Francisco Adult Protective Services and community-based social workers to address clients’ needs

·  As needed, visit clients in their homes, skilled nursing facilities or hospitals

Legal Team Support

·  Follow up on intake interviews: collect additional documents and information as necessary, relay legal advice or referrals from lawyers to clients·  Conduct factual investigations ·  Draft or translate correspondence and other documents

WORKING CONDITIONS

The position requires working with individuals during moments of extreme stress and instability. The position also requires the provision of culturally sensitive and empathetic services. Some evening and weekend work is required, though infrequently. Furthermore, because of the nature of the intake work, the employee is expected to be in the office during normal business hours and to communicate with staff regarding whereabouts when out of office during work hours.

This is an in-office position.

COMPENSATION

This is a non-union contract position; however, the salary will be based on Union Scale starting at $70,200 to $75,200 annually (placement on scale is primarily determined by years of related experience). This position is eligible for LAE’s healthcare benefits package including 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and dependent children and up 75% for spouses; sick leave, and vacation.

If you find that you meet many of the qualifications in the job description, we encourage you to apply and explain in your cover letter why your experience would make you a good fit for the position. We recognize that organizations may miss out on strong applicants who screen themselves out of the process because they do not meet every qualification and that disproportionately impacts people from historically marginalized backgrounds. We know that our greatest strengths come from the people who make up our team and a welcoming, inclusive and culturally diverse staff allows us to best serve our community. We look forward to your application.

LAE seeks to fill all positions with people who share our values, including our organizational commitment to diversity. We encourage all interested individuals to apply—especially people of color; women; people from low-income backgrounds; people with disabilities; people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary; or anyone belonging to any other federal or state protected category. We believe that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity, and are committed to not discriminating on any basis prohibited by applicable law.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED UNTIL THE POSITION IS FILLED. THOSE SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE NOTIFIED.

Salary : $70,200 - $75,200