Civil Action Practice Benefits Advocate

Overview

The Bronx Defenders (BxD) – an innovative, community-oriented, holistic defense office in the South Bronx – seeks an advocate with a commitment to social justice to work as a Benefits Advocate in the Civil Action Practice.

Founded in 1997, The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that has developed a nationally recognized model of representation called holistic defense, which provides people with teams of lawyers, social workers, and advocates to defend them zealously in court as well as to address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement.

Since opening our doors, we have grown into an organization of more than 400 staff members defending nearly 20,000 New Yorkers each year in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings who face incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation, among other devastating consequences.

Today we are reimagining the role of public defense even further, using community organizing and engagement, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation to partner with the communities we represent to bring about long-lasting systemic change.

We also share our model and lessons learned with current and future public defenders. We run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders from one end of the country to the next on how to move to a holistic model of representation.

Civil Action Practice

A sweeping array of civil punishments are triggered the moment someone faces arrest, deportation, or family separation. The people we represent risk losing their jobs, homes, income, property, and basic civil rights – struggles that can be more devastating and long-lasting than the charges themselves. Last year, we helped 2,200 people obtain concrete benefits like maintaining their jobs, homes, income, property, and rights.

The Benefits Access and Advocacy Team

The Bronx Defenders Benefits Team provides benefits access in three main ways: first, they support thousands of community walk-ins and callers to our benefits hotline each year, helping them apply, recertify and advocate for crucial public benefits. Second, the Benefits Team works directly with our Right to Counsel (RTC) Housing Team to help tenants secure emergency rental arrears, housing subsidies and housing benefits and relocation resources. Lastly, our team provides support for benefits-related referrals from our criminal, family and immigration practices and provides expertise to enable access to benefits for people who face barriers from criminal court involvement, immigration issues or involvement in the family regulation system.

Responsibilities

The Civil Action Practice seeks Benefits Advocates to assist clients and community members in obtaining, recertifying and advocating for a wide range of life-sustaining public benefits. This work will involve servicing community walk-ins as well as collaborating with our holistic defense teams and housing team to support our clients.

The Benefits Advocate will:

Screen, complete applications for and refer clients and community members for eligibility and interest in public benefits, including, but not limited to:

Access to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and food pantries

Cash Assistance

Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) and other housing benefits

Employment assistance

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) federal assistance program

Medicare and Medicaid

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Childcare benefits

Utility benefits

Transit assistance

Lifeline/phones

Staff the Community Benefits Hotline

Conduct eligibility assessment, case planning, application completion and case advocacy using a comprehensive and holistic approach for clients and community members

Engage in advocacy to obtain benefits, including correspondence with agencies, conciliation, fair hearings and reapplication

Participate in collaborative meetings within The Bronx Defenders and with stakeholders, other community-based organizations and government agencies including the NYC Human Resource Administration, the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance and various benefits cohorts to share feedback on benefits needs and support benefit inquiries

Collaborate with and support attorneys and advocates in the civil, criminal, family and immigration practices by:

Responding to benefits-based referrals

Supporting benefits screenings, applications and advocacy

Supporting benefits application submission

Assist in developing public benefits education and outreach materials for internal and external audiences

Participate in funder meetings regarding benefits needs

Monitor changes in the public benefits landscape and share relevant updates with the practice

Assist in maintaining systems of data collection and case management systems to track benefits work including, but not limited to:

Entering and maintaining accurate client data

Tracking information and notes regarding informal and formal advocacy

Assist in development and facilitation of internal and external trainings and presentations related to benefits work

Identify creative ways to offer support and technical assistance to external agencies and service providers

Engage in community outreach across NYC to inform community members about BxD’s services and projects, and to develop relationships with service providers that can assist the people we represent and community members

Support and participate in pipelines, including intern trainings, supervision and mentorship

Help identify the systemic problems that affect the people we represent while thinking creatively about new strategies and solutions for strategic change

Support initiatives related to policy, communications, legislation, organizing, and systemic reform advocacy

Qualifications

To be eligible, candidates must have:

Fluency or high-level proficiency in Spanish, validated objectively

1 year of experience providing direct legal advocacy support in civil action or related public interest settings

Candidate must demonstrate:

Commitment to public interest, human services, and/or civil rights

Experience working in and with racially and socioeconomically marginalized communities targeted by carceral legal systems

Unwavering commitment to social justice

Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences 

Strong active listening and interpersonal skills

Effective organization, time management, and problem-solving skills

Ability to multitask effectively and work well under pressure while adhering to stringent deadlines

Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles

Meticulous attention to detail

Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers

Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate with people across technical and non-technical roles

Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection, and shift behavior accordingly

Willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of the people we represent

Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters

Experience in and working knowledge of specific public benefits and applications is preferred but not required

This is a primarily in-person position.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 1-5 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $68,500 to $71,500. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; and a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is within the bargaining unit. 

This position is non-exempt. By law, non-exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.  

To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and cover letter in one document. Your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience and should include all relevant professional experience. Applications without a written cover letter will not be considered.    

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, disabled, neurodivergent, and those directly impacted by criminal, civil, family, and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we serve.