Investigations and Monitoring Attorney Team Leader
EXEMPT, FULL-TIME (36 hours/week)
$79,570-$90,470 annually
Posting Date: April 20, 2023; Priority Application Date: May 20, 2023
Anywhere in Colorado (hybrid)
POSITION OVERVIEW
The purpose of Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agencies is to go into the places where people with disabilities live and/or are served to identify abuse and neglect. As the designated P&A for Colorado, we have unique and extensive access authority. The Investigations and Monitoring Attorney Team Leader (Team Leader) is vital to coordinating and supervising DLC’s important work in this area, shaping the future of our investigations and monitoring plans statewide, and asserting our access authority. The Team Leader also supervises DLC’s representative payee work.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The Investigations and Monitoring Attorney Team Leader reports directly to the Director of Legal Services. The Team Leader supervises investigators, including the members of the representative payee program. Currently, there are three direct reports. The Investigations and Monitoring Attorney Team Leader is expected to work collaboratively across the organization, especially with other attorney team leaders.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The following duties are an overview of the primary duties and responsibilities of the Investigations and Monitoring Attorney Team Leader and should not be considered an all-inclusive list:
- Coordinates with others to develop investigation and monitoring plans.
- Directs and supervises the implementation of investigation and monitoring plans and activities.
- Supervises and provides support for DLC’s investigative staff, including in their representative payee work. https://disabilitylawco.org/issues/representative-payee.
- Conducts and coordinates abuse and neglect investigations, including death investigations.
- Coordinates and conducts onsite monitoring visits to look for evidence of abuse, neglect, or other legal rights violations of individuals with disabilities. The onsite monitoring visits will involve travel around the state and monitoring facilities and service providers that include jails, prisons, state hospitals, Division of Youth Services facilities, group homes, regional centers, host homes, nursing homes, and other places where people with disabilities are served.
- Coordinates DLC’s work on our voting grant, including providing training and supports for voting to individuals in facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and other institutions alongside monitoring visits.
- Performs other duties, as assigned by the Director of Legal Services.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The individual must also possess these qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
- Ability to obtain suitability credentials from the Social Security Administration, as required by our grant, within the first six months of employment. You do not need to complete this process before applying for this position. For more information about the process, please see: shorturl.at/abeR6
- Current member in good standing of the Colorado Bar.
- At least three years of experience in the practice of law.
- At least two years of management experience in a legal environment. (This can include directing the work of a legal team, such as a second chair attorney, paralegal, investigator, advocate, and/or social worker.)
- Ability to work independently in a hybrid or remote environment, as well as under general supervision and on a team.
- Ability to provide effective supervision in a hybrid or remote environment.
- Ability and flexibility to travel throughout the state and work nonstandard hours, as needed for monitoring, investigations, advocacy, and other duties.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
The following qualifications are highly desired to advance DLC’s work, but they are not required:
- Bilingual or multilingual.
- Experience in civil rights law, especially disability law.
- Experience practicing law in a nonprofit environment.
- Familiarity with relevant systems, including jails, prisons, state hospitals, nursing homes, regional centers, Community Centered Boards, special education, Medicaid, guardianship, group homes, and/or host homes.
- Experience working on federal grants.
- At least two years of experience in directing investigations.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Applicants for this position must live in Colorado or be willing to relocate to Colorado before they begin the position.
DLC is promoting a mostly remote work environment to increase DLC’s presence and staffing statewide, with the understanding that employees will travel and meet in person as needed for conducting their job functions and collaborating with other staff members, the Board, clients, and partners. (DLC currently has office space in Denver, which is available, but not required, for employees’ use.) DLC provides equipment to employees to work successfully in a remote environment, including, but not limited to, laptops and phones. Due to the nature of investigations and monitoring, the Investigations and Monitoring Attorney Team Leader might experience frequent periods of travel, however, and should expect a more hybrid work experience.
DLC provides reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their jobs and participate in the recruitment and interview processes. For support with the application process, please contact Esther Brieno at ebrieno@disabilitylawco.org.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The hiring range for this position is $79,570-$90,470 annually full-time (36 hours/week), depending on experience. (For reference, $85,020 represents DLC’s salary for people with 5 years of experience in a similar leadership position.) Disability Law Colorado offers competitive salaries; generous leave; and an excellent benefits package, which includes a 403(b)-retirement savings plan and medical, dental, vision, life, and short term and long-term disability insurance. DLC employees also enjoy a 36-hour workweek as full-time employment, as well as flexible hours.
APPLICATION PROCESS
We encourage candidates with disabilities and others with lived experience and diverse backgrounds to apply.
Candidates should submit a cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume to Esther Brieno at ebrieno@disabilitylawco.org by May 20, 2023 with the subject line: Investigations and Monitoring Attorney Team Leader Application, for priority consideration. Candidates wishing to mail or fax their materials, instead, may send them to:
Esther Brieno, Operations Manager
Disability Law Colorado
455 Sherman Street, Suite 130
Denver, CO 80203
FAX: (303) 722-0720
Client Assistance Program (CAP) Advocate
$60,000-68,800 annually
Location: Anywhere in Colorado (mostly remote work environment)
FLSA Status: EXEMPT, FULL-TIME (36 hours/week)
Reports to: Community Access and Youth Advocacy Team Leader
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Client Assistance Program (CAP) Advocate is responsible for investigating and advocating on behalf of clients who have complaints about services they have or have not received from Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and Centers for Independent Living (CILs). The CAP Advocate gathers information from clients, provides them with information, reviews DVR and CIL files, facilitates information-gathering and dispute resolution with DVR and Centers for Independent Living staff, and provides advocacy to clients. The CAP Advocate stays up to date about the laws and regulations governing DVR and CILs. The CAP Advocate provides training for DVR and CILs about CAP. As appropriate, the CAP Advocate also coordinates with other staff within the P&A on cases, training to the community, and outreach.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The CAP Advocate reports directly to the Community Access and Youth Advocacy Team Leader. The CAP Advocate has no direct reports.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The following duties are an overview of the primary duties and responsibilities of the CAP Advocate and should not be considered an all-inclusive list:
- Promptly contacts clients after they are assigned to the caseload
- Gathers information from clients to determine appropriate action
- Provides information to clients about DVR’s and CILs’ obligations in the provision of services
- Investigates complaints about DVR and CILs wrongfully denying or delaying services, including issues involving outright or constructive denials, process barriers, and poor communication
- Advocates on behalf of clients who have been wrongfully denied or delayed in the provision of services by DVR or CILs
- Responds to clients promptly from the initial conversation through the resolution of the concerns
- Appropriately and accurately documents and maintains timely records of CAP’s provision of services
- Maintains and keeps up-to-date materials regarding CAP’s work
- Maintains knowledge laws and regulations governing DVR and CILs and serves as one of DLC’s subject matter experts about these issues
- Actively communicates the status of cases to the attorney supervisor and requests guidance throughout case work as appropriate
- Maintains knowledge regarding laws and rules regarding the unlicensed practice of law and does not engage in the unlicensed practice of law
- Respects the values of the disability rights movement, as demonstrated by a commitment to disability culture and language, as well as advancing the public image of DLC as a trusted and
- competent resource
- Assists with the preparation of federal reports related to CAP
- Monitors case numbers to ensure adequate use of resources and appropriate outreach to boost the effectiveness and reach of the program
- Demonstrates a commitment to customer service, including eliciting feedback through surveys and following up with clients who might be dissatisfied with service or the pace of
- communication
- Exhibits work performance consistent with the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct and the National Disability Rights Network’s Standards
- Attends DLC meetings and other meetings, as appropriate
- Assists in advocacy work in other areas, as assigned by the Community Access and Youth Advocacy Attorney Team Leader
- Performs other duties, as assigned by the Community Access and Youth Advocacy Attorney Team Leader
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The individual must also possess these qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
- At least 3 years of experience providing direct client services
- Ability to obtain suitability credentials from the Social Security Administration, as required by our grant, within the first six months of employment. You do not need to complete this process before applying for this position. For more information about the process, please see: shorturl.at/abeR6
- Ability to work independently in a hybrid or remote environment, as well as under general supervision and on a team
- Commitment to DLC’s mission, including delivering services with the highest ethics and integrity
- Experience entering data correctly and in a timely manner into a database system such as DLC’s DAD
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and collaboration skills to be able to work effectively with others inside and outside of the organization
- Ability to conduct and synthesize research and provide accurate, timely, relevant, and current information to clients
- Ability to manage cases to keep them on track toward resolution and respond to clients’ needs along the way
- Ability to identify issues and potential courses of action within the client complaints.
- Demonstration of appropriate and professional behavior in working with members of the public who may often be in crisis
- A commitment to understanding and updating knowledge about disability legal issues, including how to work with people with disabilities of all kinds
- Proficiency with office technology, databases, Microsoft Suite applications, email, the Internet, and other relevant applications, such as Zoom
- Diligence and attention to detail in maintaining accurate records and following records retention guidelines
- Understanding of and commitment to legal ethics for nonlawyers, the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, and the National Disability Rights Network’s standards
- At least two years of experience advocating with or for people with disabilities and/or other marginalized populations
- Ability to work nonstandard hours and/or travel, as needed
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
The following qualifications are highly desired to advance DLC’s work, but they are not required:
- Bilingual or multilingual
- Bachelor’s or advanced degree in a relevant field, such as social work, legal studies, or public policy
- Personal or professional experience navigating the VR system
- Experience working with ASL interpreters, assistive technology, people whose primary language is not English, and accessibility problem-solving
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Applicants for this position can live anywhere in Colorado or must be willing to relocate to Colorado before they begin the position.
DLC is promoting a mostly remote work environment, with the understanding that the CAP Advocate will travel and meet in person as needed for conducting their job functions and collaborating with other staff members, the Board, clients, and partners, as needed. (DLC currently has office space in Denver, which is available, but not required, for employees’ use.) DLC provides equipment to employees to work successfully in a remote environment, including, but not limited to, laptops and phones.
DLC provides reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their jobs and participate in the recruitment and interview processes. For support with the application process, please contact Esther Brieno at ebrieno@disabilitylawco.org.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The hiring range for this position is $60,000-$68,800 annually, depending on experience. (For reference, $63,107 represents DLC’s salary for people with 5 years of experience in a similar paid advocate role.) Disability Law Colorado offers competitive salaries; generous leave; and an excellent benefits package, which includes a 403(b)-retirement savings plan and medical, dental, vision, life, and short term and long-term disability insurance. DLC employees also enjoy a 36-hour workweek as full-time employment, as well as flexible hours.
APPLICATION PROCESS
We are committed to having our staff and work reflect our communities. The call of disability rights work is: “Nothing about us without us.’’ We welcome all applicants committed to this work. We highly encourage candidates with disabilities and others with lived experience and diverse backgrounds to apply. We are interested in building a remote statewide team, so we encourage applicants from all parts of the state.
DLC will consider applications as they are received. The position will remain open until filled, but Disability Law Colorado has a priority consideration deadline of May 5, 2023. Candidates should submit a cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume to Esther Brieno at ebrieno@disabilitylawco.org with the subject line: CAP Advocate. Candidates wishing to mail or fax their materials, instead, may send them to:
Esther Brieno, Operations Manager
Disability Law Colorado
455 Sherman Street, Suite 130
Denver, CO 80203
FAX: (303) 722-0720
Bilingual Paralegal
16-20 hours/week
Hourly Rate: $24-$28/hourly depending on experience
POSITION OVERVIEW
Disability Law Colorado is committed to making its services more accessible to Spanish-speaking communities. We seek a bilingual paralegal who is is fluent in writing and speaking in Spanish and English in a legal setting. The paralegal will assist attorneys and advocates with legal issues, including drafting of pleadings and letters, legal research, exhibits, and file organization. The paralegal processes mail for the legal team and supports intake with documents. The paralegal manages on-site case files. The paralegal also assists the legal team with updating its toolkits and materials, and offers translation and interpretation services across the organization as needed. The paralegal sometimes provides administrative assistance for general agency operations in conjunction with the Operations Manager. This position is part-time and hourly for a candidate interested in 16-20 hours of work weekly.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The Bilingual Paralegal reports directly to the Self-Advocacy and Intake Attorney Team Leader. The paralegal has no direct reports. The paralegal will collaborate across the organization.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The following duties are an overview of the primary duties and responsibilities of the Bilingual Paralegal and should not be considered an all-inclusive list:
- Provides administrative assistance with DLC’s intake process and creation of intake documents.
- Manages, organizes, and maintains documents in paper or electronic filing systems for attorneys and advocates.
- Drafts and proofreads correspondence, toolkits, consumer materials, and legal documents, such as pleadings, releases, and retainer agreements.
- Translates documents from English into Spanish (and vice versa), as needed, and ensures quality of translations by outside vendors, as appropriate.
- Provides Spanish interpretation services, as needed, and ensures quality of interpretation by outside vendors, as appropriate.
- Communicates with clients and witnesses to schedule meetings, interviews, and depositions.
- Provides discovery support in administrative hearing, state and federal litigation, class actions, and appellate litigation.
- Collects, examines, and organizes evidence and other legal documents for attorney review, case preparation, and for any administrative hearing, litigation, class actions, and appellate proceedings.
- Ensures quality of case files they create.
- Researches regulations, laws, and legal articles to assist with the preparation of reports, case files, and legal advice.
- Assists with producing data and reports, as needed.
- Works collaboratively in a team environment with a spirit of cooperation.
- Exhibits work performance consistent with the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct and the National Disability Rights Network’s Standards.
- Exercises discretion, good judgment, and ethical approaches in job performance.
- Assists with general administrative duties in support of agency operations and the fiscal office, when there are gaps in staffing coverage.
- Performs other duties, as assigned by the attorney team leader, Executive Director, or Director of Legal Services.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The individual must also possess these qualifications:
- Ability to work independently in a hybrid or remote environment, as well as under general supervision and on a team.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Demonstration of appropriate and professional behavior in working with members of the public who may often be in crisis or frustrated with service availability.
- A commitment to understanding and updating knowledge about disability legal issues, including how to work with people with disabilities of all kinds.
- Diligence and attention to detail in maintaining accurate records and following records retention guidelines.
- Commitment to providing services and advocacy that are focused on continuous improvement, the values of the Protection and Advocacy System, integrity, disability justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity.
- Expertise using Microsoft Office products and other technology, such as Zoom, printers, scanners, file-sharing platforms, databases, timekeeping software, and other applications required to perform the essential functions of the job.
- Ability to triage multiple responsibilities, adapt to client needs (e.g., communication, language, cultural, disability access), remain highly organized, foster collaborative problem-solving, strengthen relationships, and address external and internal concerns and needs.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Paralegal Studies/paralegal certificate or a related field combined with one year of work experience in a legal setting or at least two years of work experience as a paralegal.
- Written and spoken fluency in Spanish and English in a legal setting to provide effective translation and interpretation supports to the agency.
- A minimum of 6 months previous experience assisting attorneys with discovery and litigation.
- Ability to work from the Denver office 3-4 days/week for some portion of the work hours to process mail, documents, and scanning. (The bilingual paralegal should expect to spend about one hour daily potentially on mail. Disability Law Colorado is open normal business hours M-Th.)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
The following qualifications are highly desired to advance DLC’s work, but they are not required:
- Experience working in a nonprofit setting.
- Ability to get suitability clearance from the Social Security Administration within the first six months on the job and the ability to maintain that credential.
- Experience collaborating with people with disabilities.
- Experience as a professional interpreter or translator.
- Experience developing materials that are linguistically, culturally, and disability accessible and relevant.
- Experience working on federal grants.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Applicants for this position must live in Colorado or be willing to relocate to Colorado before they begin the position.
While DLC promotes a mostly remote and flexible work environment, the Bilingual Paralegal will need to process mail and files at the Denver office 3-4 days/week. The person in this position should expect that their job will be a mix of in-person and remote, depending on the legal team’s needs and workflow. DLC is searching for a candidate that can work at least 16 hours weekly, up to 20 hours weekly with a consistent schedule.
DLC provides equipment to employees to work successfully in a remote environment, including, but not limited to, laptops and phones.
DLC provides reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their jobs and participate in the recruitment and interview processes. For support with the application process, please contact Esther Brieno at ebrieno@disabilitylawco.org.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
This position is hourly, withing the range of $24-$28/hourly, depending on experience. The position is part-time and is not benefits eligible. However, there is free parking at the Denver office.
APPLICATION PROCESS
We encourage candidates with disabilities and others with lived experience and diverse backgrounds to apply.
DLC will consider applications as they are received. Candidates should submit a cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume to Esther Brieno at ebrieno@disabilitylawco.org with the subject line: Bilingual Paralegal by April 15, 2023, for priority consideration. Candidates wishing to mail or fax their materials, instead, may send them to:
Esther Brieno, Operations Manager
Disability Law Colorado
455 Sherman Street, Suite 130
Denver, CO 80203
FAX: (303) 722-0720
Disability Law Colorado is committed to providing a work environment that is free of unlawful discrimination and unlawful harassment. Disability Law Colorado’s policy prohibits harassment and discrimination based on age (40 & over); ancestry; national origin or ethnicity; citizenship; immigration status; race; color; hair style or hair texture; marital, registered domestic partner or civil union status; pregnancy and perceived pregnancy (including breastfeeding or related medical conditions); religion; sex; gender, gender identity or expression; sexual orientation or an employer’s perception thereof; wage disclosures; lawful off-duty, off-premises activities; because the person is a victim of a crime, domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking; military or veterans' status; physical or mental disability; family or medical care leave status; or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
