Client Advocate

Responsibilities

• Provide culturally responsive holistic advocacy, emotional support, and information under the direction of the Staff Attorney to clients of Haven’s Survivor Legal Services program.
• Refer clients to appropriate service agencies to address concerns related to housing, mental and physical health, employment, education, parenting dynamics, and other social challenges.
• Conduct prospective client intake screening from intra-organization referrals. Interview prospective clients to collect information regarding legal issues, economic challenges, and social conditions.
• Screen referrals for conflicts of interest. Recommend to Staff Attorney acceptance of appropriate referrals. Triage referrals based on legal urgency.
• Absorb clients with information gathering, evidence collection, witness identification, personal and case-specific goal setting, safety planning, and accessing wraparound services aligned with and in support of clients’ stated legal objectives.
• Transport clients in a Haven vehicle to and from court appearances, or other required in-person meetings, as necessary.
• Support the Staff Attorney in helping clients prepare for court appearances and testimony in matters filed in courts within Gallatin County. Accompany clients to court, depositions, interviews, and other appearances related to clients’ legal matters.
• Maintain detailed documentation of advocate-client interactions in the program’s designated electronic case management system (eCMS).
• Utilize the eCMS to securely communicate with clients, store client records, and track time spent on each matter.
• Build and maintain intake forms in the eCMS.
• Collaborate with other program staff to develop high-quality, enhanced self-help materials targeted to meet the legal needs of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
• Attend regularly scheduled legal clinics and advice appointments to provide advocacy and support to clients receiving limited scope representation.
• Participate in regular program team meetings to develop and coordinate legal case strategy and holistic advocacy and support services.
• Perform all work consistent with all legal and ethical requirements of the Staff Attorney.

Client Advocate

• Maintain case and client data fields in the eCMS to ensure accurate and consistent data tracking and reporting as required by funding sources.
• Track costs and expenses associated with individual cases and assist with balancing client accounts.
• Act as staff liaison between Haven and systems-based partner agencies.
• Participate in outreach and attend briefings to law enforcement, judges, court personnel, jail personnel, and other groups providing legal intervention services.
• Collaborate with Gallatin County Victim Services Program Director and staff as appropriate while maintaining attorney-client privilege, attorney-client confidentiality, and VAWA confidentiality requirements.
• Collaborate with Bozeman City Attorney’s Office Victim Services Coordinator and staff as appropriate while maintaining attorney-client privilege, attorney-client confidentiality, and VAWA confidentiality requirements.
• Attend all inter-organizational team meetings on behalf of Haven’s Survivor Legal Services program, including meetings of the Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) and the 18th Judicial District Family Justice Coordinating Council (FJCC).
• Maintain records of all interagency networking and meetings.

Other

• Attend staff meetings and other meetings as directed by the Staff Attorney and the Intervention Manager.
• Provide support for fundraising and volunteer activities as needed.
• Train advocates, volunteers, and other Haven personnel as required by the Staff Attorney and Intervention Manager.
• Supervise undergraduate interns.