Intake Specialist

Description

Position Summary

Under supervision of an attorney supervisor and/or other managers, the Intake Specialist may perform any or all of the following duties: Greet clients; answer telephone calls from applicants for service, client and/or the general public; helpfully and respectfully interview potential applicants for legal services who may be under stress of legal action; elicit factual information from applicants quickly, accurately, and courteously; correctly analyze the type of legal problem presented to determine whether LASSD may assist, or whether a referral is appropriate; evaluate the legal need and financial eligibility of the applicant and open an application or make meaningful referrals. Note: This is a full-time, in-person position. The successful candidate will work in the office 5 days per week during LASSD’s normal business hours of 9am-5pm.

About the Organization:

Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD), the largest poverty law firm serving San Diego County since 1953, strengthens our communities by redressing our clients’ legal problems, empowering our clients to access and effectively participate within the legal, governmental, and social systems and encouraging self-empowerment in the fight against poverty and injustice. LASSD continues to be a proud, committed, and compassionate group of people dedicated to providing equal access to justice for San Diegans through aggressive, quality legal services. #justicebeginshere

Essential Functions:

Answer a high volume of incoming calls to LASSD.

Perform personal interviews of applicants for legal services.

Determine the legal need and financial eligibility of the applicant for program services.

Make appropriate and knowledgeable referrals.

Accurately enter error-free data into the LASSD client database to create a new file for all applicants being forwarded to the CRT or other teams for legal assistance or enter notes into an existing case in the database for current clients.

Record statistics.

Copy and maintain an adequate supply of pro per packets for distribution.

Accurately distribute pro per packets.

Duties as assigned by management.

Requirements

Qualifications:

Ability to gather and complete information from clients in a telephone interview or in person interview.

Ability to respond to clients in a calm, empathetic and professional manner while courteously directing the conversation to pertinent issues.

Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills.

Must have reliable transportation.

Strong oral and written communication skills.

Strong organizational skills to handle individual caseload.

Bilingual English and Spanish. Determination of satisfactory proficiency in Spanish must be demonstrated by successful completion of a Spanish language examination administered by Management. NOTE: Given the ability of the telephone system to direct English and Spanish callers to specific intake specialist workstations, this requirement may be waived by Management for any position based upon the total number of bilingual intake specialists available for the unit opening.

Demonstrated computer skills, including ability to work with LASSD databases, and other software programs.

Ability to think logically and follow written and oral instructions carefully.

Ability to remain calm and helpful in high stress situations.

Ability to respect confidentiality and obtain confidential information from applicants for services in a trustworthy and professional manner both in person and by phone.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Fluency in written and spoken Spanish.

Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income people.

Ability to work successfully with people from diverse backgrounds.

Pay and Benefits:

The Intake Specialist is an hourly position with a pay range of $24.18 - $32.97. The starting pay is $28.58. In addition, there is a bilingual pay increase of 2% for passing an oral test and 2% for passing a written test for threshold languages other than English.

LASSD offers a generous benefits package, a 35-hour workweek, paid vacation leave and sick leave and 100% employer-paid medical premium, 50% employer-paid premium for dependents under LASSD health plan, as well as dental, vision, and life benefits. Staff also have the option to participate in a 403(b)-retirement plan and dependent and health flex savings accounts (FSA). LASSD has its own law school loan repayment program and is an eligible nonprofit employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

LASSD is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, reproductive health decision making, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.