Chinese Speaking Benefits Advocate (Income Support)

Legal Assistance to the Elderly (LAE) seeks an enthusiastic and compassionate Chinese - Speaking Benefits Advocate to join our team. This role requires someone with excellent translation skills, detail-oriented and patient in a client facing role. If you excel at anticipating needs, thrive on helping others, and are ready to contribute meaningfully to the success of a non-profit organization, we'd love to hear from you.  

AGENCY DESCRIPTION

For over 47 years, LAE has provided free legal advice and representation to San Francisco’s seniors and adults 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 Preservation, Income Support, Health Law, Financial and Physical Elder Abuse Prevention, Debt Collection Defense, Foreclosure Prevention, End of Life Planning and Conservatorship Defense. LAE is a friendly and collaborative work environment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bilingual in English and Cantonese and/or Mandarin 

• Strong written, verbal, and interviewing skills 

• Patient & flexible 

• High level of initiative, attention to detail, and professionalism 

 
EXTREMELY DESIRABLE 

• Bilingual in English and Spanish, Tagalog, or Russian 

• Knowledge of Social Security disability and retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income, CalFresh, and other state government benefits, or equivalent 

• Experience managing a high-volume caseload and meeting statutory or programmatic deadlines  

• Paralegal experience or training  
  
  

HIGHLY DESIRABLE

• Ability to implement standard office procedures and practices, including familiarity with general office equipment. 

• Strong ability to organize and manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and documents. 

• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and other internet-based applications. 

• Familiarity with using, navigating, and maintaining computer databases on a regular basis with accuracy and minimal supervision. 

• Ability to work effectively with service providers across multidisciplinary settings. 

• Ability to be sensitive to, and work well with older adults, low-income individuals, people with psychiatric disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, people of color, active drug users, people with a history of homelessness or incarceration, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community  

• Exemplary customer service, compassion, and care in the execution of all duties and interactions. 

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Client Services 

• Provide income support and benefits advocacy for clients, primarily for SSA benefits and SSI, as well as county administered benefits, such as CalFresh, CAPI, and CAAP. 

• Conduct thorough client interviews and fact-gathering to assess eligibility and case viability 

• Maintain regular communication with clients to explain processes, gather updates, and manage expectations. 

• Prepare cases for attorney review by ensuring files are complete, organized, and meet program requirements for hearing preparation. 

• Under attorney supervision, provide clear, accurate advice to clients regarding case matters, including risks, timelines, and implications of various case decisions. 

• Manage a high-volume caseload while meeting internal deadlines, SSA and county agency timelines, and contractual deliverables. 

Attorney Support 

• Conduct preliminary research on regulations and policies for SSA, CalFresh benefits, CAPI benefits, and CAAP benefits. 

• With attorney support, develop case theories based on client-specific circumstances in relation to SSA regulations and rules. 

 

General Duties 

• Collaborate with other LAE practice groups to ensure that clients’ legal issues are addressed holistically 

• Work with San Francisco Adult Protective Services and other community-based social workers to address clients’ needs 
  
  

File Management 

• Create and maintain confidential client files detailing documents and laws/policies reviewed, correspondence prepared on behalf of the client, and case progress. 

• Update and maintain client records in the agency’s case-management and billing database. 

SUPERVISED BY

Income Benefits Attorney 

WORKING CONDITIONS

This is an in-office position. 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.  

UNION MEMBERSHIP 

After successful completion of a probationary period (90 days), membership in the National Organization of Legal Services Workers becomes a condition of employment. 

COMPENSATION 

This is a full-time, exempt position. LAE offers a family friendly environment, with a competitive salary based on competitive public interest salaries. The salary is based on union scale, and ranges from $73,200 to $78,000 (placement in range determined by years of related experience), plus salary stipend for fluency in a second language that is regularly used in LAE’s legal practice. LAE’s benefits package includes 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and dependent children and up to 75% for spouses; LAE student debt reimbursement program; employer-paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees; and 403(b) retirement plan with annual LAE contribution. LAE has a generous paid leave policy which includes sick leave, parental leave, compensation time, 20 holidays each year, and vacation (starting at 17 days and increasing after three years with additional years of employment).   

TO APPLY

Please go to https://laesf.org/ways-to-give/join-our-team/ click the job title to "Apply for this Job" to submit your RESUME AND COVER LETTER

Attention: Hiring Committee

Position: Chinese Speaking Benefits Advocate (Income Support)

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.