Legal Services Advocate – Transition Age Youth Medical-Legal Partnership

ANNUAL SALARY: $55,000 – $58,000, depending on experience
ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
Mental Health Advocacy Services, Inc. (MHAS) is a private, non-profit organization whose mission is
to protect and advance the legal rights of low-income adults and children with mental health
disabilities and empower them to assert those rights in order to maximize their
autonomy, achieve equity, and secure the resources they need to thrive. MHAS assists both children
and adults, with an emphasis on obtaining government benefits and services, protecting rights, and
fighting discrimination. MHAS also serves as a resource to the community by providing training and
technical assistance to attorneys, mental health professionals, consumer and family member groups,
and other advocates. Finally, MHAS participates in impact litigation and policy work to improve the
lives of people with mental health disabilities.

JOB DESCRIPTION:
MHAS seeks to hire a Legal Services Advocate to assist with providing free legal services to our
transition age youth (TAY) clients. The Advocate will work collaboratively with Staff Attorneys and
MHAS’s partner organizations to respond to referrals by MHAS’s partner organizations and to
individuals requesting assistance through MHAS’s general intake line as needed. MHAS assists young
adults with legal issues to ensure they have the resources and support needed to achieve a
successful transition to adulthood. The ideal candidate will help provide quick response
to intakes in a wide range of subject areas. The ideal candidate will also provide
administrative support in direct services, administrative advocacy, and state court litigation.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:
1. Assist with client screening and intake;
2. Perform general administrative tasks, including data entry for timekeeping and case management
and assisting with opening and closing files;
3. Under attorney supervision, provide limited service to clients;
4. Work in conjunction with Staff Attorneys in cases that involve mental health law, housing,
government benefits, special education, tickets, criminal record expungements, and other issues;
5. Maintain well organized legal files and accurate case statistics;
6. Collect client data for grant reporting purposes;
7. Participate in clinics and other community outreach projects;

8. Provide other general administrative support as requested; and
9. Assist with other projects and tasks related to MHAS’s mission as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Four (4) year degree or Paralegal Certificate.
2. At least two (2) years relevant work experience providing assistance to people living in
poverty, including experience in interviewing clients.
3. Excellent organizational skills.
4. Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time, and meet deadlines.
5. Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work well with diverse social, economic, and
ethnic groups.
6. Ability to work effectively with staff, volunteers, students, attorneys, various government
personnel, and community members.
7. Self-motivated, takes initiative, ability to learn quickly.
8. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Knowledge of various areas of law such as housing, government benefits, special education,
mental health law, and criminal record expungements preferred.
2. Spanish language fluency or proficiency helpful but not required. (Bilingual pay supplement of
up to $100 per month, subject to language testing.)

FRINGE BENEFITS AND WORK CULTURE
On January 1, 2023, MHAS proudly and permanently adopted a four-day work week. After
completing a six-month trial of a four-day work week in 2022, MHAS found what almost all other
companies that have moved to a four day work week have found: the four-day work week
improves organization productivity and employee health, reduces gender inequality, and creates a
more sustainable work environment. All full-time MHAS employees, including this position,
work four, eight-hour days per week. Candidates seeking part-time employment may also apply. The MHAS office is closed on Fridays.

Other benefits include paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave; employee health, dental, vision,
long term disability, and life insurance; and parking/transit fare reimbursement.

MHAS is proud of its collegial, family-friendly culture that respects the work/life balance of its
employees. To that end, MHAS is willing to consider flexible work schedules on a case-by-case
basis. MHAS also provides employees with frequent wellness opportunities, including trainings on
stress management and mindfulness, group meditations, and regular, informal staff
gatherings.

MHAS attorneys and advocates work remotely with access to the MHAS headquarters office as needed.
MHAS equips all employees working from home with needed technology and other office supplies. The
Advocate will be required to live in the Los Angeles area, conduct in-person work at partner organization sites up to one day per week, and occasionally attend in-person
meetings as needed.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Mental Health Advocacy Services seeks to fill all positions with people who share our values,
including our organizational commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage all
interested individuals to apply – especially people of color; women; people from
low-income backgrounds; people experiencing mental health and/or physical disabilities;
people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, or non-binary;
immigrants; people who have been affected by mass incarceration; and people from other
underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. We believe that the resulting
diversity is both a source of program strength and a matter of fundamental human fairness.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Submit the following to info@mhas-la.org (please write “Employment
Application” in the subject line):
1. Resume
2. Cover letter discussing any and/or all of the following:
• Your motivation for seeking the position;
• Your interest in working with transition age youth and/or people with mental health
disabilities;
• How you meet the minimum qualifications; and/or
• How your personal background or experience, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to
contribute to our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. It is anticipated that interviews will
begin in early January.

MHAS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive
consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin,
ancestry, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, mental or physical
disability, or any other
basis protected by law.