Housing Investigator (temporary, 12-month position) - Childrens Law Center : Job Details

Who We AreChildren's Law Center is a mission-driven organization focused on providing high-quality legal services to children and families in DC. As an organization, we envision a world in which all children have a strong foundation of family, health and education and are free from poverty, trauma, racism and other forms of oppression. Our mission is to do this work together with DC children and families, Children's Law Center uses the law to solve children's urgent problems today, improve the systems that will affect their lives tomorrow and strengthen our community so that change endures. A key part of our mission is to challenge and reduce ways in which racism and other biases - structural and interpersonal - prevent each of us, our organization and the systems in which we work from providing children a strong foundation from which to thrive. Our greatest assets are our people. We recognize that people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives fuel our ability to provide the best outcomes for our clients and our community. Staff members at Children's Law Center advance the organization's mission through their leadership, result-oriented mindset and commitment to cultural humility. We are looking for individuals who like to be challenged to grow both personally and professionally and value the opportunity to make a difference in their community. Children's Law Center's continued success depends on recruiting and retaining individuals who possess and exemplify these attributes. Program DescriptionThe Housing Investigator works across both the Healthy Together program and Special Legal Projects at Children's Law Center (CLC). Healthy Together is a medical-legal partnership working with community health care clinics to provide legal services to children and families who have health-harming legal needs. Special Legal Projects expands Children's Law Center's legal tools to include other forms of innovative healthy housing advocacy and collaborations, impact litigation and new approaches to working toward a future where every child can grow up with a strong foundation of family, health and education and live in a world free from poverty, trauma, racism and other forms of oppression.Job SummaryThe Housing Investigator role is a temporary, grant-funded position which has been funded for a 12-month period. If additional grant funding is available, there may be a possibility to extend the position beyond the initial 12-month period. The Housing Investigator supports lawyers representing families of children with disabilities in housing conditions and other healthy housing-related matters, such as reasonable accommodations requests, shelter and Rapid Rehousing appeals, voucher issues and other related housing matters. The Housing Investigator assists lawyers with all aspects of their representation, including locating and gathering records, serving subpoenas, conducting in-person housing investigations, interviewing witnesses and locating appropriate social services for children. The Housing Investigator frequently meets with client families in the community, in neighborhoods across the District of Columbia, with many client families residing in Wards 4, 5, 7 and 8. The Housing Investigator also supports attorneys and other staff, including members of the Brief Service team, in the intake and screening process. The Brief Service team, which works within Special Legal Projects and collaborates with Healthy Together, is often the first point of contact for a community member who is reaching out to Children's Law Center. Role ResponsibilitiesInvestigation and Advocacy Support

• Conducts in-person housing inspections in clients' homes.
• Locates and identifies witnesses, information and services to support clients and case work.
• Helps prepare exhibits for court hearings.
• Prepares for and testifies in case-related hearings.
• Prepares and serves subpoenas and similar documents.
• Files court filings and requests and obtains court records.
• Observes meetings, hearings, client visits and interviews and prepares written reports for attorney use.
• Identifies relevant facts and potential issues when completing assignments. Recommends practical ideas or solutions to address problems that arise.
• Asks questions to elicit desired information to support case work.
• Seeks guidance from attorneys and/or supervisor about assignments, legal terms, case theory and court procedures when needed.
• Follows all ethical rules of conduct while investigating (i.e. proper identification, confidentiality, etc.).
• Provides other advocacy support to clients in collaboration with attorneys.
• Assists with emergency assignments and other duties as assigned.

Notetaking and Processing Records

• Prepares thoughtful, high-quality notes and other written documents that exhibit careful preparation and attention to detail.
• Prepares written records requests for information maintained by other agencies and institutions. Undertakes further investigation as needed to obtain such information/records.
• Synthesizes and summarizes records, reports and evaluations and identifies relevant facts/information for attorney review.
• Maintains case information in electronic and hard copy files in an orderly manner and records all case activity in case management system in timely fashion.

Intake Processing and Brief Services

• Processes referrals for parents and caregivers in need of legal assistance to address housing-related legal needs impacting their children.
• Enters information into Legal Server and conducts screenings for potential clients.
• Follows up with potential clients as needed.
• Schedules intakes for clients with the Brief Service Attorney.
• Provides information, referrals and non-legal brief services, in consultation with the Brief Service team, to parents and caregivers in need of assistance to address health-harming legal needs in the areas of housing and related issues.
• Revises and/or prepares outreach and education materials.
• Works with Brief Service Attorney to ensure that referral and informational materials are updated regularly.
• Communicate the outcome of intakes to referral sources as appropriate.

Collaboration

• Interacts with lawyers, clients, witnesses, court personnel, coworkers and others in a respectful and professional manner.
• Works effectively and efficiently with others and supports team members to address client and organizational needs.
• Perceives, understands and relates well to others with potentially different backgrounds from one's own.
• Works effectively and efficiently on multiple assignments from multiple CLC attorneys simultaneously.
• Maintains communication system that ensures CLC attorneys are kept apprised of progress on assignments and deadlines are met.
• Manages time efficiently to complete case work, meet assignment deadlines and meet other CLC responsibilities.
• Responds appropriately and in a timely manner to communications and assignments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience working with low-income communities strongly preferred.
• Experience as an investigator or working with attorneys and/or in a legal setting.
• Experience conducting interviews or completing intakes.
• Previous professional experience with housing related services (e.g., pest control, construction, property management, mold remediation, etc.).
• Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills a plus.

Required Skills and Experience

• Valid driver's license.

Organizational Competencies

• Cultural Humility - an openness to self-reflection and to understanding and respecting other cultural experiences and points of view and viewing individuals as experts in their own culture and experiences.
• Giving and Receiving Feedback - the ability to be self-reflective, give and receive appreciative, coaching, constructive, interpersonal and evaluative feedback.
• Conflict Management - a process which is designed to guide individuals and groups from the moment of conflict to the implementation of an identified solution. This process incorporates skills and techniques, including recognizing points of conflict, identifying the facts and feelings involved to get to the root of the issue, investigating equitable solutions, implementing and evaluating solutions, and supporting and guiding others throughout the process.

Salary and BenefitsThe salary for this is $50,000 annually. Children's Law Center offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and short- and long-term disability insurance; employer-provided retirement contributions; flexible spending plans; and vacation, sick, holiday, family and medical leave. You can find more details about Children's Law Center's comprehensive benefits package at Children's Law Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. Employees with federal student loan debt can apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. For more information, go to Application InstructionsTo apply, please submit a resume via CLC's careers page (Children's Law Center is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. If you believe that you need accommodation to search for, or apply for, one of our positions please send an email to [email protected]. In your email, please include the accommodation you are requesting and the job title you are applying for. It may take up to three business days to receive a response to your request.Hybrid Working ConditionsChildren's Law Center is currently operating on a hybrid work schedule. Employees are required to work in-person from Children's Law Center's office a minimum of two days per week. At least one of these days must be either Tuesday or Wednesday. The hybrid work schedule is subject to change based on organizational needs and/or best practices for health and safety. Hybrid work expectations may vary depending upon role responsibilities.Work AuthorizationApplicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. Children's Law Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.Background ChecksCandidates who receive a conditional offer of employment will be subject to a background check.EEOChildren's Law Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and existing employees. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about our company and our career opportunities (DEI StatementChildren's Law Center is dedicated to building a world that is inclusive in approach and has equal opportunities and equitable outcomes for all. Our organization is committed to developing and supporting a robustly diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist community, where all members can create and feel a sense of belonging. Through our collective deliberate efforts, we work toward racial and social justice for children and families in DC.