Senior Right to Counsel Coordinator

JOB PURPOSE 

Eviction Defense Collaborative (EDC) prioritizes fighting for tenants’ rights, preventing homelessness and working toward a better future. The Senior Right to Counsel Coordinator (Sr. RTCC) position is an integral function to support and guide tenants seeking pro per legal assistance and/or litigation assistance as a part of the Tenant Right to Counsel (TRC) Program while supporting the Clinic’s overall needs. The Sr. RTCC is a vital first point of in-person contact for tenants requiring an individual who truly enjoys working with people, has the skills and capacity to respond in an empathetic and respectful way to tenants who are often in crisis, and can work effectively in a collegial and fast paced environment. The Sr. RTCC works in conjunction with all Clinic staff while providing mentorship at a lead capacity.  

The Senior Right to Counsel Coordinator (Sr. RTCC) position collaborates with the different areas of EDC (Clinic, RADCo and Litigation) to ensure the clients are thoroughly supported in their efforts to secure rental and/or litigation assistance.  

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

Senior RTCC/Lead Duties (25%)  

• Demonstrate high-level of understanding of the RTCC position;
• In consultation with the Clinic Supervisor, direct the daily intake, consultation and referral of clients;
• Work with the Senior Leaders to coordinate referrals of unrepresented tenants to the proper LSO ahead of their Mandatory Settlement Conference (MSC) date;
• In collaboration with the Clinic Supervisor, ensure the RTCC staff maintain up-to-date client files, data requirements, documents and notes to remain in compliance with RTCC procedures;
• In collaboration with the Clinic Supervisor, develop new tools and resources for internal or external use;
• Assist the Clinic Supervisor with recruiting, onboarding, and training of all Clinic Staff including volunteers, interns, Triage Specialist, RTCC, and Sr. RTCC, or others as needed;
• Assist coordinating training, and educational workshops;
• Assist with weekly meetings scheduling and facilitation, as needed;
• including being a liaison between programs (e.g. regular reports, attending meetings, etc.)
• With consultation of the Clinic Supervisor, relay important and valuable information to Clinic Staff regarding program updates, projects updates, and progress. In reverse, the Sr. RTCC will relay questions or concerns to the Senior Leaders.
• Communicate effectively and work seamlessly with RADCo (Rental Assistance) and Litigation Staff to ensure clients are thoroughly supported in their efforts to secure rental and/or litigation assistance.
• Take initiative of complex pro per cases, efficiently guiding the client/s in Clinic through our intake and referral process, providing adequate support to RTC staff in ensuring proper procedures and making referrals to the various Legal Service Organizations (LSOs) in the TRC network.

Right to Counsel and Advocacy Duties (60%)  

• Supply in-person reception, assessing clients’ eligibility, directing clients to proper internal or external referrals including following proper intake procedures and policies for EDC’s various practice areas;
• Guide client/s in through the intake process and complete a consultation to further assess course of action needed for the tenant;
• Draft legal documentation and responsive pleadings such as answers, court fee waivers, declarations, etc. to assist tenants in defending themselves against impending evictions;
• For TRC eligible clients, follow referral protocols to identify the appropriate Tenant Right to Counsel LSO. This includes applying the referral algorithm, informing the assigned LSO’s office of the referral to initiate the conflict check process, providing the client with the referral information;
• Research, identify, and circulate resource referral information and information packets for services beyond those provided by EDC that respond to client inquiries and needs;
• Maintains an expected minimum of 20 cases per month in accordance with the programs needs.

Administrative Duties (15%)  

• Attend weekly program meetings, monthly agency staff meetings, and relevant supervision/check-in meetings;
• Updating program-related documents, legal templates and resource material as necessary;
• Enter all data on time and accurately to support the program evaluation and outcomes tracking;
• Maintain up-to-date client files, documents and notes to remain in compliance with Clinic and RTCC procedures;
• Supply a variety of clerical and administrative support to the administrative team as further described:
  • Office signage;
  • Communicate about office closures to community (i.e., clients and community partners;
  • Aid with coordinating outreach and education on EDC’s services and access to Right to Counsel;
• Perform other duties as assigned in furtherance of EDC’s mission.

QUALIFICATIONS 

First and foremost, the applicant must profoundly share EDC’s mission and vision of social justice and be able to manage stressful situations with empathy and calmness. Below are additional qualifications.   

• Minimum of 1 year experience as an RTCC or equivalent experience.
• Prior lead experience, preferred
• Willingness to work in a variety of settings; including in the field, with individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities, substance abuse issues, survivors of sexual assault, survivors of domestic violence, and/or others impacted by trauma preferred. 
• Able to work independently and in a team-oriented environment.
• Must have an interest in working in an interdisciplinary department with attorneys to support clients.
• Knowledge of, and experience with, social services agencies, housing support services, and mental health providers in San Francisco County preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and computer literate (including Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce and other computer systems).
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice and possesses comprehensive cultural competency when working with individuals of diverse backgrounds.

REQUIRED SKILLS 

• Strong leadership and mentorship skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills (professional demeanor, sound judgment, communication, de-escalation, client-management, etc.) and proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Possess the ability to make quick decisions and exercise good judgment.
• Possess the ability to work on several projects simultaneously and handle a high volume of activity and be able to work efficiently and effectively under pressure.
• Have excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Fluency, and ability to help clients in a secondary language preferred, especially Spanish.
• Punctuality.

CLASSIFICATION 

This is a nonexempt, full-time position.  

UNION 

EDC staff are represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW, UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO). This position is a union position and is subject to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.   

WORKING CONDITIONS 

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. Some evening and weekend work may be required.  

EDC follows the SF Department of Public Health's guidelines as well as the CDC's guidelines for workplace safety as well as federal and state OSHA requirements.   

This role is a hybrid role based on the needs of the position in the department at any given time. The employee is expected to be in the office three (3) days a week (or available while working remotely) during normal business hours and to communicate with their supervisor regarding whereabouts when elsewhere for meetings or other obligations. Additionally, the employee is expected to be reachable by email, phone and video conference as needed during normal business hours, Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm. Some evening and weekend work may be required. Equipment for remote work, such as a laptop, will be provided per the needs of the program or department this position reports to.  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   

• Prolonged sitting/standing. 
• Extensive typing/data entry. 
• Close visual acuity to prepare and analyze data, text, and figures. 
• Prolonged computer use.

EDC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

Eviction Defense Collaborative (EDC) is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer.  EDC  provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, ethnicity, language, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, genetics, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.  

DIRECT REPORTS 

The Senior Right to Counsel Coordinator will not supervise any employee.  

COMPENSATION 

The base salary for this position is $68,000 ($32.69 per hour). An additional $1,000 will be added for each relevant year of experience, up to 10 years of experience. The starting salary for this position is capped at $78,000 ($37.50 per hour).  

This role is eligible for the Multilingual Stipend. EDC offers the Multilingual Stipend of $125 per month ($1,500 per year) above the base rate, for specific roles that regularly use oral or written communication with clients or related parties, in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin or Tagalog, in the performance of their regular job duties. To qualify for this stipend, the employee must be fluent in one of the specified languages and pass an oral and/or written test approved by the Labor-Management Committee.