Collaboration in Action: Genesis Legal Services Project Kelly-Ann Fenney, Larry Horeczy, and Kaitlin Rowe Presented at PBLA Roundtable – November 22nd, 2012

Genesis Legal Services Project Key Elements of the Project: It is a partnership between Legal Aid Alberta, Calgary Legal Guidance, Pro Bono Law Alberta, and the 1000 Voices at Genesis Centre. It is community based – legal services will be provided at the Centre in Northeast Calgary. The partnership connects legal service providers with social and human services. The project will include the piloting of a common assessment process.

Genesis Legal Services Project Objectives of the Pilot: Develop a collaborative service delivery model to provide legal information and legal services to residents in their community. Develop a common assessment process and criteria to assess clients’ legal needs (“common intake”) Create a model that can be adapted and implemented in other locations.

Principles and Approach Service delivery model is client focused – we want to support the fluid transition of clients between service providers by: Making legal services accessible Targeting services to meet local needs Ensuring the model is flexible enough to meet changing demands Makes best use of our collective resources Collaborative development – the partners commit to developing a service delivery model in a collaborative manner by: Conducting ourselves in ways that enhance achievements of all team members Through constructive discussions with each other Each team member is an equal partner in the collaboration.

Principles and Approach Continued Share Information and Resources Effectively - the partners commit to developing and piloting a common assessment process that will allow us to share client information between the partners and other organizations. Innovative – The working group will adopt a culture of innovation to support this initiative.

Service Delivery Type of Service - Legal information, summary advice, brief services/limited scope representation and connecting people to lawyers who can provide full representation where appropriate. A needs assessment survey completed by service providers and constellation members indicates services are required in: Immigration Landlord and tenant Family issues Debt and money issues Housing

Service Delivery Phase One – mini pilot clinics – provide summary advice clinics using existing staff members. Includes the piloting of a common assessment process. Includes identifying appropriate “follow up” services available to the client. Phase Two – Expansion of Services Expand clinics to include volunteer lawyers. Add in other legal service providers (“new legal partners”). Provide enhanced limited scope representation or brief services via CLG and LAA lawyers. Build partnerships with other service providers to enhance common assessment and referral processes.

Service Delivery Phase Three – Building Capacity within the Community Adding in additional service providers. Build and maintain relationships with community members, community organizations and non-legal service providers at 1000 Voices at Genesis Centre Provide legal information training to human and social services staff. The training will help non-legal service providers to understand legal rights and obligations, to identify when someone needs legal help, and where the person can go for assistance.

Building Collaborations Requires dedicated resources – people, financial, technological. Requires partners to be flexible and adaptable – we need to be prepared to modify the partnership vision on the basis of new information and new needs. Value continual learning - monitoring and evaluation allow us to take a developmental approach so we can learn from what we “do”. Requires each of us to surrender some measure of autonomy. Communication is key – commit to “never leave home without one another”.

Common Assessment at Genesis Centre

Common Assessment Subcommittee of Genesis Legal Services Project – collaboration between Legal Aid Alberta (LAA), Calgary Legal Guidance (CLG), and Pro Bono Law Alberta (PBLA) Develop standard assessment and referral process for the Genesis Legal Services Project, including forms and procedures Project principles: Service delivery model is client-focused Collaborative development Using resources effectively Innovative Learn from what we do

Objectives Work under Genesis Legal Services Project principles Improve the experience of people accessing legal services (client- focused) Share knowledge, resources, workload, and successes Procedure for common assessment Supporting documents and forms Looking forward: expansion, reporting, and technology

Work conducted thus far Procedure for common assessment Considering different models of intake: phased vs. comprehensive Handling conflicts: project level, collaborator level, or follow-up level On-site follow-up Directed follow-up with specific CLG or LAA program New client Comprehensive intake; process as simple and inclusive as possible On-site summary advice, forms assistance, or other services Referral to PBLA - Volunteer Lawyer Services Referral to non-legal service providers Follow-up, if required

Work conducted thus far Supporting documents and forms Intake form (next slide) Determine information that each organization requires from clients, at a minimum, to assess the most appropriate avenue for follow-up Assessment procedure Not just the demographics and legal ‘story’; non-legal concerns Assessment training offered by LAA Waiver In progress

Work conducted: draft intake form Client Information |________________________________|__________________________|__________|_____________I Surname First Name Middle DOB Other names (including maiden name): ______________________________________| |________________________________|___________________|_________________|_____________| Address City Province Postal Code Is it okay to send mail to this address? Yes No |__________________________|___________________________|_____________________________| Phone Number Alternate Phone Number Address Is it okay to contact you at this phone number? Yes No Is it okay to contact you at this address? Yes No Living Arrangements & Marital Status _________________________________________________________ (Married, single, separated, common law, living with spouse, friends, family, at shelters) Income Information Family Size______________________ (number of dependents) Monthly Income ______________________________ (last 30 days) Gross Net Yearly Income ________________________________ (last 12 months) Gross Net Expenses (note deductible expenses) ______________________________________________ Assets and Equity_______________________________________________________________ Legal Issue Type of Issue________________________ Court Location________________________ Next Court Date______________________ Related Parties (include DOB) ____________________________________ Current Counsel____________________________ Legal Issue Details ____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

Work conducted thus far Looking forward: expansion, reporting, and technology Expansion: model flexible so as to include other service providers in the future, and adaptable to other locations Reporting: assessment at a project level, follow-up at partner level Technology: sharing work, document assembly, shared database

Challenges with common assessment Privacy Client information potentially available to all partners, so keep local to project Develop a waiver to contemplate this unique arrangement Conflicts Check at the project level, at a partner level, or at the referral level? Decision: as inclusive as possible so conflicts checked once appropriate referral is decided

Benefits of common assessment Client experience One-stop shopping with directed on-site referrals Quick intake process Understanding of the players and their programs Clear picture of available resources Avoid duplication of services Pooled resources Shared training, forms, ideas

Questions?

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