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Legal Hotline Connection
August 2011
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Model Approaches Highlights
After several rounds of Model Approaches grants, 27 states have used this opportunity to improve legal services for seniors in their state. This article highlights the efforts and successes of five of model approaches projects: Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and Ohio.
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Practice Tips for Small Hotlines
 Small hotlines are defined for our purpose as ones with one full-time equivalent attorney or less. Small hotlines have special operational challenges as they have to perform all the tasks that larger hotlines do, but with a lot fewer resources. While it is true that small hotlines are usually located in states with smaller populations and have less call volume, they still have to handle administration, evaluation, training, and outreach, along with the case service duties. To lend guidance to planners and managers of small hotlines, we sought the expertise of experienced managers at small statewide senior legal hotlines. CERA expresses is appreciation to - Jim Cook and Rod Gere, Deputy Directory and Managing Attorney at Idaho Legal Aid Services, which runs the Idaho Senior Legal Hotline,
- Robin Cooke, Managing Attorney at the Legal HelpLine for Older Kentuckians, Access to Justice Foundation,
- Joseph Proietta, Director of the Elder Law Project at Rhode Island Legal Services, and
- Cathy McConnell, Executive Director of West Virginia Senior Legal Aid, which runs the Senior Legal Hotline
for sharing their experiences and recommendations for this guide. Read Entire Article>> |
Senior Legal Hotlines Structures  CERA has prepared a report on the structures of the senior hotlines throughout the country. The report surveyed 32 hotlines that were operating in 2010 and identifies the different types of hotlines, and why they work for the states their in. View Report>> |
Have you Checked out the NLRC Website Lately?
 The NLRC website, www.nlrc.aoa.gov has added lots of great new resources, including many new substantitve law topics of interest to senior legal service providers. Check out the website>> |
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2011 National Aging and Law Institute, November 10-12th, Boston
 Join us for the National Aging and Law Institute (NALI), Nov. 10-12th, this year's version of the The National Aging and Law Conference (NALC). NALC will not be held as an independent event this year. NALI is a merger of NALC and the NAELA Advanced Fall Institute. The NALI agenda targets public and private Elder Law attorneys, as well as Special Needs attorneys and other advocates in law and aging. The Institute will offer over 25 advanced sessions on vital topics, such as the status of health care reform and its impact on Medicare and Medicaid, the intersection of Veteran's benefits and Medicaid, the future of Social Security and SSI benefits, tax and estate planning for same sex partnerships, and ethical issues that professionals face. There will be opportunities for us to meet and network. AARP Foundation is awarding 10 AARP Foundation Litigation Jerry D. Florence scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to pay for registration and the cost of travel expenses to attend. Read Entire Article>> |
Telephone Communication Skills for Legal Hotline Advocates Webinar
 The Center for Elder Rights Advocacy, will be presenting a webinar on telephone communication skills for legal hotline advocates on Thursday, September, 22, 2011, from 2:00 p.m to 3:30pm EST.
Strong communication skills are the key to being effective advocates on a legal hotline. Knowing how to communicate with a client on a legal hotline will better prepare an advocate for those difficult situations that one is likely to encounter.
This webinar will cover many of the problems that an advocate is likely to experience on a legal hotline and some of the tips and strategies that can be utilized to address those difficult situations. This webinar will also offer skill building in the areas of setting the tone, listening effectively, how to take charge of the call, weeding out important information, offering solutions, and how to close the call.
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This newsletter is produced by the Center for Elder Rights Advocacy, a partner in the National Legal Resource Center. Other partners in this effort to provide support to senior legal programs throughout the nation are National Senior Citizens Law Center, National Consumer Law Center, The Center for Social Gerontology, and American Bar Association-Commission on Law and Aging.
For questions, email CERA.
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