Advocate, DRO - Rural Justice Initiative, East, TX
Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) is excited to announce that we are now recruiting for a RJI Disaster, Resilience & Outreach Advocate as part of our new Rural Justice Initiative (RJI).
The Rural Justice Initiative Advocate is a project-funded position established as part of Disability Rights Texas' (DRTx) participation in the Rural Justice Initiative (RJI), a collaborative effort designed to expand access to civil legal services for low-income Texans living in designated rural communities and legal-desert counties.
This is a special project, time-limited, five year position funded specifically for the Rural Justice Initiative. Continued employment in this position is contingent upon the continuation of the project, availability of project funding, and organizational need. The position is not intended to constitute a permanent position beyond the duration of the Rural Justice Initiative or its available funding.
The Advocate is responsible for providing supervised non-litigation advocacy and case support to individuals with disabilities, including intakes and client interviews, identifying appropriate resources, applications, investigating complaints, determining eligibility for services, and delivering non-litigation case support.
The Advocate also drafts correspondence, complaints, and case notes. In addition, this position contributes to outreach and education efforts relevant to the RJI project’s priorities. This role works under the direction of an Advocate Supervisor.
Local Presence Requirement
This position is assigned to the East, TX region. Interested applicants must reside within, or sufficiently near, one of the following counties (Rusk, San Augustine, Tyler, Chambers, Trinity, Panola, Sabine, Hardin, Liberty, Houston, Shelby, Newton Orange, San Jacinto, and Anderson) to maintain a regular and meaningful local presence in the designated counties and communities served by the position.
The Advocate must be reasonably available for in-person community outreach, legal clinics, meetings with community partners, and other project activities throughout the assigned service area.
This requirement reflects the project's emphasis on establishing relationships with trusted rural institutions—including schools, libraries, disability-service organizations, medical providers, and faith-based and community organizations—and translating those relationships into meaningful access to legal services.
Special Project / Funding Notice
This position is established specifically to support the Rural Justice Initiative and is funded through project-specific grant funds. It is a time-limited position associated with the duration and funding of the Rural Justice Initiative. Employment in this position does not create a guarantee or expectation of continued employment beyond the project period or the availability of project funding. DRTx may modify the position, geographic assignment, duties, or staffing structure as necessary to meet grant requirements, project priorities, funding availability, and organizational needs.
Essential Functions
- Conduct client interviews and gather relevant information to assess eligibility, case priority, and service needs.
- Investigate complaints and analyze facts, obtain and review records to identify legal and advocacy issues for assigned attorney assessment.
- Develop and implement advocacy steps under the direction and approval of the attorney assigned to the matter.
- Manage an assigned caseload, including documentation, follow-up, and case coordination.
- Maintain contact with clients in accordance with client policies and procedures.
- Communicate effectively with clients, staff, and external stakeholders regarding case status and advocacy efforts.
- Maintain accurate, timely, and thorough documentation in case management systems including required RJI activity, referral, county coverage, and grant reporting data..
- Provide non-litigation advocacy support, accurate information, warm referrals, and short-term assistance when authorized, and coordinate with appropriate legal aid and community partners to address service gaps; including identifying appropriate resources/programs, applications, negotiation, mediation, and coordination of services under the supervision of an attorney.
- Deliver information, referrals, and short-term assistance to individuals not receiving extended services under the supervision of an attorney
- Support and deliver accessible rural legal education, outreach, and community-based service activities in coordination with RJI project leadership and designated outreach staff, consistent with approved project priorities.
- Apply relevant laws, regulations, policies, and program requirements in service delivery under the supervision of an attorney.
- Prioritize workload and manage multiple responsibilities to meet deadlines and service expectations.
- Collaborate with RJI team members and other departments to support effective service delivery.
- Participate in ongoing training and professional development to maintain knowledge of disability rights and related issues.
- Identify and document recurring barriers to rural legal access, including distance, transportation, broadband connectivity, communication accessibility, and limited availability of legal services; elevate patterns to RJI leadership.
- Facilitate coordinated referrals and follow-up with legal aid providers, schools, libraries, disability organizations, and other community partners using approved confidentiality and referral procedures.
- Participate in accessible legal clinics and community-based client appointments within assigned counties to reduce geographic and disability-related barriers to service.
- Follow RJI case assignment, attorney approval, consultation, escalation, conflict-checking, and case closure procedures; obtain specialized issue-team consultation when directed.
- Assist in tracking project outputs and service gaps, including county-level coverage and referral pathways, as required by DRTx policies and approved RJI reporting measures
Additional Duties
Perform other job-related duties as assigned that are consistent with the scope and level of the position and the purposes of the Rural Justice Initiative.
Required Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Education, Psychology, Rehabilitation Counseling, Disability Studies, Social Services, or a related field and two (2) years of relevant experience working with individuals with disabilities; or
- Four (4) years of equivalent related experience
Experience
- One-year experience in a field related to outreach work involving a variety of social service programs.
Knowledge and Skills
- Knowledge of laws, regulations, and programs affecting individuals with disabilities, or the ability to acquire such knowledge within a reasonable period of time.
- Ability to analyze information, identify issues, and support development of effective solutions.
- Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences using a variety of communication methods, with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic work environment.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
Technical Skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and case management systems.
- Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing
Other Requirements
- Must reside within, or sufficiently near, the geographic service area assigned to the position to meet the project's local-presence and community-engagement requirements.
- Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout rural Texas, including travel to communities where public transportation and other transportation options may be limited, with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to attend in-person outreach events and community activities within the assigned service area.
- Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse socioeconomic, geographic, cultural, linguistic, and disability backgrounds.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in public interest, legal aid, disability rights, special education, public benefits, or other civil legal services.
- Existing professional or community ties to the assigned RJI service area.
- Experience working in advocacy, legal services, or disability-related programs.
- Experience delivering presentations or conducting community outreach.
- Familiarity with public systems and laws impacting individuals with disabilities relevant for the issue team.
- Spanish bilingual proficiency (written and spoken), as required for this position.
Work Environment & Functional Requirements
This position involves regular use of computers, telephones, videoconferencing systems, case-management systems, and other communication tools to perform legal work, including research, documentation, client communication, and collaboration with geographically dispersed colleagues.
Duties may be performed in a seated, standing, or alternative position. The role requires managing multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, traveling throughout the assigned service area, and engaging in complex or sensitive legal matters.
The position includes work performed in a variety of environments, which may include DRTx or partner offices, courthouses, administrative hearing locations, schools, libraries, community organizations, clinics, community events, and other locations within rural communities.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.