Agmt22 Legal Aid Society -MOU - Laserfiche WebLink

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REV: 09-08-2022 RL A.Outreach and Education LIBRE will continue to provide accurate, linguistically, and culturally appropriate information about benefits and resources to immigrants living in the Coastal communities; Redwood City and North Fair Oaks; and Belle Haven and East Palo Alto. Our peer promotora model, through which community members are trained to conduct one-on-one outreach to their neighbors, families, and friends, will handle our core outreach. We will participate in and organize community education events (primarily remotely or outdoors until in- person activities can be resumed safely), where families can obtain in-depth information from LIBRE’s staff through accessible, trusted sites such as Community Schools and community-based organizations. We will promote our website “screening” tool as a resource for understanding which immigrants do and do not face a public charge test. We will obtain feedback from community members about effective messaging and learn what other barriers impede access to benefits. B.Public Benefits Application and Benefits Retention Assistance Bilingual assistors will help immigrants to apply for or maintain public benefits through our bilingual application assistors at three trusted community service agencies: JobTrain, Coastside Hope, and Fair Oaks Community Center. LIBRE’s application assistors play a critical role in mitigating barriers that would otherwise prevent immigrants from even applying for benefits. Their availability to follow up with applicants and to explain the process, which varies depending on the benefit, means that fewer eligible immigrants fall through the bureaucratic cracks. We will re-engage with the County Human Services Agency to obtain the data that will help us track outcomes of our assistor efforts. C.Legal Advocacy and Policy Work LIBRE attorneys will continue to advocate for immigrant individuals and families with immigration and government benefits issues to address barriers to receiving benefits. We will provide consultations about immigration options and services to file applications and renewals for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), VAWA (victims of domestic abuse), Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and U visas (victims of certain crimes). Applying for immigration relief can confer eligibility for benefits, such as full-scope Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, or CalFresh. We will advise and represent immigrants to appeal incorrect public benefit decisions, denials or discontinuances. We also will provide specific advice about public charge in individual cases. We will keep playing an active role in developing public awareness and engaging in strategic advocacy with local and state agencies. LIBRE will organize opportunities for community members to provide feedback on messaging about public charge and benefits and to become involved in changing the narrative around public benefits and public charge. We will train community assistors and health enroller staff on cultural sensitivity and best practices to work effectively with immigrant families. LIBRE will support the County’s Immigrant Services office and Chief Equity Officer efforts to maintain a prominent role ATTY/AGR.2022.331/Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (Page 9 of 13)