Salinas- California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.

General Description of what students will be doing at this Site:

Currently, our interns are working remotely but we're transitioning back into the office. Interns talk with clients, review case notes, write letters to clients and sometimes to 3rd parties like landlords. We do not require disclosure of vaccination status so while that is a requirement, interns will work remotely.

The foundation of health begins in homes, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Integrating legal services with the healthcare system can be a means to disrupt a cycle of returning people to the unhealthy conditions that would otherwise bring them right back to the clinic or hospital. CRLA’s Monterey County Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) addresses the health-harming legal needs of patients at the Monterey County Health Department Clinics, which provide healthcare to a largely farmworker community regardless of ability to pay. Healthcare staff refer patients to MLP staff attorneys, who conduct intakes on-site at the clinics and provide comprehensive legal services to eligible clients in diverse areas of the law, including employment, housing, education, public benefits, and environmental justice. Field Practice students will assist CRLA's Medical-Legal Partnership by working with clients, conducting legal research, developing community education materials, and assisting with administrative tasks.

Key Responsibilities: Field Practice students will perform a wide range of activities. One of the main activities students will perform is assistance with individual cases for our clients. That could mean doing legal research, writing correspondence, participating in meetings, typing up notes, and managing client data in our database. Students may also help us with research projects like legal memos on specific topics that relate to our clients. They also may help us develop legal education materials like brochures and fact sheets on legal rights that we use to educate our client community. We will also provide other professional development opportunities like brown bag lunches and trainings.

Help improve the health of farmworkers, families, and other low-income Monterey County residents by partnering with the Monterey County Health Department's safety net clinics to provide free legal services to patients. Interns will gain exposure to legal and medical professional settings, while performing direct services with clients, assisting with community education initiatives, and proving programmatic and administrative support.

Desired Intern Characteristics: - Spanish language skills are required, other language skills are helpful and welcomed - Interest in CRLA’s mission and vision - Good oral and written communication skills, interpersonal skills and ability to work with a diverse employee and client population - Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite - Some community service experience is preferred

Interprofessional opportunities available for the student: Field Placement students will work with CRLA attorneys and staff, Monterey County Health Department providers and staff, and a wide range of other outside professionals from social service providers to immigration attorneys to community organizers.

the following CHHS Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs) that the student will be exposed to:
- Collaboration
- Cross Cultural Competency
- Information Management
- Personal & Professional Communication
- Professional Development
- Public Policy Analysis

CRLA offers a wide variety of training opportunities. Past webinars on substantive legal topics have included topics such as language access for indigenous communities, housing foreclosure, LGBT rights, workers rights, and more. Brown bag lunches have included topics such as immigration, student homelessness, workers compensation, and others. There will also be opportunities to attend community events and trainings.