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Tool Kit: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System

Migration and Child Welfare National Network
Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System, by the Migration and Child Welfare National Network, provides public child welfare and community-based agencies working with immigrant families with guidelines for integrating child welfare practice with trauma-informed…

DESE Advisory 2014-3 Identifying the Need for Paraprofessional Support

Mass Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Special Education Technical Assistance Advisory on the use of and training for paraprofessionals.  The purposes of this advisory are to: Advise school districts and parents about concerns regarding inappropriate utilization of paraprofessionals. Clarify when it may be…

Paying an Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty for Being LGBT

Movement Advancement Project
The new report "Paying an Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty for Being LGBT" in America documents how LGBT people in the United States face clear financial penalties because of three primary failures in the law:  lack fo protection from discrimination, refusal to…

MassHealt-Connector Cover Sheet -revised Feb 2015

Office of Medicaid
The following link is for a revised cover sheet to be used when faxing or mailing information to MassHealth or the Connector. A separate cover sheet should be printed out for each use (not photocopied) to assure that the bar code works properly.  Using these cover sheets should improve the…

National Unaccompanied Children Resource Center

Immigration Advocates Network, American Bar Association, Pro Bono Net
The Unaccompanied Children Resource Center offers free legal resources and information for advocates and immigrants.   Children and their families or guardians can find out more by clicking on "Do you need legal help?" There is a map to help find a lawyer, and information about…

Nationwide: maps with summaries of law in all states

Human Rights Campaign Fund
summaries of the law, including but not limited to applicable laws on marriage, hospital visitation, second parent adoption, anti-discrimination, employment, public accommodations

Excerpt from a report on criminal justice system involvement of LGBT Clients

Rebecca Vallas & Sharon Dietrich
The attached document quotes a recent 2014 report by Rebecca Vallas & Sharon Dietrich which says that LGBT clients have a high incidence of criminal justice system involvement.  A link to the full report is included below too.

LGBT Elder Abuse: An Invisible Problem within an Invisible Community

Emily Crim
Article on LGBT elder abuse by Emily Crim from GBLS.

Same-Sex Spousal Health Benefits

GLAD & Health Law Advocates
This document attempts to address some of the questions that may arise with regard to same-sex spousal health coverage. Click the "Go to Website" link below to download the guide from GLAD's website.  

Prescription Advantage Rate Schedule Guide

Prescription Advantage
Prescription Advantage rate schedule guide for members eligible for Medicare and for members not eligible for Medicare. The latest rate schedule guide, linked below, is effective April 1, 2015.  Previous rate schedule guides are attached to this post.

Link to Mass. Medical Records Statute, G.L. c .111, Sec. 70E

This statute mandates that medical records be provided free of charge if requested for the purpose of supporting a claim or appeal under any provision of the Social Security Act or federal or state financial needs-based benefit program.

Navigator List (2014-2015)

Connector Authority
Attached is the list of organizations that received Navigator grants from the Connector for the 2015 enrollment season. Navigators are trained to assist consumers to apply for MassHealth or insurance through the Connector and enroll in a plan. This list also describes the languages spoken by…

Beware of Notario Fraud

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Fact sheet from AILA in English, Spanish and Potuguese with the following warning against immigration scams: "Do not believe notarios and other unauthorized consultants who promise immediate action in order to steal your money." See the fact sheet for more information, or click…

Shelter And Housing Options For Domestic And Sexual Violence Victims In Massachusetts

Housing and Shelter Study Commission of Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2014
On August 8, 2014, the Legislature enacted Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2014, An Act Relative to Domestic Violence, which created enhanced laws, protections, and responses to domestic violence crimes in Massachusetts. Section 47 of Chapter 260 created this study commission to assess housing and…

Non-EA Shelter lists

GBLS
List of Non-EA Community Rooms, in English and Spanish. .

An Open Enrollment Primer for Non-Health Lawyers in Massachusetts

Vicky Pulos
This document is written for non-specialists about the current effort to reach 400,000 low and moderate income people who currently have health coverage under programs that end in early 2015. It provides background on the current situation, describes the affected clients, and offers some practical…

MLRI REPORT: The Ties That Bind: Strengthening, and Reducing Racial Disparities in, Kinship Foster Care in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
This report addresses how Massachusetts can reform specific policies to advance its commitment to kinship foster care and achieve a higher number of good kinship placements, especially for children of color. Massachusetts has been an early national leader and pioneer in its commitment to placing…

Multicultural Populations Resource Directory

Massachusetts Department of Mental Health
Compiled by the Department's Office of Multicultural Affairs.  "This directory contains information about agencies and institutions in the Commonwealth that offer culturally and linguistically appropriate services. The information collected is based on organizations' self reports. We hope that…

LegalAidResearch: NLADA website about civil legal aid

NLADA
NLADA has launched a new website called LegalAidResearch.org. Thanks to a generous grant from the Public Welfare Foundation, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association has developed this research database providing free access to research reports and other documents about…

Tips for Meeting a Deductible for MassHealth Disabled Individuals Under Age 65

Nancy Lorenz, GBLS
Fact sheet for calculating one-time deductible or spenddown for CommonHealth disabled people who are not working 40 hours or more a month.

Coding for Lawyers

V. David Zvenyach
A free, online guide to basic computer coding, geared for lawyers and advocates.

Advising Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Who May Need Help Using SNAP EBT Benefits

MLRI
Since February 2014, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) has been sending letters to some SNAP (food stamp) recipients telling them they have unused SNAP benefits they may lose. Some people have had their SNAP expunged (taken away) or put "off line".   See the…

The Essential Plain Language Collection

LawNY Inc.
LawNY has created www.writeclearly.org to help unrepresented people have greater access to the justice system by having access to plain language legal documents. The Essential Plain Language Collection is a guide created by LawNY and Trancend for legal aid advocates. It is organized by…

Hospital Discharges and Your Clients Rights

NCOA Center for Benefits Access
Learn how to help your clients understand their rights related to hospital discharges and Medicare. Click the "Go to Website" link below to download the memo from the National Council on Aging's Cneter for Benefits Access.

Employees' Practical Guide to Negotiating and Requesting Reasonable Accommodations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Job Accommodation Network, U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy
From the intro: "The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. JAN consultants have been providing job accommodation information since 1983 when JAN was founded. In addition, JAN consultants have been…

Advocacy Tips: The Basics on Food Stamp/SNAP Expedited Benefits

MLRI
Advocacy reminders from MLRI on the Food Stamps/ SNAP expedited rules with citations to DTA’s regulations and relevant procedures.

State Health Facts

Kaiser Family Foundation
Database with information about topics such as Demographics and the Economy Health Costs & Budgets Health Coverage & Uninsured Health Insurance & Managed Care Health Reform Health Status HIV/AIDS Medicaid &…

OlmsteadRights.org

Disability Integration Project, Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
"The founder of the Disability Integration Project, Sue Jamieson, is the attorney who along with her colleagues at the Atlanta Legal Aid brought Olmstead v. L.C. on behalf of two women with mental illness and developmental disabilities from Georgia. The Olmstead case became the U.S. Supreme Court’s…

LEP Tools for Health Project

Washington State Coalition for Language Access
"The Tools for Health project offers a collection of materials about consumer rights and how to obtain language services in the 31 most-commonly spoken languages in Washington. The toolkit includes; an “ISpeak” card for consumers to bring with them when seeking care which identifies the language…

MLRI REPORT: If Now Now, When? A Call to Action for Systemic Child Welfare Reform in Massachusetts

MLRI
On June 26, at an event at the Massachusetts State House, MLRI released a new report: If Now Now, When?  A Call to Action for Systemic Child Welfare Reform in Massachusetts. MLRI's report lays out a blueprint and a set of recommendations that outline how Massachusetts…

Representing Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Connected with the Military: A Handbook for Civil Attorneys

The Battered Women’s Justice Project
Representing Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Connected with the  Military: A Handbook for Civil Attorneys From the handbook: Victims of intimate partner violence who are military service members, veterans, or partners of service members or veterans, often have specific legal…

Online Elder Abuse Training Module for Legal Advocates

Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime
The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, in collaboration with the Access to Justice Initiative and the Elder Justice Initiative, is pleased to release the first three modules of the free Online Elder Abuse Training for legal service providers. This interactive Web-based…

National Disaster Legal Aid Website -- Materials for Legal Services Advocates, Clients

LSC, ABA, NLADA, et al
The goal of this website is To recruit and help mobilize pro bono attorneys in the aftermath of a disaster To provide accurate and timely information on legal issues related to disasters to the low and moderate income public. To serve as a centralized national resource for…

Work Incentives for Persons with Disabilities Under the Social Security and SSI Programs

James R. Sheldon, Jr., Author, NLS NY
A series of policy and practice briefs sponsored in part by the Social Security Administration and is a collaborative publication of Cornell University’s Program on Employment and Disability and Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. As of this date, the briefs include the following…

SSA andRepresentative Payment: The Rules and Policies that Apply

Linda Landry, Disability Law Center
This power point on Representative Payment is useful as a way into the regulations and POMS when representative payee issues arise. There are additional notes and citations which are viewable if you choose "notes pages". 

How to Obtain Housing Assistance in Massachusetts

MA DHCD
Published by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, this website provides information about resources for housing search, temporary housing and shelter, public and subsidized housing. Includes phone numbers of housing providers across the state.

Boston CORI Regulations

City of Boston Office of Fair Housing and Equity
Regulations issued June 3 2014 to enforce the city of Boston's CORI Ordinance. Boston is prohibited from doing business with vendors who do not comply with Boston's CORI ordinance. The ordinance only allows CORI checks when required by law, or for sensitive jobs. CORI checks are allowed only at the…

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Discrimination Database

Intl Human Rights Program, University of Toronto Faculty of Law
This database contain reports which provide extensive information on discrimination against LBGT persons in countries throughout the world. The reports were researched and compiled by volunteer law students, Through this project students provide country-conditions research memos to assist refugee…

An Advocates' Guide to Oversight of Online Benefit Applications

Coalition for Access and Opportunity
Materials from a webinar on this topic.  Presenters included the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Center for Law and Social Policy and Florida Legal Services. Materials inlcude an Online Application Review Guide, a tool to assist advocates in reviewing a state's online application…

Legal Education Guides for LEP Clients

Legal Aid Society of Northeastern NY, Probono.net, and LawHelpNY.org
Overview An assortment of ten guides is provided to assist individuals, particularly those with Limited English Proficiency (“LEP”), navigate the judicial system. The guides are available in English, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese. The following list outlines the guides'…

Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) FAQ

MLRI and GBLS
Information Regarding Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) 1. ITIN Factsheet created by National Immigration Law Center (NILC) 2. Frequently Asked Questions about Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN)* Last Updated April 2014 The…

Massachusetts Law About Same Sex Marriage

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
Click the "Go to Website" link below to access the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Library website.

LGBT Youth and Schools Resources and Links

ACLU
Click the "Go to Website" link below to acces resources and links about schools issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth from the ACLU's website.

My Ombudsman Website

Disability Policy Consortium
The Disability Policy Consortium has a contract with MassHealth to operate an Ombudsman program to assist MassHealth members having problems with their managed care plans. It was originally created to help people in One Care, an integrated managed care program for individuals with…

House FY 2015 Budget Brief

MMPI, MassBudget & MLRI
Summary of MassHealth, Connector and Health Safety Net related provisions in the House budget bill for Fiscal Year 2015 passed on May 1, 2014.

MassHealth-Connector Telephone Numbers & Other Resources

Office of Medicaid
The 'Support Information' tool is designed to help Navigators and Certified Application Counselors quickly find: 1.     The most direct customer service telephone number for your need; 2.     Where to Fax, Mail or Walk-in important…

Anti-Discrimination Law in Massachusetts Due to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders
Click the "Go to Website" link below to download information from GLAD's website about discrimination on the bassis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression in employment, places of public accommodation, housing, credit, and receiving services.  Also includes…

SSA Program Manual Operations System (POMS)

SSA
The POMS is a primary source of information used by Social Security employees to process claims for Social Security benefits. The public version of POMS is identical to the version used by Social Security employees except that it does not include internal data entry and sensitive content…

Building Bridges through Language Access Conference Materials

Language Access Coaltion
The following is a virtual handout including links to many useful resources compiled for the Language Access Coalition's April 4, 2014 Building Bridges Conference. Conference Materials Main Powerpoint Presentation Conference Packet General Information You are Invited to a…

MassHealth: The Basics

Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI)
The Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute released an updated version of its guide, MassHealth: The Basics, prepared by the UMass Medical Center for Health Law and Economics.  In addition to an overview of MassHealth program and enrollment trends, this version includes a charts and…