Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) is a community-based non-profit legal aid agency governed by a local Board of Directors. PLS has an annual budget of $ 6.5 million from a multitude of funding sources. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina (WNC), Pisgah Legal Services’ provides free civil legal assistance to low-income people in WNC. The organization currently has offices in Asheville, Hendersonville, Rutherfordton, Brevard, Burnsville, and Marshall. With a dedicated staff of seventy-six, including thirty-two attorneys plus supporting staff, and an active group of 300 volunteer attorneys, the program provides free services to more than 18,000 people per year to meet their basic needs, primarily in the poverty law areas of housing, public benefits, domestic violence prevention, health care, immigration, and consumer law.

The Outreach and Enrollment Specialist works at the grassroots level with Latinx and communities of color in WNC help improve health. The primary work of the position includes health insurance enrollment, health education, community engagement and outreach to provide education and access to quality affordable healthcare.

The position is based in Asheville with regular travel within WNC to offer ACA health insurance enrollment appointments and outreach.

Responsibilities

· Commitment to Pisgah Legal Services’ mission, values and vision.

· Develop relationships with local community partners to engage in community education, outreach, health insurance enrollment assistance activities, and making referrals.

· Successfully complete and pass the certification to become a Certified Application Counselor provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

· Work with individuals in one-on-one appointments to support health insurance enrollment in the NC Marketplace or Medicaid.

· Perform outreach for legal services, health insurance enrollment, and tax assistance.

· Organize and conduct health coverage education, outreach and marketing with consumers and community organizations alike including social media marketing, building interagency relationships, in-reach referrals, identifying key community leaders to support activities in places including but not limited to:

o Jails/prisons/detention centers

o Justice Resource Center

o Treatment facilities

o Faith-based organizations

o Low-income housing developments

o Community-based organizations

o Health fairs

· Work collaboratively with Health Justice team members of staff and volunteers

· Utilize web-based software programs to report health insurance enrollment outcomes, outreach, and track consumer forms.

· Commit to continued learning about the connection between socio-economic factors and health.

· Passionately support the idea of access to quality healthcare for all people.

· Provide all information and services in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate and ensure accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

· Provide remote services through phone, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other platforms until COVID-19 restrictions permit in-office work.

· Upon return to PLS offices, the Health Advocate will be based in Asheville and will have access to an agency car or mileage reimbursement for work-related travel.

Qualifications

· Significant lived and/or professional experience and commitment to working with and supporting the Latinx community

· Bilingual Spanish written and oral skills

· Demonstrated skills at socio-economic and cultural sensitivity

· Commitment to work collaboratively with all constituent groups, including staff, consumers, clients, board members, donors, community groups, member organizations and others

· Comfortable with public speaking and representing PLS in a public setting

· Self-motivated, able to work independently

· Detail-oriented, accurate and organized

· Personal/professional roots in and strong network of connections in WNC communities

· Ability to understand, remember, and carry out complex instructions

· Excellent writing and verbal communication skills

· Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with teams

· Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in areas such as in Social Work, Public Health, Policy or a related field

Salary/ Benefits

Salary ranges from $30,690 – $47,672 depending on experience. Excellent fringe benefits, including 401(k) retirement plan, as well as life, health, and disability insurance.

To Apply

E-mail resumé and cover letter describing relevant experience to employment@pisgahlegal.org. PLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

Pisgah Legal Services is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status