Executive Director – Community Legal Services and Counseling Center

Community Legal Services and Counseling Center (CLSACC), seeks an Executive Director to lead this dynamic nonprofit, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, whose mission is to provide free civil legal aid and affordable psychological counseling to low income people. CLSACC’s services combat the effects of poverty and violence by helping clients and their children meet basic human needs for safety, income, health and housing.   By addressing both legal issues and mental health concerns, CLSACC helps to counter the crippling effects of poverty and violence on its clients in a unique interdisciplinary service model. A dedicated staff and team of over 100 volunteer lawyers and mental health professionals work together to holistically meet the needs of CLSACC’s clients.

 

High Priority Roles and Responsibilities for the New Executive Director:

• To serve as the public face of CLSACC, carrying out a leadership role in local and state networks of legal aid, client and social services communities
• To provide leadership and structural support for staff and volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of CLSACC’s clients
• To preserve institutional expertise and leadership, and hire, develop and empower staff, as CLSACC grows and changes
• To energetically lead and cultivate private and governmental fundraising efforts
• To provide effective management to CLSACC, including financial and grants management, and staff supervision
• To work collaboratively with other legal aid and social service organizations in the Greater Boston area on behalf of eligible clients

 

Qualifications of the New Executive Director:

• Dedication to the mission of CLSACC and its holistic legal and mental health service delivery model
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low income populations and people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds
• Management experience with supervision of staff, oversight of financial reporting, development of budgets, and compliance with grant and contract requirements
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and grant writing
• Knowledge of the local community, and a reputation for effective relationship-building and integrity
• Experience working effectively with an engaged Board of Directors
• Commitment to promoting and supporting diversity
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
• Interpersonal skills which demonstrate trust, respect, collegiality, inclusivity, flexibility and the ability to motivate
• J.D. preferred, however candidates with relevant experience and/or a degree related to CLSACC’s core service areas will also be considered

 

About CLSACC

 

Founded in 1970, CLSACC’s counseling work and legal programs in family law, housing, immigration, and disability benefits help clients and their children to meet their most basic needs for income, housing, health and safety. CLSACC has a stable budget of $1 million from diversified funding sources, including state and local government contracts, attorney fees, client fees, and a growing private fundraising effort. It has a staff of 15. The agency maximizes its capacity to serve clients by motivating private attorneys and mental health professionals to volunteer at CLSACC. Last year, 100 active volunteers contributed services valued at $600,000 – the equivalent of almost nine full-time staff.

 

CLSACC is the only legal services agency in New England providing interdisciplinary legal and mental health services under one roof.

 

CLSACC provides free civil legal services, including advice, referral, and representation in court proceedings and administrative hearings, to income-eligible clients in areas including:

domestic violence/family law; immigration/asylum; housing/homelessness prevention; and disability benefits.

 

CLSACC provides counseling services free or at very low cost for screening and assessment; individual counseling; group counseling and support groups; psychopharmacological referral; case management/ social work support services; and forensic psychological assessments critical to asylum and Violence Against Women Act cases.

 

CLSACC has provided comprehensive immigration services for over thirty years. It serves immigrants seeking asylum, immigrants who are victims of domestic violence in the U.S., and immigrant children and youth who have come unaccompanied to the U.S. due to family abuse and neglect in their home countries. CLSACC’s immigration work focuses holistically on its clients, and incorporates post-trauma therapy and social supports as an important component of legal representation.

 

CLSACC has extensive collaborative relationships in the community in order to serve its clients. Key partners include legal services programs throughout Boston and Massachusetts, immigration providers, health care providers, and community agencies.

 

For more information about CLSACC, visit www.clsacc.org.