The NLS Press
A publication of NLSA, serving Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, and Lawrence Counties in Pennsylvania
Volume 1, Issue 3 Winter 2003
NLSA Helpline Continues To Grow
by Barbara Kern
In the summer of 2001 Managing Attorney Jane Hepting introduced the first telephone hotline (the Helpline) at Neighborhood Legal Services Association. The Helpline was initiated in an attempt to maintain legal services to low income clients in the face of decreases in funding and the consequent loss of staff. Ms. Hepting retired in March, 2002, but the Helpline which she established remains a vital part of NLSA's program.
The concept of telephone hotlines for legal services has been growing in recent years as all programs have had to confront the problem of dwindling staffs at the same time that client numbers were increasing.
Hotlines are programs that allow eligible callers to speak directly to a legal worker who can analyze the caller's problem and provide legal advice, information, referral, and in some cases brief service. Pioneered by legal services programs providing legal services to the elderly, Hotlines have been adopted for use by a growing number of legal services programs that serve a general low-income population. Historically, more than two-thirds of the cases handled by Legal Services Corporation (LSC)-funded legal services program are for advice and counsel, referral, or brief service. The theory behind Hotlines is that these tasks can be performed effectively through a telephone-based system, supported by appropriate computer software and staffed by advocates specially trained in the provision of advice and referral services.
Setting up the Helpline at NLSA involved a total restructuring of the intake process. Today all intakes for the Pittsburgh office are done through a centralized intake system which currently is staffed by four intake specialists. If the caller is determined to have a legal problem for which NLSA can provide full service representation, the intake is sent out on a rotation list to the appropriate attorney. If the problem is one for which NLSA can only provide telephone advice, the intake is sent to one of two attorneys who deal solely with telephone advice. The intake unit also receives numerous calls each day in which the caller does not have a legal problem with which NLSA deals; those callers are referred to other agencies.
The Helpline is a callback system in which the intake specialist determines eligibility and completes an intake and then tells the caller that he/she will receive a call from an attorney within 24 to 48 hours. After advising the client, the attorney writes a follow up letter reiterating the advice given and enclosing appropriate pamphlet material. Currently the two Helpline attorneys are assisted in their work by student interns who make calls and send out letters under the attorneys' supervision.
NLSA is now in the process of compiling a Helpline Handbook as a resource for the Helpline personnel (see article on page 3). They also make extensive use of the internet and consult with staff attorneys who are specialists in various fields.
The Helpline is now well established as part of NLSA's overall program of services. Assessment of its outcomes is currently underway in line with recommendations made by the "Hotline Outcomes Assessment Study" of the Center for Policy Research.
In addition, eventually it is perceived that the program will include all offices within the consortium. Another development being studied is the use of volunteer attorneys, an addition which would become especially important if the program expands in geographic scope. Improvements in technology through a more efficient telephone system and a new case management program are also underway.
If you would like more information about the Helpline, please contact Attorney Amy Carpenter at NLSA.
*Information in this paragraph is from "The Hotline Outcomes Assessment Study" reported in November, 2002, by the Center for Policy Research. This study was commissioned by the Project for the Future of Equal Justice with funding by the Law and Society Program of the Open Society Institute.
In this issue:
NLSA Helpline Continues to Grow
Help Needed for Helpline Handbook
Hard Winter Hits Poor The Hardest
A Man of Many Talents - An Employee Spotlight on Edward Van Stevenson
Legal Services and Pro Bono Success Story
DKW Law Group Finds Creative Way to Help Neighborhood Legal Services Association
Main Office: 928 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3799
Telephone: (412) 255-6700
Toll-Free: 1-866-761-6572
Fax: (412) 355-0168
