C.A.S.H.
Creating Assets, Savings and Hope (C.A.S.H.) Orientation: This orientation is
designed to clearly & definitively communicate the mission of C.A.S.H. to all
volunteers, and serve as an introduction to C.A.S.H. for those who are not
familiar with our initiative. It will cover the history and value proposition of
the C.A.S.H. Coalition, what's new this season, what happens at a C.A.S.H. site,
volunteer opportunities, training schedule and volunteer expectations.
Child Care
Child
Care: Legal Issues Affecting Low-Income Parents and Providers
This presentation reviews the various
types of child care assistance available to low-income families, including
public assistance related child care, Transitional Child Care, and subsidies. In
addition, participants will learn how to obtain and interpret child care plans
from local social services districts, become familiar with the inequities in
child care administration across districts, and review possible legal challenges
to these disparities. The session also will cover the due process rights of
applicants and recipients of child care services, the process for obtaining a
higher rate for children with special needs, the treatment of overpayments, and
new benefits available to providers under the recent Executive Order regarding
unionization of home based providers.
Kinship Care: Rights, Authority, Assistance and Resources: This three hour
course will cover kinship caregiver legal issues offering extensive practical
information about legal issues facing grandparents and relatives raising
children.
Child Care and Child Support: This course covers the fundamentals of the child
support requirements for applicants and recipients of child care assistance.
Discussions include the active pursuit of child support; good cause exception
and determinations; failure to cooperate by applicant or recipient; the child
support order; treatment of child support as income; what happens if the
non-custodial parent stops paying support; practical difficulties and legal
issues that may be raised by petitioners and respondent.
Child Support
The 17% Solution: Child Support Issues Faced By Low Income Parents: This session
will focus on the myriad issues faced by low income custodial and non-custodial
parents in the world of child support enforcement.
Consumer & Community Development
New Approaches to Stabilizing Homeowners and Communities in Western NY : this
taped broadcast is geared towards housing counselors, legal services
organizations, lenders, public officials, community-based organizations, and
anyone who is concerned with the impact of the foreclosure crisis on homeowners
and neighborhoods in the western part of the State. Discussion topics include
information about housing counseling standards, specialized foreclosure
trainings, State programs addressing the foreclosure issue, and successful
approaches to reducing foreclosures, among other topics.
Celebrating 30 Years of the Community Reinvestment Act: On January 24, 2008, the
Greater Rochester Community Reinvestment Coalition and Empire Justice Center
presented a forum celebrating 30 years of the Community Reinvestment Act. This
forum is presented online in four parts.
Representing Homeowners at Mandatory Settlement Conferences: Mandatory
settlement conferences are now an integral component to the foreclosure process
for subprime loans. The governor has signed a new law that expands the
settlement conferences to all residential loans. Pro Bono lawyers have been
approved to represent homeowners for the limited capacity of these settlement
conferences. This training addresses important considerations for lawyers
willing to represent homeowners in this capacity.
Criminal Law
Reentry: Criminal Law 101: What Every Poverty Lawyer Must Know About the
Criminal Justice System: This session will give a crash course in law and
practice in the criminal justice system, including the path of a criminal case,
warrants, types of offenses, juvenile proceedings, criminal records and sealing,
certificates of relief from disabilities, and what services are permitted under
LSC restrictions. It will also introduce a new online tool that provides proven
solutions to overcoming collateral consequences.
Disability Benefits
Maximizing Health coverage for DAP Clients - Before and After Winning the Case:
The training includes: recent changes to Medicaid, Family Health Plus and Child
Health Plus; Medicaid managed care for SSI recipients; transitioning to
Medicare.
HIV AS A DISABLING CONDITION: Maximizing SSI / SSD: This training will provide
case managers with basic information about Social Security's disability benefit
program.
Res Judicata, Reopening and Revival: The 3 Rs for Keeping Social Security Cases
Alive (so they can be paid): This training explores the ways in which the Social
Security Administrations (SSAs) administrative finality and res judicata rules
can be avoided. The session focuses on the significance of overcoming finality
hurdles so that disability before the expiration of a claimants date last
insured (DLI) can be established. Reopening strategies and the standards for
good cause and new and material evidence, as well as rules for extensions of
time for filing appeals are presented. The session also covers ways to guard
against reopenings by SSA.
Introduction to Disability Law: This two part training will cover the
fundamentals of disability law practice.
Childhood Disability: The 2009 Childhood Social Security Rulings (SSRs): This
training provides a brief overview of the childrens SSI program, including
concepts of medical and functional equivalence to the Listings. Then, the 2009
SSRs are analyzed in detail, along with their impact on each domain of
functioning and advocacy tips for using the SSRs in proving disability in
children's SSI cases.
Effect of Holocaust Reparations on Medicaid, SSI and Other Benefits: The Victims
of Nazi Persecution Act of 1994 creates a special right for survivors of the
Holocaust. When they apply for federally funded benefits or services that are
based on financial need, the payments they have received based on their status
as a victim of Nazi persecution are not counted in determining their financial
eligibility for these federally funded benefits.
Winning on Appeal: Using an HIV case as a model, this session will outline
appeal procedures and practices at the Appeals Council and in U.S. District
Courts. Presenters will focus on the practices and procedures specific to each
of the four District Courts in New York.
Confronting Vocational Experts' ("VE") Testimony: If the Grids cannot be
applied, you had better prepare for the testimony of a Vocational Expert (VE).
Learn about when a VE will be called in a case, the role of the VE, dealing with
hypothetical questions, and formulating a cross examination.
Handling SSI Child Disability Cases: This training will cover the child's SSI
regulations including the concept of functional equivalence, domains of
functioning, using forms and more.
SSI
Income and Resource Issues: Advocates who represent claimants in disability
claims are frequently called upon to help them with eligibility questions
following a favorable medical determination. This two-hour workshop will focus
on “non-disability issues” involving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims
that are not generally covered elsewhere, including income and resource rules,
as well as living arrangements. Information learned in this session will enable
advocates to better assist claimants in maximizing their benefits.
SSI Non-Disability Eligibility: This training covers the fundamentals of SSI
eligibility, including: income and resources, living arrangements, deeming,
transfer of assets and other penalties, non-citizen restrictions, residency and
more.
The Sequential Evaluation: Developing Mental Impairment Cases at Steps 4 & 5:
This course builds upon the sequential evaluation process at Step 3. It focuses
on Step 4 (past relevant work) and the Step 5 application of the Grid Rules.
Participants will learn how to get off the grids and the use of vocational
expert testimony in disability cases.
Sequential Evaluation: Developing Mental Impairment Cases at Step 3: This
training is designed to be an introductory course for those new to Social
Security Disability Law. It begins with an overview of Social Security
Disability and the sequential evaluation process with a focus on Step 3 (the
"Listings") for mental impairment cases. Participants will learn how to develop
strong evidence and how to make winning arguments at Step 3, particularly in
mental impairment cases.
Education
Special Ed Litigation: Achieving Systemic Change within School Districts: From
Greece, NY to New York City, public interest attorneys have challenged school
districts' systemic failures to provide appropriate educational support to
students with disabilities. In this session, attorneys and advocates will learn
about the most recent cases, as well as "cutting-edge strategies" for litigating
systems-change lawsuits that aim to compel school districts to improve services
for large numbers of students.
Health
Effect of Holocaust Reparations on Medicaid, SSI and Other Benefits: The Victims
of Nazi Persecution Act of 1994 creates a special right for survivors of the
Holocaust. When they apply for federally funded benefits or services that are
based on financial need, the payments they have received based on their status
as a victim of Nazi persecution are not counted in determining their financial
eligibility for these federally funded benefits.
Medicaid 101: This session will introduce advocates to the patchwork of programs
that make up New York's Medicaid program. We will discuss financial eligibility
for the most widely utilized programs, and look at some case examples that
utilize a valuable budgeting device known as spend down. We will then go over
some of the recent changes in New York's program - highlighting those changes
that pose implementation problems, as well as other issues that pose barriers to
accessing health coverage.
Medicaid 101: Health Care Programs for People with HIV: This presentation
provides case managers and other client advocates with basic information about
the public health care programs in New York State that are key for people living
with HIV/AIDS, including Medicaid, ADAP, Child Health Plus and Family Health
Plus.
Medicaid Home Care Advocacy Training: New York's Medicaid home care program is
the most comprehensive in the country, enabling about 100,000 elderly or
disabled persons a year to remain in their homes. As the government has cut back
on all entitlements in the last decade, changes in policy make it more difficult
to access home care. Aggressive advocacy is needed to obtain the amount of home
care that clients need, but this requires intensive development of facts and
medical evidence.
This training will explain to viewers the differences between the six different
Medicaid home care programs, how to prepare medical documentation and win
benefits for their clients, either through advocacy at the local Medicaid
offices run by the Department of Social Services in each county (the "CASA"
offices in New York City), by advocacy with certified home health care agencies
(CHHAs), or by representing clients at a fair hearing.
Because of its length, this training has been broken into three parts. CLE
credit will be awarded for each portion of the training completed. It is not
required that all three parts of this training be viewed in order to receive CLE
credit.
Medicare with Medicaid: Maximizing Health Coverage for Dual Eligibles: This
workshop will cover the A, B, Cs and Ds of Medicare and several strategies for
helping elderly and/or disabled clients use both Medicare and Medicaid together,
including Medicare Savings Programs, Medicaid Spend Down and the Medicaid
Buy-in-Program for Working People with Disabilities.
What's Happening in Medicaid: Recent Changes to Eligibility and Services: This
workshop will cover significant changes to New York's Medicaid Program in the
last several years, including eligibility expansions, streamlining and
simplification of enrollment and recertification requirements, and expansion of
Mandatory Medicaid Managed Care.
Medicare Part D - Part I - (2008) Basics About Part D: This training covers
almost everything social workers and advocates needs to know to assist their
clients with the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit ("Part D"). It assumes no
existing background in Part D.
Medicare Part D - Part II (2008): Using the Online Plan-finder for 2008
Enrollment, Part D Plans in New York State, More on Medicaid and EPIC and Part
D.
Strategies for Maximizing Access to Health Care Services for People with HIV:
This training will provide case managers and other client advocates with basic
information about the public health care programs in New York State that are key
for people living with HIV/AIDS, including Medicaid, ADAP, Child Health Plus and
Family Health Plus
Navigating the New Medicare Part D Appeals Process: Nuts and bolts of the
Medicare Part D appeals process, including strategies for representing clients
with prescription coverage denials, appeals of denials for the low-income
subsidy, and issues related to New York's Medicaid wrap-around coverage.
Housing
Landlord & Tenant 101: If you are a recently admitted attorney, or an attorney
whose work primarily consists of representation in non-housing matters, this
training will give you the information you need to advise and represent clients
who are facing the possibility of eviction.
New Approaches to Stabilizing Homeowners and Communities in Western NY : this
taped broadcast is geared towards housing counselors, legal services
organizations, lenders, public officials, community-based organizations, and
anyone who is concerned with the impact of the foreclosure crisis on homeowners
and neighborhoods in the western part of the State. Discussion topics include
information about housing counseling standards, specialized foreclosure
trainings, State programs addressing the foreclosure issue, and successful
approaches to reducing foreclosures, among other topics.
Representing Homeowners at Mandatory Settlement Conferences: Mandatory
settlement conferences are now an integral component to the foreclosure process
for subprime loans. The governor has signed a new law that expands the
settlement conferences to all residential loans. Pro Bono lawyers have been
approved to represent homeowners for the limited capacity of these settlement
conferences. This training addresses important considerations for lawyers
willing to represent homeowners in this capacity.
Public
Assistance Issues for Teens and Young Adults / Housing Advocacy to Prevent
Children from Languishing in Foster Care
This presentation addresses some of the benefits and
assistance available to teenagers, young adults and young families,
approximately ages 16-22. Benefit areas covered will include cash assistance,
Food Stamps, Medicaid and housing resources for teens and young adults who are
living on their own or aging out of foster care. The session will also cover
housing resources for families struggling to reunify with children in foster
care, including eligibility rules and advocacy strategies. The treatment of
benefit areas will include coverage of special rules regarding eligibility for
assistance, household composition, and circumstances when or if the young adult
may be treated as a separate household. This presentation is intended for
individuals who already have some familiarity and basic understanding of
benefits eligibility and filing units.
Immigrant Rights
Immigration Status & Public Benefits Eligibility: This is a training on
immigration status as an eligibility requirement in various federal and state
public benefits programs. The main focus of the session will be on the immigrant
eligibility rules in means tested benefit programs, specifically the Family and
Safety Net Assistance Programs, the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI),
Food Stamps and Medicaid.
Language Access
Introduction to Language Access Rights: Language Access for Limited English
Proficient (LEP) is a half day training for advocates and attorneys that work
with LEP communities. Participants will be given an overview of the state and
federal protections for LEP individuals.
Military
Serving
Military-Related Clients: Practical Information and Ethical Considerations for
Interacting with the Military World:This course is designed to help
attorneys understand how to effectively work with military related clients and
how to navigate through the military systems. Topics covered include an overview
of the military culture and structure, Civilian Law and the Military involved
case, specifically the Service members Civil Relief Act, Federal Firearms
Statues and Orders of Protection, Divorce, Custody, and Family Support issues
and special considerations in cases involving Domestic Violence.
Public Benefits
Public
Assistance Issues for Teens and Young Adults / Housing Advocacy to Prevent
Children from Languishing in Foster Care
This presentation addresses some of the benefits and
assistance available to teenagers, young adults and young families,
approximately ages 16-22. Benefit areas covered will include cash assistance,
Food Stamps, Medicaid and housing resources for teens and young adults who are
living on their own or aging out of foster care. The session will also cover
housing resources for families struggling to reunify with children in foster
care, including eligibility rules and advocacy strategies. The treatment of
benefit areas will include coverage of special rules regarding eligibility for
assistance, household composition, and circumstances when or if the young adult
may be treated as a separate household. This presentation is intended for
individuals who already have some familiarity and basic understanding of
benefits eligibility and filing units.
Welfare Work Rules 101: Welfare applicants and recipients face a daunting array
of work requirements, and risk serious penalties for the slightest infraction or
alleged failure to comply. But they also have a range of legal rights of which
they are too often unaware, so these rights are inadequately protected. It is
therefore critical for applicants, recipients, providers and advocates to know
the rules and how to assert these rights. This introductory training provides an
overview of the statutes, regulations, and policies governing the implementation
of the welfare work rules in New York State.
Public Benefits Advocacy: Practical Skills that Make a Big Difference: You know
the law of public benefits but how do you actually convince caseworkers, ALJs or
judges in court to decide in your client's favor? This video covers persuasion
skills and techniques that will give you a better chance of success.
Immigration Status & Public Benefits Eligibility: This is a training on
immigration status as an eligibility requirement in various federal and state
public benefits programs. The main focus of the session will be on the immigrant
eligibility rules in means tested benefit programs, specifically the Family and
Safety Net Assistance Programs, the Supplemental Security Income program (SSI),
Food Stamps and Medicaid. In addition to the program rules, we will cover the
immigrant documentation requirements of the benefits agencies and some special
issues that arise in the context of immigrant use of benefits programs,
including public charge, sponsor liability and reporting.
(updated 12/09) Public Benefits 101: This training, which is geared for those
new to welfare work, will provide an overview of the different cash public
assistance programs (Family Assistance, Safety Net Assistance, special grants
and Emergency Assistance) and the basic eligibility rules of each program.
(updated 12/09) Food Stamps 101: This course will cover the rights of
individuals to apply for food stamp benefits; the financial and non-financial
eligibility requirements of the program, including a brief summary of immigrant
rules; a basic look at the food stamp budgeting methodology, including how to
read a food stamp budget, and the food stamp recertification process.
Work Rules 101: This training will begin with an overview of public assistance
programs in New York and discuss how advocates can use local employment and
child care plans to assist their clients.
(updated 12/09) Emergency Assistance 101: This course provides an overview of
the emergency assistance programs in New York State: Emergency Assistance to
Families, Emergency Safety Net Assistance, and Emergency Assistance to Adults.
The training reviews the situations that constitute an emergency, and the
financial and categorical eligibility requirements for receipt of emergency
assistance, and pays special attention to shelter and utility emergencies.
Unemployment
Unemployment Insurance Benefits 101: Across New York advocates report a rise in the number of people seeking
representation at UIB hearings. This introductory program will cover the basics:
benefit eligibility requirements; sources of law; issues that could affect
benefits including misconduct, misrepresentation and voluntary termination;
preparing your case and your client, and conducting the hearing.
