Apply to Veterans Recovery Team VISTA Project- Public Engagement Fellow
Description
The New Haven Veterans’ VISTA PROJECT is a multi-site collaboration of organizations in the New Haven area that work with Veterans experiencing homelessness and serious mental illness. The partner organizations will hire three AmeriCorps VISTA members to work on inter-related projects to help end homelessness amongst veterans. One partner organization, the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, provides free legal services to help veterans overcome barriers to housing, healthcare and income. The CVLC’s model is to leverage relationships with client’s mental health practitioners and volunteer attorneys to help veterans identify and resolve legal problems. The CVLC’s staff and volunteer attorneys provide services on-site at a VA community mental health facility to reduce transportation and scheduling issues for indigent veterans. The CVLC also participates in legislative and law reform efforts to shape public policies to serve veterans in need.
Responsibilities
The focus for this VISTA is to create a Public Engagement program to increase participation, ownership and awareness of the CVLC’s mission among the public, volunteers, funders, and other legal services providers. The VISTA will develop a media strategy to increase volunteerism and giving which will include social and traditional media. The VISTA will organize events to recognize volunteers and a mini-conference to bring together legal services organizations serving veterans to identify best practices and high priority issues. The VISTA will improve the volunteer management system to maximize volunteer satisfaction and participation by creating materials and administrative procedures for continuous volunteer engagement throughout a pro bono assignment. The VISTA will survey veteran interest and create educational opportunities for veterans around common legal issues, for example debt collections and child support modifications. The VISTA will report directly to the CVLC’s Executive Director and will also receive supervision from the CVLC’s staff attorneys and supervising attorney.
This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in starting a career in social justice and would be a good jumping off point for further study of the law, journalism, organizing, lobbying, or social work.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree preferred; paralegal, public relations, journalism or legal experience a plus.
- Demonstrated commitment to social justice and public interest legal work.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to compose, edit and proof correspondence and documents.
- Must take initiative, be able to exercise sound judgment, be highly organized and detail-oriented, and possess strong time-management skills.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- Excellent use of software applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel.
- A good sense of humor and a desire to take on responsibility and grow professionally in a small, flexible nonprofit staffed by smart, dedicated attorneys.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and Benefits provided by the AmeriCorps VISTA program. AmeriCorps members receive a modest living allowance, student-loan forbearance, health coverage, and child care for those who qualify. After successfully completing their term of service, they receive an AmeriCorps Education Award of up to $5,350. This award can be used to pay off qualified student loans or to finance college, graduate school, or vocational training at eligible institutions. For more information on the AmeriCorps VISTA benefits and eligibility please visit:
http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp
