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An Overview of Services Statewide Community Health Worker Conference

April 19, 2018

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LEGAL SERVICES’ MISSION &

HISTORY

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LSEM’s Mission

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

advances justice through legal

representation, education and supportive

services. We partner with the community to

improve lives, promote fairness and create

opportunities for those in need.

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• In existence since 1956

• Legal Services Corporation Act passed in

1974 separated Legal Services program from

Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO),

providing for national Legal Services

Corporation which has a Board of Directors.

• The Act includes some restrictions on types

of cases handled by LSEM and other

program activities.

LSEM’s History

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Adair * Clark * Franklin * Jefferson * Knox * Lewis * Lincoln * Macon * Marion * Monroe * Montgomery * Pike * Ralls * Schuyler * Scotland * Shelby * St. Charles * St. Louis * St. Louis City * Warren * Washington

LSEM’s Service Area: 21 Counties

in Eastern Missouri

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LSEM’s Programs

• Consumer Law

• Housing Law

• Children’s Legal Alliance

• Advocates for Family Health

• Medical-Legal Partnership

• Public Benefits

• Rural Outreach

• Veterans Advocacy

• Education Justice

• Connecting Kids to Coverage

• Marketplace Assistance (ACA)

• Lasting Solutions/Family Law

• Family Court (St. Louis County)

• Elder Law

• Immigration

• Legal Assistance for Adults with Mental Illness

• Youth & Family Advocacy

• Community Economic Development

• Special Projects

• Volunteer Lawyers Program

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Consumer Law

• Predatory Lending Practices—Payday lending

• Deceptive and fraudulent sales practices

• Car repossessions

• Debt buyer credit card cases

• Title loan

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Housing Law &

Youth & Family Advocacy

• Subsidized housing—federal/state

• Housing issues related to domestic

violence incident or victim status

• Security deposit

• Lockouts/illegal utility shut offs

• Private landlord tenant matters (limited)

• Youth & Family Advocacy targeted to young individuals in St. Louis County and provides supportive case management.

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Children’s Legal Alliance

• Special Education cases (obtaining

services, improving services, enforcing

IEPs, testing delays

• Suspensions and expulsions

• Enrollment (requiring guardianships or

homelessness issues)

• Focus on public school issues

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Education Justice

• Engages in educational advocacy with specific focus on racial disparity in the education setting.

• Examples of assistance provided:

Being denied a quality education;

Not reading on grade level;

The subject of unfair discipline actions;

Not being provided with an education after a

suspension or expulsion;

Having difficulty enrolling in school;

Being treated unfairly by the school

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Advocates for Family Health &

Connecting Kids to Coverage

• Helps children and pregnant women

navigate Medicaid Managed care

programs.

• Assist with application denials or benefits

termination.

• Assist with resolving billing problems.

• Help with medical denials by individual

health plans.

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Medical-Legal Partnership

• Works with medical-care provider partners

to help patients with variety of civil legal

issues affecting health—housing & public

benefits.

• Onsite outreach and intake screenings at

Affinia and Family Care Health Centers.

• Partner with Integrated Health Network.

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Public Benefits

• Helps individuals with disabilities, seniors and needy

families access variety of public benefits and supports.

• Food stamps, Temporary Assistance, MO HealthNet for

Aged, Blind & Disabled (Medicaid), In-home personal

care services, Medicare and Social Security issues

(more limited assistance with federal benefits programs)

• Helps address benefits reduction or termination, denials

and address questions about program eligibility.

• Represents clients in administrative hearings, if

necessary.

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Marketplace Assistance

• Assists with questions about eligibility,

plan options, available premium tax credits

or cost-sharing reductions.

• Assists with applying for exemptions (from

penalty)

• Assists with enrollment during open

enrollment period.

• Assists with appeals in complex cases.

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Lasting Solutions (Family Law)

• Provides services to victims of domestic

violence and their children using a holistic

service model.

• Assists with Orders of Protection, divorce,

custody and other related matters.

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Family Court

• Advocates for reunification of families and

avoidance of unnecessary foster care in

child protection cases.

• Helps prevent wrongful termination of

parental rights.

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Elder Law

• Assists seniors (60+) with varied civil legal

issues.

• Examples of assistance available:

preparation of simple wills, powers of

attorney, health care directives and

representation in guardianship

proceedings.

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Immigration

• Assists eligible immigrant successfully

integrate and stabilize.

• Helps eligible immigrants with family visa

petitions, citizenship and assist victims of

human trafficking and domestic violence.

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Legal Advocacy for Adults with

Mental Illness

• Helps persons with serious mental illness

• Provides assistance with various civil legal

matters—e.g. Medicaid, Social Security

disability, guardianship issues, housing.

• Must be referred by a community

partner—Independence Center, Places for

People.

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Community Economic

Development

• Empowers low-income entrepreneurs by

providing legal assistance to start a

business (assistance with incorporation,

drafting by-laws, contract reviews).

• Provides legal services to non-profits

serving low-income populations.

• Provides educational clinics and

workshops for aspiring business owners.

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Special Projects

• Provides legal assistance to low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS

• Examples of assistance available: preparation of simple estate documents (wills & powers of attorney), assistance with obtaining Medicaid and/ or Social Security disability benefits, housing.

• Requires referral from Ryan White case manager.

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Volunteer Lawyers Program

• Provides LSEM clients with legal assistance through

placement of case with volunteer attorney.

• VLP staff work directly with volunteers to provide case

summaries and other case support.

• Cases placed as volunteer attorneys are available.

• Provides assistance with a variety of civil legal matters,

e.g. housing, orders of protection, unemployment

compensation, simple estate planning, temporary

transfers of custody.

Veterans Advocacy

• Relatively newer project at LSEM which focuses on resolving legal problems for veterans.

• Provides legal assistance to veterans in LSEM’s current areas of legal practice.

• LSEM also participates in a regional partnership with Catholic Legal Assistance Ministries (St. Francis Community Services) and the Kaufman Fund.

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Rural Outreach

• LSEM maintains 2 outreach offices to

provide services to individuals in other

parts of 21-county service area.

• One office is located in Hannibal and the

other in Union.

• Both offices offer varied civil legal

assistance—much the same as the

programs based in the St. Louis office.

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Legal Services Does Not Assist

with Certain Types of Cases

Regulatory Restrictions

• Criminal cases

• Class action law suits

• Public housing evictions

related to charge or

conviction for drug sale,

distribution, manufacture

or possession

• Representation of

incarcerated individuals

Outside of Current Priorities

• Bankruptcy

• Municipal ordinance

violations

• Traffic Tickets

• Real Estate Tax Appeal

• Workers Compensation

• Child Support

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• File an application for services with LSEM

• Contact us by telephone

• In-person appointment

• Walk-in

• Online application: Visit www.lsem.org and

go to the LSEM Services tab, click on “Get

Help Now”

How to Access Services

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri:

4232 Forest Park Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63108

314-534-4200 ● 1-800-444-0514

Hannibal Office:

801 Broadway, Hannibal, MO 63401

573-248-1111 ● 1-800-767-2018

Union Office:

20 S. Church St., Union, MO 63084

636-583-7877 ● 1-866-583-7877

How to Contact LSEM

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• Income Eligibility

• Conflict of Interest

• Program Priorities

• Service Area

How is Eligibility Determined?

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• LSEM is a non-profit organization.

• LSEM does not charge for services.

• LSEM clients may have to pay certain

filing fees if such fees are associated with

their case.

How Much Does LSEM Charge for

Services ?

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314-534-4200

800-444-0514

www.lsem.org

Questions?

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314-534-4200

800-444-0514

www.lsem.org

THANK YOU!

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