Best Practice
NOTES
|
|
| Vol. 7, Nos. 1 & 2 | On Delivery of Legal Assistance to Older Persons |
April 1996 |
As legal assistance providers funded by the Older Americans Act and Legal Services Corporation (LSC) know too well, this past year has been difficult and challenging for all involved in the delivery of legal assistance to members of the most vulnerable segments of society: the poor and older persons in need. Changes in perceptions of and attitudes toward legal services have dramatically affected funding levels and caused legal providers to reevaluate their priorities. While the reasons behind the changes are varied, two clear mandates for the legal services community have emerged:
With severely reduced funding for LSC programs and reductions in funding for Older Americans Act support services, fewer funds are available to provide legal services to older individuals. Now, more than ever, Title IIIB legal assistance providers must specifically target services to older individuals in greatest social or economic need.
Because of the lack of understanding and appreciation of the critical importance of legal services to older persons, it is incumbent upon the Title IIIB legal assistance community, and the aging network overall, to demonstrate that legal assistance is one of the most valuable resources older individuals have to protect their rights and ensure access to essential benefits to which they are entitled.
Meaningful reporting is one simple and effective method to help ensure that targeting occurs and that Congress and funding sources are aware of the tremendous value of legal assistance. Therefore, this issue of Best Practice Notes is devoted to examining reporting -- its purposes, current Older Americans Act and Administration on Aging reporting requirements, the information these requirements capture, and action legal assistance providers and state and area agencies need to take to ensure that meaningful information is captured and used to promote appreciation and support for legal services.
Back to TCSG Home