Hampshire County Human Service Provider Database

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Telephone Numbers and Contact information
Phone #:(617) 603-1222 Boston Office
Phone #:(617) 371-1228
Phone #:(617) 603-1809 Asian Outreach Program
Phone #:(800) 323-5205
Phone #:(617) 603-2700 Cambridge/Somerville Office
Fax Number:(617) 371-1222

Web Page:  www.gbls.org
E-mail to:   None Listed

Program Details:
Operating Agency: Greater Boston Legal Services (Private, Non-Profit)
Person In Charge: :
Hours: Monday - Friday 9-5
Eligibility: Families with a monthly income that does not exceed 125% of the federal poverty level
Fees:
Intake Process:
Program Licenses:
Staff Qualifications:
Service Area: Greater Boston areas (see website for full service area description)
Handicap Accessibility:

Program/Service Notes:
Our staff work in specialized units to best address the problems faced by the people in our service area living in poverty. -The Asian Outreach Unit offers legal services to Asians in GBLS' service area in all areas of law GBLS handles. Currently, Asian Outreach staff speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Toisanese and Vietnamese. Services are available to clients speaking other languages through interpreters. -The Elderly Unit provides legal assistance to Senior Citizens (people age 60 and older) in areas such as housing and tenant rights, nursing home issues, Social Security, SSI, Medicaid and Medicare, elder abuse, and defense against guardianships and conservatorships, regardless of a client's income. The Unit is also focusing on the problems experienced by elderly legal immigrants who are losing their SSI and food stamp benefits. -The Employment Unit helps people who have been wrongfully denied unemployment benefits, victims of discrimination in training opportunities or employment, and people who are not receiving minimum wage or the overtime pay to which they are entitled. In addition, through legislative and administrative advocacy, the Unit has addressed the unemployment system, wage and hour laws, low wage worker protections, and training for disadvantaged families. -The Family Law Unit represents victims of domestic violence in securing their own safety and well-being and that of their children. Advocates assist these clients and others in obtaining custody and visitation orders and child support through divorce and paternity actions. The Unit also helps families involved with the Department of Social Services and provides assistance in the guardianship cases of minors. -The Health & Disabilities Unit assists people with disabilities and elders obtain cash benefits and access to health care to enable them to live independently. The Unit helps people obtain and keep Social Security or SSI disability benefits under the Social Security program and helps people secure health care through access to Medicaid or other public health insurance programs. The Medicare Advocacy Project, as part of this Unit, assists clients in obtaining the Medicare and Medicare-related benefits to which they are entitled. -The Housing Unit offers legal assistance to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and groups that represent tenants in substandard housing and the homeless. The Unit helps people gain access to emergency shelter and long-term affordable housing. Because of the limited availability of safe and decent affordable housing in Boston, the Unit's highest priority is to preserve existing low-income housing and to help people access and remain in such housing. -The Immigration Unit represents people fleeing persecution in their own countries, undocumented battered women and undocumented unaccompanied minors to help them obtain legal status from the Immigration and Naturalization Service and to defend them in proceedings to remove them from the U.S. The Unit also provides advice, referrals and information on a wide range of other immigration questions through its intake clinics. -The Welfare Unit helps clients to obtain or retain assistance from Transitional AFDC, Emergency Assistance for the Elderly, Disabled and Children, Food Stamps, and Emergency Assistance programs

This information was last updated on 08/11/2003

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