Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
Information about Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) and its instructions is at www.irs.gov/form990.
| (i)Name of supported organization | (ii) EIN | (iii) Type of organization (described on lines 1- 9 above or IRC section (see instructions)) | (iv) Is the organization listed in your governing document? | (v) Amount of monetary support (see instructions) | (vi) Amount of other support (see instructions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |||||
| Total | ||||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2010 | (b) 2011 | (c) 2012 | (d) 2013 | (e) 2014 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") .... | 26,296,359 | 26,863,147 | 24,600,544 | 26,588,960 | 23,503,774 | 127,852,784 |
| 2 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf....... | ||||||
| 3 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | ||||||
| 4 | Total. Add lines 1 through 3 | 26,296,359 | 26,863,147 | 24,600,544 | 26,588,960 | 23,503,774 | 127,852,784 |
| 5 | The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) included on line 1 that exceeds 2% of the amount shown on line 11, column (f).. | ||||||
| 6 | Public support. Subtract line 5 from line 4. | 127,852,784 | |||||
Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2010 | (b) 2011 | (c) 2012 | (d) 2013 | (e) 2014 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Amounts from line 4.. | 26,296,359 | 26,863,147 | 24,600,544 | 26,588,960 | 23,503,774 | 127,852,784 |
| 8 | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources... | 229 | 1,604 | 1,030 | 5,717 | 9,744 | 18,324 |
| 9 | Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on.. | ||||||
| 10 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.).. | 66,442 | 665,472 | 95,481 | 313,175 | 306,314 | 1,446,884 |
| 11 | Total support Add lines 7 through 10. | 129,317,992 | |||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2010 | (b) 2011 | (c) 2012 | (d) 2013 | (e) 2014 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") . | ||||||
| 2 | Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or facilities furnished in any activity that is related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose...... | ||||||
| 3 | Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513.. | ||||||
| 4 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf... | ||||||
| 5 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | ||||||
| 6 | Total. Add lines 1 through 5. | ||||||
| 7a | Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons... | ||||||
| b | Amounts included on lines 2 and 3 received from other than disqualified persons that exceed the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the amount on line 13 for the year. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 7a and 7b.. | ||||||
| 8 | Public support (Subtract line 7c from line 6.) | ||||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2010 | (b) 2011 | (c) 2012 | (d) 2013 | (e) 2014 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Amounts from line 6... | ||||||
| 10a | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources.. | ||||||
| b | Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 10a and 10b. | ||||||
| 11 | Net income from unrelated business activities not included in line 10b, whether or not the business is regularly carried on. | ||||||
| 12 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.) .. | ||||||
| 13 | Total support. (Add lines 9, 10c, 11, and 12.).. | ||||||
| Section A - Adjusted Net Income | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
||||
| 1 | Net short-term capital gain | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Other gross income (see instructions) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Add lines 1 through 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Depreciation and depletion | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Portion of operating expenses paid or incurred for production or collection of gross income or for management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for production of income (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Other expenses (see instructions) | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Adjusted Net Income (subtract lines 5, 6 and 7 from line 4) | 8 | ||||
| Section B - Minimum Asset Amount | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
||||
| 1 | Aggregate fair market value of all non-exempt-use assets (see instructions for short tax year or assets held for part of year): | 1 | ||||
| a | Average monthly value of securities | 1a | ||||
| b | Average monthly cash balances | 1b | ||||
| c | Fair market value of other non-exempt-use assets | 1c | ||||
| d | Total (add lines 1a, 1b, and 1c) | 1d | ||||
| e | Discount claimed for blockage or other factors (explain in detail in Part VI): | |||||
| 2 | Acquisition indebtedness applicable to non-exempt use assets | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Subtract line 2 from line 1d | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Cash deemed held for exempt use. Enter 1-1/2% of line 3 (for greater amount, see instructions). | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Net value of non-exempt-use assets (subtract line 4 from line 3) | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Multiply line 5 by .035 | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Minimum Asset Amount (add line 7 to line 6) | 8 | ||||
| Section C - Distributable Amount | Current Year | |||||
| 1 | Adjusted net income for prior year (from Section A, line 8, Column A) | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Enter 85% of line 1 | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Minimum asset amount for prior year (from Section B, line 8, Column A) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Enter greater of line 2 or line 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Income tax imposed in prior year | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Distributable Amount. Subtract line 5 from line 4, unless subject to emergency temporary reduction (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Check here if the current year is the organization's first as a non-functionally-integrated Type III supporting organization (see instructions) | |||||
| Section D - Distributions | Current Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Amounts paid to supported organizations to accomplish exempt purposes | ||
|
2
Amounts paid to perform activity that directly furthers exempt purposes of supported organizations, in excess of income from activity |
||
| 3 Administrative expenses paid to accomplish exempt purposes of supported organizations | ||
| 4 Amounts paid to acquire exempt-use assets | ||
| 5 Qualified set-aside amounts (prior IRS approval required) | ||
| 6 Other distributions (describe in Part VI). See instructions | ||
| 7Total annual distributions. Add lines 1 through 6. | ||
|
8
Distributions to attentive supported organizations to which the organization is responsive (provide details in Part VI). See instructions |
||
| 9 Distributable amount for 2014 from Section C, line 6 | ||
| 10 Line 8 amount divided by Line 9 amount | ||
| Section E - Distribution Allocations (see instructions) |
(i) Excess Distributions |
(ii) Underdistributions Pre-2014 |
(iii) Distributable Amount for 2014 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
Distributable amount for 2014 from Section C, line 6 |
||||
|
2
Underdistributions, if any, for years prior to 2014 (reasonable cause required--see instructions) |
||||
| 3 Excess distributions carryover, if any, to 2014: | ||||
| a From 2009.......X | ||||
| b From 2010.......X | ||||
| c From 2011.......X | ||||
| d From 2012.......X | ||||
| e From 2013....... | ||||
| fTotal of lines 3a through e | ||||
| g Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| h Applied to 2014 distributable amount | ||||
|
i
Carryover from 2009 not applied (see instructions) |
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| j Remainder. Subtract lines 3g, 3h, and 3i from 3f. | ||||
| 4Distributions for 2014 from Section D, line 7: | ||||
| $ | ||||
| a Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| b Applied to 2014 distributable amount | ||||
| c Remainder. Subtract lines 4a and 4b from 4. | ||||
|
5
Remaining underdistributions for years prior to 2014, if any. Subtract lines 3g and 4a from line 2 (if amount greater than zero, see instructions) |
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|
6
Remaining underdistributions for 2014. Subtract lines 3h and 4b from line 1 (if amount greater than zero, see instructions) |
||||
|
7 Excess distributions carryover to 2015. Add lines 3j and 4c. |
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| 8 Breakdown of line 7: | ||||
| a From 2010.......X | ||||
| b From 2011.......X | ||||
| c From 2012.......X | ||||
| d From 2013....... | ||||
| e From 2014....... | ||||
| Facts And Circumstances Test |
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| Return Reference | Explanation |
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| Software ID: | |
| Software Version: |
Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Information about Schedule O (Form 990 or 990-EZ) and its instructions is at| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 11 | The Form 990 is reviewed in detail by Management and then Management reviews the return with the Finance Committee. Once approved by Management and the Finance Committee, the Form 990 is distributed to the full Board of Directors, where they have the opportunity to discuss the return with Management and the Finance Committee before the return is filed. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 12c | Annually, each officer, director, or member of a committee with governing Board delegated powers is required to sign a statement which affirms such person has received a copy of the conflicts of interest policy, has read and understands the policy, and has agreed to comply with the policy. Determinations of whether a conflict exists, and appropriate resolution of those conflicts, is made either by the governing Board of Directors or by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors. No person determined to have a conflict of interest is allowed to participate in the deliberations or decision regarding resolution of that conflict or the approval of transactions related to it. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 15 | The Finance Committee of the Board of Directors uses comparable compensation data obtained from other legal services programs, Legal Services Corporation, Maryland Association for Nonprofits, and state, federal and local governments to determine an appropriate compensation level for the Executive Director. The Finance Committee then forwards its recommendation to the entire governing Board of Directors for its review and approval. The Executive Director determines the compensation of all key employees following reference to comparability information obtained from other legal services programs, Maryland Association of Nonprofits and state, federal, and local governments. |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section C, line 19 | The Organization's governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are made available to the public upon request. |
| Form 990, Part XI, line 9: | Pension Adjustment - non-operating credit -1,292,833. |
| Form 990, Part XII, Line 2c: | The process has not changed from prior year. |
| Form 990, Page 1, Part I, Summary | Prior year expenses changed due to the reclassification of pension costs on the 2013 Financial Statements. |
| Form 990, Page 2, Part III, Line 4a: | During 2014, Maryland Legal Aid continued its more than 103-year history of providing high-quality, civil legal services to Maryland's most vulnerable citizens. Maryland Legal Aid provides civil legal services to individuals and families throughout the State with incomes below 125% of the federal poverty level, and, in some instances, to those whose income is less than one-half of Maryland's median income. Maryland Legal Aid sets priorities for service delivery based on the expressed and assessed needs of potential clients. To date, demand for services has been highest on issues related to family/domestic law, housing, consumer and income maintenance (both employment and public benefits) law. In addition, Maryland Legal Aid focuses on addressing the needs of limited English-proficient populations in Maryland and providing services that are sensitive to the ethnic and cultural diversity of Maryland's low-income population. Maryland Legal Aid attempts to strategically coordinate advocacy and resources to meet these needs statewide. Experience also has enhanced Maryland Legal Aid's awareness of the legal needs of veterans, senior citizens, long-term and assisted care residents, migrant farmworkers, and neglected and abused children. Many veterans frequently struggle with the transition from military to civilian life, and are often faced with unique challenges that require more highly skilled and specialized legal assistance. Senior citizens are challenged primarily by consumer debt and debt incurred to meet basic needs such as health care and housing; farmworkers by substandard housing and exploitative employer practices; and children and youth by family and community environments which are unsafe and hinder healthy development. Targeted service delivery guides the legal assistance provided to clients and permits Maryland Legal Aid to continually assess the needs of the populations it serves. Service is also provided through the use of telephone hotlines (including the Family Law Hotline, Senior Helpline, the Sixty Plus Legal Program, and a new Veterans' Hotline, which will be staffed primarily by pro bono attorneys); through outreach to, and intake of, senior citizens eligible for legal assistance through Title III-B of the Older Americans Act; and through outreach to community service providers and to other vulnerable populations. Despite funding challenges, Maryland Legal Aid has successfully sought and obtained support and funding from a broad spectrum of public and private sources, which, combined with the hard work and dedication of its staff, has allowed it to maintain capacity and to excel in the delivery of quality legal services. Specific examples of achievements during 2014 include: Housing and Foreclosure Prevention Maryland Legal Aid continues to work with community groups to protect and preserve subsidized and other affordable shelter. For example, staff in the Metropolitan Maryland office met with a group of tenants who were being forced out of their housing by an owner who wanted to evict all current residents and renovate the property for renters with higher incomes. Maryland Legal Aid represented several of the residents and successfully challenged some of the evictions by getting them dismissed. Other residents were able to negotiate additional time to secure replacement housing. Maryland Legal Aid works with housing advocates throughout Baltimore County in an effort to ensure that the county and the surrounding jurisdictions adhere to their obligations to affirmatively further fair housing opportunities, which includes the development of housing affordable to low-income tenants in the Baltimore City/Baltimore County region. In Baltimore City, Maryland Legal Aid continues to represent a client tenant group in a development project which is slated to replace 900 public housing units. Maryland Legal Aid assisted clients in successfully negotiating a long-term affordable housing agreement and a lease which secured for tenants the same rights in the new development that they had as residents of public housing. Thirty-nine replacement units were completed in 2014 and will replace units demolished by the Housing Authority of Baltimore City. Phase II of the project is now in the development stage. Maryland Legal Aid also represents a tenant group of almost 4,000 low-income tenants who reside in public housing units which are about to be privatized. Maryland Legal Aid is helping the resident group negotiate the terms under which the units will operate after they transition from public housing units to privately-owned subsidized housing. Maryland Legal Aid continues to work with tenants in properties in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Prince George's, Frederick and Kent counties, to improve housing conditions; reform hearing processes; preserve individual and complex-wide subsidies and affordable units in redevelopment projects; and challenge illegal restrictions imposed on low-income tenants by landlords, owners and government agencies. Housing attorneys in Maryland Legal Aid's Anne Arundel County office attend quarterly meetings with administrators from the Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County (HCAAC) to review their compliance with a settlement agreement in a federal district court case brought by Maryland Legal Aid on behalf of one of HCAAC's tenants to ensure fair housing practices. These meetings have led to additional meetings with HCAAC to address systemic problems that Maryland Legal Aid has recently observed in individual cases. Two staff attorneys from Maryland Legal Aid's Baltimore City Housing/Consumer unit are members of the Tax Sale Work Group, a coalition of non-profit advocates, representatives from Baltimore City, and other community members interested in tax sales and how to help homeowners and communities suffering from the impact of tax sales. This group was chosen for a special award from Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service in 2014. Funded by the Attorney General's National Mortgage Settlement, and overseen by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Maryland Legal Aid's Foreclosure Legal Assistance Project (FLAP) has a full-time staff of five attorneys and a paralegal, and includes six other Maryland Legal Aid attorneys who spend part of their time on foreclosure cases. During 2014, the project provided foreclosure assistance statewide, representing homeowners who had foreclosure actions filed against them. The project works closely with housing counseling agencies to attempt to modify loans and avoid foreclosure sales. Clients are represented at foreclosure mediations, and FLAP staff negotiate with lenders on behalf of clients who have not been able to obtain modifications through housing counseling. Income Security A senior staff attorney from Baltimore City's Administrative Law Unit successfully prevailed in a Social Security SSI case that has been active since 2008. The client has both physical and mental disabilities including degenerative joint disease in both knees and depression. The case was initially heard before Social Security in 2009. Maryland Legal Aid did not prevail, appealed to the Appeals Council and ultimately to federal Court, which reversed and remanded. In addition to the appeals, three administrative hearings were held between 2009 and 2014. Maryland Legal Aid was able to obtain disability benefits of $60,000 for the client. At the time the case was won, the client's daughter's rent had not been paid from September 2014 through January 2015, and eviction was scheduled. Due to the retroactive disability award, the client was able to pay the rent and eviction was forestalled. A 57 year-old woman who had worked her whole life was unable to continue working due to fibromyalgia, atria fibrillation, and arthritis in her hands. She applied for Social Security Disability and was denied benefits at both the initial determination and reconsideration stages. A staff attorney from Maryland Legal Aid's Lower Eastern Shore office concluded that the problem was that Social Security had not requested and considered old medical records. Although recent medical records diagnosed the illnesses, they did not include the tests used to reach those diagnoses. Working with the client, the attorney obtained all relevant medical records and submitted them to the Social Security Administration. The attorney represented the client at a hearing where the judge found that the client was disabled and entitled to benefits, including $45,920.00 in a retroactive award. Consumer Law In November of 2014, the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition (MCRC) presented a long-time and highly accomplished senior staff attorney in Baltimore City's Housing and Consumer Unit with the "Legal Champion of the Year Award" for her many years of diligent and exceptional work on behalf of low-income and older Marylanders. The attorney is a founding member of MCRC, a nonprofit organization that advances and pro |
| continued: | An example of a recent consumer law case involved a senior client of Maryland Legal Aid's Baltimore County office who needed assistance with a bank account garnishment when her bank was served with a writ of garnishment filed by a creditor. There were funds in the account that exceeded the allowable exemptions under Maryland law. The client tried to file a pro se (i.e., on her own) motion for exemptions, but was unsuccessful and a judgment was entered, thereby giving the creditor access to the funds. As a result of Maryland Legal Aid's involvement, the client was able to protect the majority of her funds from garnishment. In addition, the client was advised about a lien on her house, which was automatically recorded when the judgment was entered and which had accumulated to about $29,000. Maryland Legal Aid negotiated a settlement with the creditor in which the client consented to pay $3,700. The creditor agreed that this amount would satisfy the total judgment, and the lien against the client's home would be released. The creditor filed a Notice of Satisfaction, and the client does not have to worry about any future bank account garnishments, or the lien against her home resulting from this judgment. Family Law The Chief Attorney in Maryland Legal Aid's Anne Arundel County office represented a mother in connection with regaining custody of her three-and-a-half year old son. The client had previously been awarded sole legal and physical custody of the child by the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County and had been the child's primary caretaker. The father of the child was granted custody at an emergency hearing based on his claim that the client's boyfriend had struck and injured the child and touched the child inappropriately. The client believed that the father's actions were motivated by her recent rejection of him, her association with a new boyfriend, and the father's association with several individuals with whom the client had a contentious relationship. The client was concerned about the father caring for the child since he had not previously been awarded any overnight visitation and because of his history of abusing drugs. Within a week of the court granting the father emergency custody, he struck and injured the child, leading the child's maternal grandmother to file for a protective order against the father, which granted her temporary custody. The maternal grandmother then filed to intervene in the pending custody modification case, requesting that she be awarded custody of the child. Maryland Legal Aid represented the client at the scheduling conference for the modification of custody, and the parents were ordered to participate in drug screening. The father tested positive for marijuana. The Department of Social Services subsequently ruled out any allegations of abuse by the client or her boyfriend against the child. At the pre-trial conference, Maryland Legal Aid negotiated a settlement of the custody case wherein the maternal grandmother withdrew her request for custody, the client was again awarded sole legal and physical custody of the child, and the father was granted supervised visitation. Human Rights Framework The Housing Human Rights Project (HRP) focuses on human rights monitoring in rent courts across Maryland. Maryland Legal Aid attorneys have a long history of representing low-income Marylanders in housing cases and have deep concern about the fair application of the law in rent court. Since rent court is the easiest way for landlords to evict tenants from their property and possibly render them homeless, the Housing Project is conducting a study of rent court procedures, examining possible human rights violations and preparing a report to the Maryland Judiciary. The study includes data collection from 1,380 cases from all 24 jurisdictions across the state. Maryland Legal Aid partnered with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Chief Judge of the District Courts to access information from the rent courts to conduct this study and to lay the foundation for a mutually beneficial approach to reviewing and responding to the data findings. The HRP also worked closely with an expert statistician through the American Association of the Advancement of Science's Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law to develop and conduct the statistical study and analysis. The HRP is also collaborating with the Human Rights Clinic at Columbia University to prepare the written report. The Housing Project is nearing completion. The data has been collected and meticulously analyzed. Committee members are finalizing the report and expect it to become public in Spring, 2015. HRP expects that the report, framed in human rights terms, will lead to a reduction in improper evictions; raise awareness about human rights within the judiciary; highlight how the smallest action or inaction on the part of judges can result in human rights violations; and underscore a judge's duty and power to uphold human rights to housing, access to justice, and due process for all Marylanders. It is expected that the findings of this research will build upon the groundwork that has already been laid with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Chief Judge of the District Courts and ultimately result in far-reaching and positive systemic changes in rent court-here in Maryland and in cities across the nation. Such changes are expected to provide all Marylanders a greater level of justice and equity in regard to the human right to housing. Workers Rights Maryland Legal Aid's Farmworker Program and an attorney from the Midwestern Maryland office settled a lawsuit filed on behalf of a dozen H-2A workers who worked for years at a Carroll County nursery. The workers alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, state minimum wage, overtime and wage payment laws, and breach of contract. The workers will receive approximately one and a half times the wages that their employers failed to pay them. In 2014, Maryland Legal Aid's Farmworker Program staff made approximately 78 farmworker camp visits, and spoke to and provided outreach materials to approximately 342 workers in Maryland and Delaware. Staff spoke to workers about taxes, health insurance and employment, housing, transportation and field sanitation rights, and provided written Know Your Rights materials to those who attended the events and left materials for those who were not able to attend. Outreach is also conducted at events that agricultural workers and/or their family members are likely to attend, such as migrant education meetings and mobile consulate events. Maryland Legal Aid's Farmworker staff are fluent in Spanish and Haitian Creole and provide written outreach materials to workers, family members, and other service providers in these languages and in English. Multi-Language Access Pursuant to requests from Maryland Legal Aid's Language Access Task Force (LATF), a Governmental Access Workgroup (GAW), consisting of volunteer members of the LATF, meet on alternating months with the head of the Department of Human Resources' (DHR) Policy and Planning Unit to monitor progress on trainings to DHR staff about language access issues. DHR has shared its statewide policy on language access as well as specific policies for most jurisdictions in the State with the LATF. The policies contain important benchmarks which Maryland Legal Aid and other members of the LATF can use to hold DHR accountable in serving the LEP population. DHR has also supplied the LATF with language access coordinators for each jurisdiction. The coordinator is responsible for addressing any language access complaints within his or her jurisdiction. Maryland Legal Aid is representing three Haitian Creole-speaking clients in a civil rights action in U.S. District Court. The three men were subjected to four hours of police detainment on a public sidewalk in downtown Salisbury. During the time of their arrest, they were not provided with a certified interpreter, although they are all Limited English Proficient individuals. After being handcuffed and held for over four hours, they were ultimately released without charges. Maryland Legal Aid filed suit in December of 2013 on their behalf raising violations of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution under 42 U.S.C. 1983. Maryland Legal Aid defeated a defense motion to bifurcate the case, which would have required the case to be tried twice-first against the individual officers and, if successful, then against the City. Bifurcations in police misconduct cases are routinely granted in federal court. Maryland Legal Aid's success on this motion has created additional leverage in settlement negotiations. Elder Law Maryland Legal Aid's Long Term Care Assistance Project (LTCAP) has embarked upon an initiative to improve behavioral health services for older adults and persons with disabilities and to address unmet behavioral health needs of individuals who require |
| continued: | This initiative aims to increase appropriate and adequate long-term services and supports for individuals with behavioral health needs; and to ensure that services and supports for mental health, substance use disorders, and dementia are provided in parity with those provided for physical health needs. LTCAP is realizing these goals through legal representation of individual clients throughout Maryland and via participation in Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stakeholder initiatives in coordination with other service providers. Health Care At the request of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ), Maryland Legal Aid's Long Term Care Assistance Project worked to provide input on nursing home draft regulations, including new provisions to increase nursing home staffing requirements. Maryland Legal Aid also served on the OHCQ Behavioral Health Workgroup to modernize the nursing home regulations with regard to behavioral health. A staff attorney from Maryland Legal Aid's Baltimore City Administrative Law unit developed a partnership with Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) to provide an advanced planning clinic to patients of Park West's Hidden Garden Program. The Hidden Garden Program provides comprehensive medical, mental health, and case management services to HIV positive adult residents of Baltimore City. The staff attorney approached MVLS about partnering to provide the clinic in September 2014, and the two organizations worked together to develop the clinic. Intake was performed and then each clinic participant met with an MVLS volunteer attorney to complete a will, advanced directives, and/or limited financial power of attorney. Additionally, each participant was provided instructions on how to file and/or protect his/her future planning documents. A preliminary review of the client surveys showed great success and appreciation for the services provided. Two clinics were held in December 2014 and a third is scheduled for May 2015. Pro Se Assistance Since 2009, Maryland Legal Aid attorneys have managed and staffed the District Court Self-Help Resource Center in Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. At the end of 2014, this program was expanded by the District Court to include a Self-Help Resource Center in Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, and a District Court Self-Help Resource Center located in Annapolis which provides state-wide call center legal assistance. Through the District Court Self-Help Resource Centers in Glen Burnie (walk-in), Annapolis (call-center only), and Upper Marlboro (walk-in), more than 30,000 litigants annually are expected to receive assistance in landlord/tenant, consumer debt collection, small claims, unemployment, and protective order/peace order issues. The Anne Arundel County office operates the Family Law Self-Help Center for the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, located inside the courthouse. During 2014, over 5,000 persons sought assistance with family law cases through the Self-Help Center either in-person or via telephone. Of these individuals, more than 2,000 sought assistance specifically with custody cases, and approximately 1,500 additional individuals sought assistance for divorce matters, a large percentage of which also involved custody issues. In staffing and administering the Self-Help Resource Center, Maryland Legal Aid engages in ongoing collaborative efforts with court administrators and judges to improve services to self-represented litigants, revise procedures, improve/develop forms, and develop best practices. Legal Services Corporation Pro Bono Innovation Grant During 2014, Maryland Legal Aid was awarded a Pro Bono Innovation grant by the Legal Services Corporation. As part of that grant, Maryland Legal Aid will create and train a network of approximately 150 private attorneys to staff a Veterans' Hotline. With a cadre of skilled pro bono attorneys, Maryland Legal Aid expects to provide advice and counsel to up to 1,800 veterans in 2015 and successfully address and/or resolve an estimated 150 veterans benefits cases or other civil legal matters involving housing, public benefits, employment, consumer or family law issues. |
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