Program:
APALRC Programs
- Budget:
-
$527,098
- Category:
-
Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy
- Population Served:
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Asian/Pacific Islander
Program Description:
<p><u>Direct Legal Services and Legal Education</u>: APALRC Staff Attorneys provide legal advice, representation, and education to individuals in the areas of employment law, domestic violence, family law, immigration law, housing and landlord-tenant law, and language access. In addition, APALRC provides legal advice and referrals on other issues through its multi-lingual legal helpline and community-based legal clinics. APALRC attorneys are assisted by 30 bilingual law student volunteers, and more than 70 trained legal interpreters, who collectively speak over 26 different Asian languages. </p> <p><u>D.C. Crime Victim Assistance Partnership (CVAP)</u>: In addition to direct legal services, APALRC also leads the CVAP project that provides assistance to Asian victims of crime in the District. The goal is to assist Asian crime victims, who traditionally have not sought compensation, to navigate the legal system as the prosecution unfolds and to secure compensation for damages they incur as a result of the crime. Since 2006, APALRC has reached out to different parts of the Asian American community to share information about safety and raise community awareness about resources available to victims of crime. As part of its CVAP work, APALRC has carried out an educational campaign about the U-Visa, a form of immigration relief available to crime victims.</p> <p><u>Advocacy and Civic Empowerment</u>: As a founder and leader of the multi-ethnic, D.C. Language Access Coalition, APALRC advocates for full and equal access to the D.C. government programs and services-- particularly in the areas of health, welfare, education, housing, and employment benefits-- for the District’s estimated 39,000 non-English speakers, including Asian Americans. The APALRC’s leadership on this issue led to the successful passage of the 2004 D.C. Language Access Act – considered the most comprehensive language access law in the country – which requires that government services be accessible to those with limited-English skills. </p>
Program Long-Term Success:
<p> </p> <p>Since APALRC successfully filed the first language access complaint in the District in 2008, APALRC staff attorneys have assessed Biannual Language Access Plans (BLAPs), provided public comments on the implementing regulations of the D.C. Language Access Act, and testified before the D.C. Council on agency compliance and community concerns. Following up on the 2008 complaint, APALRC staff attorneys submitted a written testimony at the D.C. Council’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Oversight Hearing, detailing MPD’s language access accomplishments and remaining challenges. </p> <p> </p> <p>In 2009, APALRC filed a language access complaint with the Office of Human Rights against the Department of Human Services and met with the agency representatives to present several language access issues that emerged at different service locations. In May 2009, APALRC also joined CASA de Maryland and the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, Inc. in filing an <em>amicus </em>brief in the Maryland Court of Appeals in support of the plaintiff in <em>Nonceeya v. Lone Star Steakhouse</em>, clarifying the concept of limited-English proficiency and arguing that interpreters should be available at every stage of a legal proceeding to achieve "full participation" as mandated by Maryland law. Finally, APALRC continues to reach out to APA individuals in D.C. through “Know Your Rights” materials on language access. </p>
Program Short-Term Success:
<p> </p><p>In the first half of 2011 (January 1- June 30, 2011), APALRC provided legal assistance in 112 cases that benefited a total of 756 individuals. Cases dealt with a range of legal matters, including immigration, family law, housing, consumer rights, employment, juvenile health, and public benefits. Of individuals who contacted APALRC through its Multilingual Legal Helpline, 40% spoke Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese), 11% spoke Korean, and 11% spoke Vietnamese. Some of the other languages spoken by our callers included Arabic, Burmese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Tagalog, Thai, and Urdu. </p> <p><br /> In addition, APALRC screened 50 crime victims for eligibility for victim compensation and assisted eligible clients with filing the claims. These clients collectively secured nearly $8,000 in compensation for out-of-pocket expenses and lost wages. APALRC also distributed more than 70 brochures focused on the crime victim assistance in five Asian languages. </p> <p> </p> <p>During this period, APALRC actively reached out to the Asian communities in the region, and distributed more than 1,000 brochures in 14 Asian languages about its service at various community locations such as community centers, libraries, grocery stores, restaurants and at community. </p> <p> </p> <br /><p> </p>
Program Success Monitored by:
<p>APALRC uses an online case management system used by many legal services program to collect client information, track case status and analyze trends and statistics. All APALRC intakes are recorded in this case management system. It enables us to compile trends regarding language spoken by clients, case types, geographical distribution of clients, demographic information and legal issues. We regularly review the case management information to identify emerging issues and unmet needs and develop proactive and responsive actions accordingly. APALRC holds weekly staff meeting and legal meeting to build teamwork, to address operational issues, to review, discuss and assign new legal matters. APALRC has also established a monthly internal reporting system to evaluate project success, challenges, and impact to ensure that our program is proactive and responsive to community needs. </p>
Program Success Examples:
<p>Ms. M, a Chinese woman, sought immigration assistance from APALRC after obtaining a protective order against her abusive US citizen husband. Ms. M was referred by a domestic violence shelter in Maryland. Ms. M is limited English proficient, was supporting herself and her minor son working as a cashier at a small booth in the local mall. She was very scared about her options. After reviewing her situation, it was apparent Ms. M was eligible for VAWA relief because her husband was a US citizen, she had entered the marriage in good faith, the couple had resided together, had a child together and there was immense physical, psychological and sexual violence. With APALRC’s representation, Ms. M filed for VAWA relief. While her petition is pending with USCIS, she has received her Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and is able to work legally and support her son. She has also received preliminary approval for her VAWA petition and is able to apply for public benefits. </p> <p><strong> </strong></p>