Legal Access
Exodus Transitional Community
Address: 97-99 Cannon St. Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Issue Areas: Housing Insecurity/Justice, Mental Health Access and Support, Prison Abolition, Access to resources for formerly incarcerated individuals
About:
Exodus Transitional Community (ETC) offers reentry services to justice impacted individuals in the Dutchess County region. We partner with DCJS, DOCCS, and DCFS to offer case management, mentorship, supportive services, and parole-mandated programs to our participants. We also coordinate the Dutchess County Reentry Task Force, where we partner with the Public Defender’s Office and other local organizations to create case plans for individuals who are returning home from incarceration.
Expected Responsibilities/Duties:
Working directly with participants to provide case management services and completing intakes, inputting case data into CRM software, assisting with grant contracts/paperwork, assistance with filing/organization, community outreach/networking with other local organizations and resources, seeking/obtaining donations of food, clothing, and other essential goods (hygiene products, baby supplies, household goods, etc.).
Skills:
- Communications – emails, phone calls, in person outreach, Fact-checking, Research skills, Clerical skills, emotional intelligence
Additional Requirements: One form of ID (state-issued ID, passport, etc.)
Hours: 4hrs/week, 8hrs/week
Are you interested in getting involved with Exodus? Visit here for your next steps.
The Consortium on Forced Migration, Displacement, and Education
https://www.vassar.edu/forcedmigration
About:
The 2016 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Planning Grant and 2018 Implementation Grant make it possible for the Consortium to achieve our goal of a shared curriculum over the next four years.
At the center of our initiative is a shared curriculum in Forced Migration Studies, which will harness the energy and ideas of the Consortium’s students and faculty, and offer rigorous, community engaged courses across all of our campuses. Around this gravitational center, we will organize scholarly conferences, lecture series, teaching labs, student-initiated projects, international study, research opportunities, and more. The sum total of our efforts will culminate in a well-rounded, historically, geographically, an disciplinarily comprehensive understanding of forced migration. We are committed to learning with and from displaced people, and developing digital, transnational classrooms is an essential part of our mission to find democratic solutions to this global challenge.
Position Description: The Consortium on Forced Migration, Displacement, and Education is looking for students to work directly with asylum seekers, in partnership with Neighbors Link’s Community Law Practice, the Coalition to Support Hudson Valley Asylum Seekers, and Bard’s Human Rights Project (HRP). This is a chance to purposefully connect with the individuals who are now our neighbors, to meet members of the broader Coalition, and to gain hands-on knowledge about the asylum process and all that goes into it. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in careers relating to law, human rights, global studies, migration studies, social services, humanitarian work, etc. Seeking asylum is a complex, stressful, and time-consuming process, and legal services providers cannot effectively meet the current demand without additional support. This new partnership is helping to build legal services capacity by delegating specific parts of the asylum application process to students, who will work under HRP and Neighbors Link supervision. Lawyers from Neighbors Link will provide necessary training (either remote or in-person) for all students before beginning the work. While much of this work can be done remotely, there may be a need/opportunities for visits to the hotels where asylum seekers are currently living. These visits will be organized by the research coordinator associated with the project.
Desired Skills: We are looking for capable, attentive, sensitive, and independently motivated students to join this effort. To build the most effective support team, we are looking in particular for students who can speak any of the following languages: Arabic, French, Portuguese, Pulaar, Spanish, or Turkish. Students without these language skills may still participate and will be paired with another student when working on casework.
Are you interested in getting involved with the Consortium? Visit here for your next steps.
The Dutchess County Public Defender’s Office – all positions are filled for the Summer and Fall 2024 semester
Address: 45 Market St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
About:
The Dutchess County Public Defender’s Office is the primary legal services provider for indigent people in need of legal representation in criminal and family court in Dutchess County.
The office is comprised of attorneys, social workers, investigators and dedicated support staff who work together as a team to provide client-centered, holistic legal representation and services. Attorneys are professional, assertive, compassionate and zealous advocates, who possess a steadfast commitment to protecting our clients’ rights and achieving a more just legal system. Attorneys work with our clients to ensure that they are well-informed and empowered to make knowledgeable decisions. Through this collaborative effort, we strive to achieve results that meet our clients’ legal and personal objectives.
Family Services of the Hudson Valley
About:
Family Services brings people together to find the support they need, improving their lives and communities, and building a stronger, safer Hudson Valley.
Address: 29 N. Hamilton St, Poughkeepsie, NY
Position Description:
The Children’s Center Intern assists the Lead Teacher and Assistant Teacher at the Children’s Center at the Dutchess County Family Court in compliance with all NYS Office of Court Administration Children’s Center Program agreements. The Intern provides a safe and creative curriculum for children while their families attend to court business and offers consultation to families for resources within the community. The position enthusiastically supports, practices, and communicates the agency’s Mission and Statement of Values. Under the supervision of program staff, interns may facilitate activities with children and offer supportive counseling to parents. In addition to direct-services, interns will assist with administrative and clerical duties. Intern responsibilities will be inclusive of areas identified in their respective college/university learning plan. Children Center Interns enthusiastically support, practice, and communicate the agency’s mission and statement of values.
Role/Responsibilities:
- Responsible for assisting with the direct care and safety of the children left in the center
under the supervision of program staff.- Implements and maintains the health and safety protocol/procedures and maintains visible instructive printouts of these procedures.
- Will assure center is in compliance with all program safety and confidentiality guidelines.
- Under the supervision of program staff, assisting with required intakes and reports.
- Prepares and submits information for monthly reports to appropriate entities.
- Secures the intake paperwork in proper location.
- Maintains statistical records necessary for reports and research.
- Planning, development and evaluation of program activities.
- Designs and carries out curriculum and activities based on the needs and
development of children in center at any given time. - Develops and implements monthly/seasonal themes and constructive activities in
a long-range plan - Will implement the established curriculum guidelines
- Designs and carries out curriculum and activities based on the needs and
- Assisting with the distribution of referral and resource information to caregivers based on their and their children’s needs.
- Remains informed on current local resources and services.
- Assesses the needs of the caregiver and will respond to them through referrals to
appropriate agency/program.
- Assisting the Lead Teacher and Assistant Teacher in the planning and coordinating the Children’s Center/Supervised Visitation Advisory Committee in conjunction with the Associate Director and Director of Family Support Services
- Completion of all required training for staff.
- Providing appropriate, creative, supportive interactions with the children in the center in group and individual activities.
- Develop creative “in-class” programs based on age and present teachable
Hours: Students can register for either 0.5 or 1.0 unit of credit. 0.5 unit = 40 hours over the semester with the organization + 30 hours of academic work 1.0 unit = 80 hours over the semester with the organization + 60 hours of academic work
Are you interested in getting involved with the Children’s Center? Visit here for your next steps.