Survey for Social Service Workers - how to help clients with legal problems

1. What kind of an organization do you work for?

2. Where is your agency located?

3. What do you do?

Direct service work
Administrative work
Management
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

4. At work, have you ever answered a question from a client about ...

5. At work, have you ever

gone to court with a client
called a court or a government agency to try to persuade it to do something
disagreed with someone about a client\'s rights and done something about it
worked with a lawyer or social worker to help advocate for a client
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

6. What kinds of client problems or questions do you consider legal questions?

problems or questions that involve a court
problems or questions that involve government
problems or questions that have to do with programs run by a government or a government agency
problems or questions involving a dispute with an individual, business or government employee or agency
problems or questions that have to do with laws
I can\'t tell if a problem or question is a legal question
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

7. If client has a question or problem that has to do with public benefits, or a court process (like an eviction or child custody), or the government, or the laws, and you can't help, where do you refer the client?

local legal services
government agency
hotline or information & referral service
local lawyer or law firm
local bar association
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

8. Do you use any of these resources to help your clients

MassLegalHelp.org
MassLegalServices.org
Mass Trial Courts' Self Help Center website
other legal services website
Mass Law Reform basic benefits trainings
other legal services trainings
other trainings by statewide groups (for example, Jane Doe or the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless)
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

9. What are the best ways for you to learn information to help your clients?

In person trainings
Webinars
Websites
Training Manuals
Certificate or other professional development programs
Conferences
Law library or public library
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

10. Do you provide informational sheets or pamphlets to your clients that concern matters like public benefits, evictions, emergency shelter denials, child custody issues, etc?

11. What would be the best way for your clients to get legal help?

Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

12.

What's your working relationship with legal aid programs? (check as many as apply)

I know which local legal aid program is mine. If you check this box, please write in the program\'s name. Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.
I refer clients to them
I attend training(s) offered by my local legal services. If you check this box, please write in the last time you attended a training with them. Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.
I have a specific contact at my local legal aid program that takes my calls and gives me advice about difficult situations
None
Other Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

13. The Massachusetts Commission on Access to Justice is interested in learning how to help workers at social service agencies answer their clients' questions and problems. What could the Commission do to help you?