Feb. 13 – March 13, 2025 | CA MCLE: N/A

Every day, the number of immigrants in need of quality, affordable immigration legal assistance increases. Often, nonprofits are the only place in the community they can turn. Is your program up to the challenge?

This self-directed, introductory-level course includes four units that will cover the fundamentals and best practices necessary for starting and sustaining an effective immigration legal services program. Participants will learn introductory concepts and best practices in building a business plan and generating support to sustain your plan, staffing, case management, and financial management. The trainers also discuss the necessary space, equipment, and tools needed for efficient and ethical program operations.

NOTE: Each unit requires you to watch a recorded webinar and participate in activities to obtain CLINIC’s Certificate of Completion. The following is a breakdown of the individual units. This self-directed series will close at the e-learning site on March 13. All coursework must be completed prior to that date to receive a Certificate of Completion.

 

Unit 1: Introduction, Leadership, and Revenue

Unit 1 will focus on how to create a business plan, build internal and external support for your immigration legal services program, develop budgets and set fee schedules, and establish ethical fee collection processes and financial controls. 
 

Unit 2: Space, Equipment, and Tools

Unit 2 of the series is dedicated to space, equipment, and tools. The trainers discuss how space, equipment, and tools impact the confidentiality, efficiency, and quality of your immigration legal service programs.  
 

Unit 3: Staffing  

Trainers focus on staffing for unit 3 of the series. They will discuss staffing models and considerations for building a staffing model that aligns with your community’s needs and your program’s mission, service delivery, and budget. In addition, there will be a discussion of best practices on hiring, training, supervising, evaluating, and retaining your staff, as well as working with interns and volunteers. 
 

Unit 4: An Introduction to Case Management

The last unit of the program management series includes a brief introduction to and discussion of case management. This discussion will include best practices and considerations when developing policies and procedures to ensure ethical case management practices. Trainers will introduce topics such as intake, case selection, case opening and assignment, file maintenance, case tracking, and case closing.