2023 Older Adult Legal Services Sole Source Contract

Investing in Older Adult Legal Services

Seattle Human Services Department intends to contract with Northwest Justice Project to provide Older Adult Legal Services in King County. Northwest Justice Project has been identified as the sole entity qualified and interested in providing the service components of Older Adult Legal Services.

What We Fund

HSD’s Aging and Disability Services Division (ADS) is required to administer the Older Adult Legal Services program throughout King County pursuant to its Older American’s Act (OAA) funding. The purpose of the program is to provide older adults 60+ experiencing legal issues across defined areas of law with representation from a legal advocate (attorney, paralegal, or law student).

The goals of the Older Adult Legal Services program are to enhance the capacity of older adults and the aging services network to secure and protect essential rights, benefits, and opportunities; to effect favorable changes in laws and regulations affecting older adults; and to develop public and private resources that benefit older adults. Services are provided to King County older individuals 60+; groups or classes of older individuals; and organizations or professionals working with or on behalf of older individuals. Priority areas of law for the Older Adult Legal Services program include: Income, Health care, Long-Term Care, Nutrition, Housing, Utilities, Protective Services, Defense of Guardianship, Abuse, Neglect, and Age Discrimination.

The Older Adult Legal Services contractor will provide the following service components:

• Intake and case handling, including handling referrals from the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA), Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) field offices, case managers and aging network service providers.
• Individual legal assistance and representation including brief legal services such as phone calls, letter writing, document review and drafting, or negotiation; full representation at administrative hearings, judicial proceedings, private negotiations, or dispute resolution; and referral to other legal resources.
• Group and organizational legal representation, including legislative and administrative analysis and advocacy; representation of elder citizens’ organizations, groups and coalitions working on priority areas of law and issues and advocacy affecting low-income seniors.
• Resource development designed to expand non-lawyer and pro-bono lawyer advocacy, including coordination and training with private attorneys, and pro-bono program development.
• Education and training for aging network advocates and other professionals that work with older adults, including directly answering questions; preparing educational information; and researching legal issues.  

Approximately $254,176 in OAA funding is available through this funding process for a contract period from January 1, to December 31, 2024. Renewals for subsequent years up to 2027 are intended, subject to performance and funding availability.

Who Qualifies

A qualified entity meets HSD Agency Minimum Eligibility Requirements and has:

• An established site or office in King County.
• Experience providing the identified service components of Older Adult Legal Services in Washington State.
• Qualified staff with expertise in the priority areas of law affecting older persons in economic or social need. Qualified staff includes attorneys, paralegals and/or law students. Paralegals, law students, and non-lawyer program personnel must operate under direct and regular supervision of an identified, licensed attorney.
• Capacity to provide effective administrative and judicial representation in King County across the priority areas of law affecting older persons with economic or social need.
• Capacity to provide support to other administrative and legislative advocacy efforts in King County.
• Capacity to effectively provide legal services to institutionalized, isolated, and homebound older individuals in King County.
• Capacity to provide legal assistance in the principal language spoken by clients in King County areas where a significant number of clients do not speak English as their principal language.
• Ability to collect and report demographic and service data using the Washington State Community Living Connections - GetCare system.

Questions?

Although this notice is not a solicitation of bids, if you believe that the intended sole source award is not justified, please direct your specific reason(s) to Allison Boll, Allison.Boll@seattle.gov by July 3, 2023.