Specialized paralegal and coordinating work for the Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services. Duties require work at a senior paralegal level involving case and document preparation, investigation, legal research and writing, coordination of involuntary treatment and developmental services litigation, and other forms of general counsel assistance to the Department.
Work is performed independently with general supervision from staff attorneys.
Considerable contact occurs with staff persons from Vermont State Hospital, community mental health agencies, local community hospitals, family courts, district courts, state's attorneys, public defenders and attorneys from Vermont Legal Aid. Coordinates all forensic evaluations for competency and sanity ordered by the family and district courts. Assures that all involuntary medication cases filed with the family courts and Human Services Board are timely filed and processed. Monitors the cases of all persons receiving involuntary treatment in the community pursuant to orders of non-hospitalization and conditional discharges and assures that administrative and judicial reviews are timely filed and processed. Oversees the cases of developmentally disabled persons receiving services in the community from the Department pursuant to protective services orders issued by family court or commitment orders from district court.