Whether because of program mergers, new priorities, changing technology, or new partnerships, many supervisors now regularly oversee and manage the work of staff who are primarily based and working in another location or locations. Staff may be working in a hospital across town as part of a Medical/Legal Partnership, be part of a substantive practice team, or in an office across the state providing traditional poverty law services to a rural geographic area. Recognizing the challenges faced by managing remote work and developing protocols to enhance remote supervision can improve the quality of legal services provided, increase responsiveness to community needs, and promote job satisfaction for staff at all levels.

Many legal services programs have multiple offices across a region or state. Community-based offices help to identify and understand local issues, provide services directly and in-person to clients, and develop partnerships with other local providers to more effectively serve mutual clients so managers need to be prepared to manage effectively even if they are hundreds of miles away. This webinar will address a variety of issues and strategies to successfully supervise staff remotely. 
 

• What does remote supervision mean? Why is it important?
• How to establish your role as the manager of a remote location.
• How to effectively supervise staff remotely – what infrastructure is needed?
• How to create adequate face time with staff in a remote office – how much is enough?
• How to know how much supervision is needed? Too much? Not enough?
• Systems to monitor hours worked – starting/stopping – breaks/lunch
• The role of technology and communication tools in remote supervision
• Challenges and pitfalls to remote supervision
• Dealing with personnel issues in a remote office
• How is money handled in remote offices?
• Effective practices in legal aid that support and enhance remote supervision
• How remote supervision can improve services to clients
• Monitoring and measuring staff progress and development in remote supervision
• Overcoming staff and management skepticism about remote supervision

Our speakers for this webinar are: Ann Cofell, Deputy Director, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid; and, Clinton Adams, Legal Services Manager, Legal Aid of West Virginia.

Ann Cofell has been deputy director of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid since 1983.  She presently supervises MMLA’s offices in St. Cloud and Willmar.  Cofell and her offices have been leaders in looking for opportunities to creatively meet client needs through community partnerships which provide off-site services to clients, including Domestic Violence Court Partnerships, Project Care (a health insurance access partnership), and Medical/Legal Partnerships in both rural and urban settings.


Clint Adams is the statewide Legal Services Manager for the Legal Aid of West Virginia. He is responsible for overall management and supervision of LAWV’s twelve offices, ensuring the efficient and effective provision of legal services, and compliance with LAWV program standards. Prior to Legal Aid, Clint had diverse career, including serving as program director for four Clarksburg-area radio stations, a 911 Operator, and internships in several county prosecutors’ offices.



Eugene R. King is the former director of the Ohio Poverty Law Center and a career legal aid lawyer and manager. He now consults on staff development, executive recruitment and policy advocacy with legal aid programs and nonprofit advocacy groups.  Gene will facilitate this webinar.

Registration:
$75 for MIE subscribers
$100 for Non-subscribers

With your registration for this webinar, you may gather multiple staff to view the presentation around one computer.  Multiple computers and/or multiple offices require separate individual registrations.

**Please Note: You must Register and Pay separately by following this two-step process:

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https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7104545350396468481

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Click on the button at the top of this page that says  "Register with Go to Webinar Then Pay Here with MIE."