Legal Services Corporation provides $209,000 in technology grants to two Florida legal aid programs

Legal Services Corporation provides $209,000 in technology grants to two Florida legal aid programs

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is awarding Technology Initiative Grants to Legal Services of North Florida (LSNF) and Bay Area Legal Services (BALS).

LSNF is receiving two grants in the amounts of $141,347 and $35,000, which will fund an online appointment management system and an assessment of LSNF’s client feedback systems. BALS’ $32,750 grant will support a business process analysis of its Centralized Telephone Intake operations.

Established in 2000, the Technology Initiative Grants program distributes grants annually to legal services providers across the United States. This year, LSC is awarding 33 grants totaling $5.1 million to 30 different organizations.

“Utilizing technology to create innovative tools empowers legal aid organizations to increase their capacity to provide crucial resources to low-income Americans,” said LSC President Ron Flagg. “The Technology Initiative Grants support projects that improve the delivery of legal services and information to people who need help navigating civil legal problems like housing, consumer and family issues.”

LSC has awarded 892 grants since the program’s inception — totaling more than $86 million to fund legal aid technology projects. Grant recipients have used this funding to enhance cybersecurity, build educational platforms, strengthen program capacity, and support the work of pro bono attorneys.

Legal Services of North Florida’s $141,347 grant project will develop an integrated scheduling and calendaring system to streamline client appointment management. The system will allow users to easily schedule, modify and cancel appointments through multiple channels, including online, email, text and phone, according to the LSC. The project will integrate scheduling with online intake and individual staff calendars. The integrated system aims to empower staff and clients by providing customizable, convenient appointment self-management.

With its $35,000 grant, LSNF will improve its client and stakeholder feedback system through a comprehensive assessment. The project seeks to identify strengths and weaknesses in current methods, implement targeted strategies to increase response rates and establish ongoing monitoring practices. By optimizing survey distribution, questions, incentives and follow-up, LSNF aims to enhance feedback used to improve services, address disparities, and build community trust.

Bay Area Legal Services’ grant project is to conduct a business process analysis of their Centralized Telephone Intake operations, including screening, triage, routing, and access procedures. An independent consultant will analyze methods like process mapping, surveys, and focus groups. The goals are identifying opportunities to improve applicant experience, streamline staff workflows, and increase system efficiencies.