MCLE and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) are collaborating to make annual basic public benefits advocacy training more accessible to the many public and private sector individuals and lawyers who assist Massachusetts residents in qualifying for and receiving public benefits.

In these hard times, elders in Massachusetts depend on a variety of benefits programs to meet their income, health, heat and nutrition needs. These include income supplement programs, retirement benefits, food and nutrition services, home-based care services, and health care programs. This program provides legal services advocates, lawyers and paralegals in private practice, social and health services workers, and community activists with an overview and basic knowledge of the resources available to elders with an emphasis on program criteria relevant to elders and how to navigate the complexities across programs.