Medical-Legal Partnership From Scratch: A New Site's Perspective

This abstract proposal is 4 of 4 proposals intended to be part of a complete panel entitled: Medical-Legal Partnerships: Promoting Health and Social Justice. Please consider this abstract individually if the entire panel is not selected. Panelists from The Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado, and Colorado Legal Services, an agency that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income persons, will detail their recent collaborative efforts that have resulted in the formation of the first Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) in Colorado. The partnership team, which includes pediatricians, attorneys, and social workers, will discuss the initial strategies developed by this start-up MLP to fulfill its mission of promoting the welfare of children in the community by providing legal assistance to patients and their families regarding issues that impact child health. Discussion will center on the challenges and successes experienced in the first year of the project. Participants will describe the core components they deem necessary for developing a successful MLP, including a committed and effective medical champion, investment by key stakeholders, regular communication between the medical and legal partners, the development of a succinct screening tool for identifying legal issues, and integrated education and training for front-line medical staff. Team members will also discuss the next steps to be undertaken by the Colorado MLP, including resource development issues, effective data collection, including outcome measurement, capacity-building, and sustainability.