First developed in Boston, a medical-legal partnership brings legal services into the healthcare setting to improve patient health and well-being. There are three components of CHAP:
Direct legal service – CHAP represents patient-families to address legal issues that impact health. These issues include inadequate housing, access to public benefits, access to special education services, and family stability. Click here to read a story about a family.
Training –Through trainings on substantive topics, CHAP trains healthcare providers to spot legal issues, become better advocates, and understand the basics of the law. CHAP is integrated with the residency programs at St. Louis University and Washington University. Click here to find an upcoming training at your medical site.
Systemic Advocacy – CHAP partners with healthcare providers to identify and remove recurring legal barriers to health.