Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Legal Aid and the University of Vermont Medical Center recognized that by teaming up to address patients' legal challenges, they were also removing barriers to better health. This unique partnership, called Legal Access Works, is celebrating a major milestone this week with the UVM Medical Center's Community Health Team referring its 500th patient to Vermont Legal Aid.
In its second year, the program saw a 74 percent increase in referrals, serving 249 patients from April 2017 to March 2018. Patients receive help with legal situations relating to the social determinants of health, including income, housing problems, legal status, education, access to healthy food, and personal and family stability.
A social worker can often provide effective assistance to patients in their primary care office. However, when a patient appears to need legal help – for example, a new mother receives an eviction notice two months after giving birth – the patient is referred to an attorney from Vermont Legal Aid who provides critical assistance ranging from a phone consultation to representation in court.
Through the partnership, the UVM Medical Center contracts with Vermont Legal Aid for the equivalent of one full-time attorney. Currently, two attorneys each work half-time to meet the needs of referred patients. The UVM Medical Center also funds office space and incidental costs.
Vermont Legal Aid is a non-profit 501(c) 3 law firm established in 1968. We provide civil legal services for those living in poverty, with a disability, or over age 60. We also serve anyone who is discriminated against in housing decisions and all who face challenges related to health care insurance or services.
We work closely with our partner agency, Legal Services Law Line of Vermont, which was formed in 1995. Law Line provides a legal advice hotline and manages the Vermont Volunteer Lawyers Project in cooperation with the Vermont Bar Association. Vermont Legal Aid and Law Line work together to identify innovative and efficient ways to provide legal advice and assistance to as many people as possible, even as funding for free legal services decreases dramatically.
Vermont Law Help, the website we jointly maintain, provides practical tools and useful information for those who seek to better understand their rights or legal problem or who need to advocate for or represent themselves before state agencies, in fair hearings or in the courtroom. Vermont Law Help also provides access to the services of Vermont Legal Aid and Law Line. The website averages more than 23,000 pageviews each month.
Together, Vermont Legal Aid and Law Line provide legal information, advice, or representation to more than 21,000 Vermont residents annually.