Center for Elder Law & Justice Announces Expansion of MedLaw Partnership of WNY Through New Federal Funding Awarded to Eight Programs Nationwide.
Contact: Kelly Barrett Sarama, Esq.
Title: Director of Development & Communications
Tel: (716) 853-3087 x229
Email: ksarama@elderjusticeny.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK – The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) selected the Center for Elder Law & Justice as one of eight awardees for Medical-Legal Partnerships Plus (MLP+), the first-ever federally funded demonstration program for medical-legal partnerships. The Center for Elder Law & Justice is the only New York State program to receive these funds, with other awards going to programs in Connecticut, Hawaii, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
The federal funding will enable the Center for Elder Law & Justice and the MedLaw Partnership of WNY to increase their capacity to serve vulnerable families by providing comprehensive legal services and wrap-around social services to families with low incomes to address the root causes of health inequities.
"Unmet social needs, environmental factors, and barriers to accessing health care contribute to worse health outcomes for people with lower incomes. Long-standing medical-legal partnerships have demonstrated the ability to address the root causes of poverty and racial inequities and significantly improve long-term health outcomes. We are grateful for this opportunity to strengthen our MedLaw Partnership of WNY by integrating legal and social services into health care settings with the hope of improving long-term health outcomes and increasing the wellbeing of children and families," said Karen L. Nicolson, Esq., Chief Executive Officer at the Center for Elder Law & Justice.
Founded in 2016, the MedLaw Partnership of WNY is a collaboration between the Center for Elder Law and Justice, Erie County Medical Center, Kaleida Health, and Western New York Breast Health that provides equitable access to legal and social services, helping patients of all ages address their unmet medical, legal, and social needs. The partnership helps to improve the wellbeing of children and families by assisting with housing stability, income support, family stability, immigration, and environmental health.
MLP+ will allow the MedLaw Partnership to assist with an additional 100 legal cases for children and families. It will also expand the partnership’s capacity to integrate legal and social services into healthcare settings by adding a new part-time attorney to address issues related to public housing, benefits, and healthcare, as well as a new social services navigator to help identify patients’ needs and connect them directly to critical services. Additionally, funding will be used to provide 10 training sessions to MedLaw staff, partners, and community stakeholders to increase awareness and knowledge around the issues patients are facing.
"This funding is pivotal for the development of true person-centered legal assistance in Western New York. With the addition of a social services navigator to the MedLaw Partnership, we will now be able to provide a wider array of legal and social services to families and individuals who need it most. Stabilizing these vulnerable people in our community will help to avoid crisis situations, offer relief to our overburdened healthcare institutions, and improve long-term health outcomes. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of such an innovative and forward-thinking program," said Rachel Baldassaro, Supervising Attorney of the MedLaw Partnership of WNY.
“Four in five low-income families are not receiving the legal assistance they need to ensure that their basic needs are met, often causing a significant impact on their physical and financial well-being,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “The Center for Elder Law and Justice and the MedLaw Partnership of Western New York are critical community partners serving patients and families of all ages. Federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will expand the partnership’s efforts to provide legal and social services for those experiencing the greatest health and economic disparities across Western New York.”
“This critical investment will increase access to medical, legal, and social services to directly meet the needs of low-income families and create a lasting impact on long-term health outcomes in our community. In bolstering the Center for Elder Law and Justice and the MedLaw Partnership of WNY, we are working to ensure that every individual, regardless of their economic circumstances, has the opportunity to build a brighter future for themselves and their families,” said Congressman Nick Langworthy.
“Poverty is dynamic and multifaceted, and MLPs bring together diverse partners to address the barriers that stop families from living healthy lives,” said ACF’s Office of Community Services Director Lanikque Howard. “I am proud that this grant will help address pervasive disparities across the country, and help individuals and families take steps to increase their overall well-being.”
The Center for Elder Law and Justice has served the Western New York community for more than 40 years, providing free legal assistance to older adults and families to ensure they can live independently with dignity. To request assistance through the MedLaw Partnership, call 1-844-700-1872. To learn more about all that the Center for Elder Law and Justice offers, visit https://www.elderjusticeny.org/.
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At CELJ (pronounced CELL-JAY) (Center for Elder Law & Justice), we advocate for justice at all stages of life to ensure that our clients may live independently and with dignity. Since 1978, our team of lawyers, paralegals, and social workers has provided comprehensive free legal services to the WNY community’s older adults, individuals with disabilities, and financially eligible population. We serve as guardian for court-appointed older adults and people with disabilities, most of whom experienced abuse in the past. We are a trustee for WNY Coalition Pooled Trusts, which takes individuals out of the cycle of poverty, by allowing them to live in the community and maintain a comfortable quality of life. CELJ’s main office is located in Buffalo, New York, and we have satellite offices in Niagara and Chautauqua counties, as well as medical-legal partnerships at Erie County Medical Center, Buffalo General Medical Center, and John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital.
