Washington Council of Lawyers: Medical-Legal Partnerships Helps Children East of the River

Our medical-legal partnerships are an important part of empowering DC families. We have partnered with Children’s National Health System, Mary’s Center and Unity Health Care.

Washington Council of Lawyers featured Children’s Law Center’s partnership with Unity’s Minnesota Avenue clinic in a recent East of the River profile. The series focuses specifically on the work of lawyers in areas of D.C. with concentrated poverty – specifically wards 7 and 8. 

Below is an excerpt from the article. 

Children’s Law Center, a nonprofit that provides free legal services to children and their families, has partnered with six health facilities around the District, including Unity Health Care’s Minnesota Avenue Clinic in Ward 7, to form Healthy Together. Lawyers from Healthy Together are on site at the partner facilities to train medical staff and answer questions about patients’ non-medical needs.  

The partnership reflects a holistic approach to children’s health. Although pediatricians advise parents on prescriptions or how to control allergens in the home, in many cases parents have little ability to manage their children’s asthma. Some schools have poor air quality and may be unable or unwilling to take steps to reduce asthma triggers. In addition, low-income parents facing housing challenges often cannot prevent a child’s exposure to problematic mold in the home. 

Click the link below for the full article: