The innovative Family Advocacy Program – one of the first in the United States and the only such program in Ohio – will bring on-site legal services to the patients and families served by the Pediatrics Department. The program is a new collaboration between the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and the Pediatrics Department of MetroHealth Medical Center.

Physicians, psychologists, and other health care providers at MetroHealth often find that providing top-quality medical care is not enough to fully address health problems faced by their young patients. Unmet legal needs represent an obstacle neither patients nor health care providers are usually equipped to overcome without the benefit of legal assistance. Whether the issue is a landlord-tenant conflict, unmet special education needs, wrongfully denied government benefits, or unresolved guardianship issues, the Family Advocacy Program is designed to support and serve MetroHealth pediatric patients and providers.

In addition to offering direct legal services, the Family Advocacy Program is available to provide consultation, training, and resources for health care providers and other staff members on a variety of legal issues faced by Metro patients.

The Family Advocacy Program is staffed by Mallory Curran, a recent graduate of NYU School of Law and a Skadden Fellow. She is currently completing intensive legal training with the West Side Law Office of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. In January 2003, Mallory will begin accepting referrals on behalf of patients from health care providers, social workers, and other staff of the pediatrics department in January 2003. Requests for training on various legal subjects are welcome now. Mallory can be reached at 216-778-4938 or mcurran@metrohealth.org.