Health Justice Partnership: An Opportunity to Respond to Childhood Adversity

TL;DR

Health justice partnerships help families facing adversity by providing legal support within healthcare, improving access and outcomes.

Contribution

This study evaluates how health justice partnerships can address legal needs in families through integrated healthcare and legal services.

Findings

Forty caregivers were referred to HJPs, with an average of 2.5 legal issues per caregiver.

65% of referrals were for family violence and family law, showing a significant need in this area.

HJPs increased practitioner confidence and empowered caregivers to seek legal support.

Abstract

Health justice partnerships (HJP) embed legal support into health care teams to address patient unmet legal needs. Families experiencing adversity are likely to have multiple legal needs yet are unlikely to seek legal assistance. Implementing a HJP within an integrated health and social care hub may improve outcomes for families by addressing adversity related to unmet legal need.

A mixed-method evaluation of new HJPs was conducted across two sites in Australia. Process data were collected regarding the use of the legal services. Qualitative data explored the experience of legal support.

Forty caregivers were referred across two sites with 38 seen over the first 12 months. Caregivers had an average 2.5 legal issues each; 65% of referrals were for family violence and family law matters, 31% were for civil law matters and 4% were for criminal matters. Qualitative data demonstrated the value of HJP to increase practitioner confidence and understanding of legal support pathways while empowering caregivers to access legal support.

These HJPs improved access to legal support for families experiencing adversity and enabled early intervention. Improved outcomes from HJP depends upon the level of investment from each partner and the level of assistance the HJP can provide.

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