What this Trial Is About

This clinical trial will examine the effects of legal services on primary care outcomes for medically underserved communities. The aims of the study are: 1. To test the effectiveness and cost-benefits of a critical-time intervention Medical-Legal Partnership (CTI-MLP) on patient outcomes. 2. To determine the most efficient mechanisms for CTI-MLP delivery. 3. To develop innovative community engagement strategies for addressing health-harming legal needs within community health centers. Eligible patients will be asked to complete a questionnaire 4 times, first when they join the study and then at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. In the survey, they will be asked to provide information about themselves, their health care, aspects of their daily life, and hardships they face. They will also allow researchers to access their electronic health record information housed in the community-based organization and attorney notes. Patient information will be completely confidential and de-identified, meaning, the research team will not know the identity of the person who answered the questions. Participating community health centers will be randomized (assigned by chance) to provide basic legal information and referral to legal aid; or have an attorney on-site to provide legal aid to those who screen for legal needs.

Addressing Durable Health Disparities Through Critical Time Legal Interventions in Medically Underserved Latinx and Migrant Communities