Hello there! My name is Michael and I am serving as a MAT Legal Assistant/Care Coordinator with Philadelphia Legal Assistance. As part of the Medical-Legal Community Partnership Unit (MLCP), I work on increasing access and removing barriers to both legal and health services for patients of Esperanza Health Center (EHC). While I work in three different clinics all falling under EHC, the MLCP unit is scattered across many different health centers in Philadelphia. With my site-mate, Rosie, I focus on serving individuals who are recovering from substance use disorders and enrolled in the health centers MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) program. Some of my duties and responsibilities include:
Conducting prescreens and intakes of a patient’s legal needs
Referring patients to other programs and community services
Providing follow-up and case management to deliver assistance and information
Educating patients on medical interventions and prevention
Collaborating with supervisors and other leadership to determine the best ways in serving our patients
By focusing on these tasks, I hope to be able to provide patients with a meaningful connection and further remove barriers surrounding recovery. Medical-Legal Community partnerships are an extremely important part of the healthcare system because they further increase a patient’s ability to obtain access to social services and government programming which can lead to a positive impact in the social determinants of health. These determinants include; economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, social and community context.
Serving in the National Health Corps of Philadelphia has allowed me to explore areas of interests while focusing on my site assignment. While I focus primarily on the MAT Legal Assistant/Care Coordinator position, I have also volunteered with a few other organizations that have allowed me to explore my interests in farming, humanitarian aid, and crisis response. I am so grateful to have taken this position with Philadelphia Legal Assistance and continue learning and growing as a professional in healthcare. While this year has posed many challenges, I am excited for the time remaining and hope to continue to integrate into the wonderful community here in Philadelphia.
