Thank you to the Metzger Law Group for their generous donation to the Alliance’s Children’s Health & Advocacy Clinic (CHAC), a Medical-Legal Partnership between doctors at LA County + USC Medical Center and Alliance attorneys. CHAC is an innovative collaboration that ensures abused and neglected children have access to legal services as part of comprehensive healthcare.
CHAC launched in February 2012 and has already helped more than 150 kids. When children are first removed from an abusive or unsafe home environment, many are seen by doctors at the Community Based Assessment and Treatment Clinic at the L.A. County + USC Medical Center. Because this is the busiest medical clinic serving kids in foster care, the Alliance’s services were in great demand. The Metzger Law Group’s generous donation enables us to be on site to provide legal advocacy for children whose needs for healthy development reach beyond medical care. Here’s an example of our work:
We were there when two year old Alicia was removed from her father’s home and arrived at the clinic with second degree burns on her back from scalding hot liquid. In the course of treating her medical needs, doctors noticed she had very limited language and motor skills. The Alliance immediately stepped in to advocate for speech and occupational therapies that are helping Alicia overcome her developmental delays. Now in the care of her loving aunt, Alicia has made tremendous progress in her ability to communicate at an age-appropriate level. Her aunt also has the security of knowing we will be there to ensure Alicia continues to reach key developmental milestones.
Metzger Law Group’s commitment to reaching children on the front lines will enable the Alliance to help hundreds more youth in the future.
