How Legal Services Help the Health Care System Address Social Needs

Legal expertise and services can play a critical role in helping the health care system address the root cause of some of the most challenging problems related to health and health care utilization. The chart below shows some of the most common problems faced by vulnerable communities, and how legal expertise and services can help mitigate their negative impact on health and health care. The chart is organized by the I-HELP™ acronym (Income, Housing & utilities, Education & Employment, Legal status & Personal & family stability) developed by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership to describe common health-related social and legal needs. Click here to download the chart as a handout.

This chart was adopted from the messaging guide, “Framing Legal Care as Health Care.” Please do not modify it without permission. The citation for the chart is: Marple, Kate. Framing Legal Care as Health Care. Washington, DC: The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, January 2015.