Screening by physicians is crucial. Of patients referred to the TFAP last year, 94% had not previously sought legal help for their problems. All, however, had discussed their concerns with their family health care providers.
According to Ms. Ryan, “This statistic supports a fundamental principle of medical-legal partnerships like TFAP: Providing multidisciplinary legal services in a trusted health care setting is an effective way to identify and help people access the benefits and services they need. We believe that lawyers, physicians, social workers, and patients can work together to prevent or overcome many nonmedical problems that impact health.”