Medical Legal Partnership

The Community Health Network-Indiana Legal Services, Inc. Medical Legal Partnership (also known as the “MLP”) is a partnership between Community Health Network and Indiana Legal Services, Inc. to provide free, civil legal assistance to patients in Community Health Network’s east and south regions and behavioral health patients residing in Marion County.

The goal of the MLP, which began in June 2017, is to provide individualized legal services to patients in a manner that has a significant, positive impact on health-harming issues such as access to clean and safe housing, access to food, and income maintenance. The mission of the MLP is to help provide stability to individuals and families through the provision of civil legal services.

Learn more about the MLP in the video below.

The Medical Legal Partnership only accepts current or recent patients who live in Marion County and who have been referred by a Community Health Network behavioral health provider or who are a current or recent patient of Community Health Network’s east and south care sites. Medical Legal Partnership clients do not pay attorney fees for the services they receive from the Medical Legal Partnership, however, if there are court or other costs connected with the patient’s legal issue, the patient would be responsible for paying those costs if the court or third-party does not waive the fees.

In order to receive help from the Medical Legal Partnership, a patient must be referred by a Community Health Network provider. A physician, a nurse, a case manager, a resource coordinator, a social worker, and any other member of the patient’s treatment team may refer a patient to the Medical Legal Partnership.

Since it began, the Medical Legal Partnership has helped hundreds of patients with their civil legal issues. When a patient is referred to the Medical Legal Partnership, the patient will speak with an attorney, paralegal, or legal intern to obtain information about the patient’s civil legal issues. The patient will meet with the Medical Legal Partnership lawyer to further discuss the patient’s issue and together will decide the best steps to take to resolve the patient’s issue.

The Medical Legal Partnership can help with many different civil legal matters including:

  • Housing and utility issues
  • Consumer issues
  • Family law issues
  • Advance directives

The Medical Legal Partnership cannot help with bankruptcies, criminal issues involving a decision whether the person is innocent, personal injury, and immigration issues.

Patient Testimonial: Janet

Janet had spent her career caring for others, but she recently found herself in a situation as the one in need of help. After surviving cancer, she received support from Community's Medical Legal Partnership to help her stay afloat financially.