06.22.2010
The Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) at Legal Aid of Western Missouri partners with local medical facilities, such as Children’s Mercy Hospital, their clinic at Operation Breakthrough, and Swope Health Services, to provide needed representation when legal problems are creating a barrier to child or family health. Legal Aid’s staff and pro bono attorneys assist patients and their families in obtaining guardianship, access to housing and public benefits, Orders of Protection and divorces for victims of domestic violence, and representation in other legal matters that are tied to health outcomes.
Many of the patients referred to the MLP have special healthcare and learning needs that legally entitle them to special education services through their schools, but often these services are not provided. Unfortunately, Legal Aid currently lacks the funding for a staff attorney to help the parents of children with disabilities request and obtain the Individual Education Programs (IEPs) they need to succeed in their schooling. To help meet this important need, Legal Aid is looking for volunteer attorneys who are willing to handle relatively straight-forward special education issues for young children, and they have invited Stinson Morrison Hecker attorneys to join the cause.
Legal Aid’s Volunteer Attorney Project has arranged for a half-day training by local experts Scott Wasserman (Your Child 1st) and Dan Underwood (Legal Services of Eastern Missouri) to provide the basics on special education law and concrete examples and instructions on how to handle these cases. If you plan to attend, please RSVP soon.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010Registration 12:45-1:00 p.m.Program 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Stinson Morrison Hecker1201 Walnut, Suite 2900Kansas City, MO 64016(parking is available in the Town Pavilion Garage)
Please email Latricia Scott Adams at lscott@lawmo.org
This program qualifies for 3.3 CLE hours in Missouri. Application for CLE approval of this activity in Kansas is currently pending.