A Day in the Life: Legal Council for Health Justice

I begin my day with a windy (but sunny!) quick walk from Union Station to my host site’s location on State Street. It’s officially March in Chicago and any weather above 45 degrees equates to spring for us, so the added sunshine this morning is quite the bonus. Once I get into the office (around 9am), I check my email and Legal Server, our client and case management database, and respond to any texts/emails I have received from clients over the weekend. I then have my weekly check-in with my host site supervisor where I go over the cases I am working on for the week, as well as any questions I may have. This is quite a busy week for me, our colleague just went on maternity leave last week and I’ve began taking on more of her caseload with new client referrals.

Our team is partnered with Lurie Children’s Hospital, UChicago Comer Children’s Hospital, and ACCESS Community Health Network. What this means: social workers/case workers from these organizations refer patients to us who are seeking legal advice regarding Medicaid, Social Security, disability checks, food stamps, special education rights, and more. All of the clients we serve live below the Federal Poverty Level, and many of our clients live in underserved communities in the Chicago area. After my meeting with my supervisor, I begin prepping for an upcoming intake I have with a new client referral, Ryan*. I go over Ryan’s referral notes, his medical diagnoses and his social security application history to draft what specific questions I want to ask. I then call the client and begin the intake process. As an advocate, my job is to extensively interview the client to get a better understanding of their financial, medical, employment, and immigration background, in order to assess what services our firm may be able to provide. Intakes are one of my favorite parts of my position as they give me an opportunity to form a relationship with the client, however, they are also the most eye-opening and reflective parts of my service. Intakes require the client to be vulnerable and provide very sensitive, and in some cases, traumatizing, details about their life. The profound stories and testimonies clients disclose continue to motivate me in my journey to become a public health professional. Client intakes remind me why health equity in medically underserved areas is so immensely important!

After my intake, I record my notes in Legal Server and share them with a supervising attorney. I will present these details later at our weekly Case Acceptance Meeting (CAM) on Wednesday, a meeting where attorneys and advocates present information from intakes they did over the week. From there, we decide whether a case should move forward or be marked as “advise and ready to close”. For the next hour, I am sending out medical records requests to different hospitals on behalf of clients. Majority of our client’s seek our help regarding their Social Security/Disability case and we request their medical records to review in order to assess the strength of their case. Once I’m done with that: off to lunch with my fellow NHC member Steven! What’s great about working in Chicago’s Loop is the abundance of food options… as well plenty of space to get some steps and needed sunshine in 😊

Once I come back from lunch, I make some calls to clients and different social security offices to inquire on status of cases and forms that have been recently faxed. I am currently working on a case with Ashley*, an 18-year-old who was referred to us for a housing issue. During the screening for other legal issues, I noticed Ashley was not receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) despite being eligible for the program. I also noticed that Ashley missed her SNAP (Food Stamps) redetermination. On the phone, I was able helped the client set up an Illinois Applications for Benefits Eligibility account (ABE) and guide her through the application process as well as helped write her letter for determination. These efforts led Ashley to receive the resources she needed for her and her young son in a timely and quick manner. Once again, situations like these remind me why advocacy efforts and accessible resources are crucial to underserved populations, as there are so many disparities posed. My service at LCHJ has continued to reinforce my belief that community health is not only about preventing and treating diseases but also about promoting overall well-being and increasing healthcare accessibility. 

After work, I take the CTA red line up to Lincoln Park to meet fellow NHC members Mina and Riana at a café to work on our communications committee Instagram post for this week. This area is bustling with people outside at cafes, parks, and bars on a Monday evening, truly a sign that warm weather is approaching in Chicago! I sincerely enjoy getting together with fellow members outside of our different host sites. It’s so nice to have the opportunity to build friendships with other young people who have the same ideals/aspirations as you (thanks NHC!!). Once our meeting is over, I take the brown line to the Loop and from there walk to my train at Union Station to go back home to the suburbs. Quite an eventful day!