Visitor/Patient Info

 

The law firm of Day, Berry & Howard LLP partners with the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) to staff weekly legal clinics at the health center to provide legal assistance and counseling to low-income families. This program is entitled the Child Health Advocacy Program (CHAP).

The CHAP initiative was developed under the auspices of the Family Advocacy Program (FAP), a medical-legal collaborative dedicated to improving child health through legal advocacy. Having represented individual FAP clients on a pro-bono basis for several years, Day, Berry & Howard’s goal is to expand its community involvement and encourage other Boston law firms to sponsor similar clinics around the city’s neediest neighborhoods.

In this charter program with EBNHC, Day, Berry & Howard provides legal advocacy to families who encounter legal obstacles in accessing basic needs such as food, housing, education, health care, and safety. Legal assistance regarding family law, immigration, and government benefits is also offered. Attorneys meet with patient families during a two-hour weekly clinic and conduct follow-up advocacy with mentoring from FAP and, as appropriate, in consultation with the referring clinician. The onsite legal clinic operates each Wednesday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

This program is available to families with a child under 18 years old and a referral to FAP from a pediatrician, nurse practitioner, or mental health clinician. Patients with a legal issue are encouraged to speak to their child’s pediatrician or their own primary care or mental health provider for assistance. Upon referral, FAP makes a determination as to whether legal consultation through the clinician, another community legal assistance resource, or direct legal clinic intake is indicated.

Day, Berry, & Howard LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 225 lawyers representing individuals and businesses in a wide variety of sophisticated legal matters. Creating a medical-legal partnership with EBNHC provides tremendous value not only to FAP and the community at large, but also to the firm’s attorneys, who will have the opportunity to enhance both their professional development and their pro bono involvement.