a lawyer sits at a table with a client

NIH-funded study explores benefits of legal support in HIV care

Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) grew out of the understanding that a person’s health is affected by more than just biology. Research has shown that social and structural determinants like housing conditions, employment and immigration status can impact physical and mental health and contribute to health disparities between different populations. A medical-legal partnership is an innovation that adds the expertise of a lawyer to the healthcare team, integrating care for the patient in one place and helping clinicians, case managers and social workers address structural prob...
School of Social Work
LGBTQ Health
Two men talking to one another in a park

TEP intervention is a promising model for engaging high-risk populations

Individuals of transgender experience are disproportionately affected by HIV, but resources for prevention and treatment within the mainstream healthcare system can be limited. Often, it’s grass-roots organizations that fill the healthcare gap for this community. In Philadelphia, the homegrown Trans Equity Project has been delivering peer-based health education and support to transgender individuals since 2003. A new research effort seeks to understand whether this local program, which provides a six-session HIV risk reduction program, could provide a model for other organizat...
School of Social Work
LGBTQ Health