A program to expand health services through legal support for Alaska Natives recently was awarded global honors from the World Justice Project and showcased this spring at The Hague, the seat of government of the Netherlands.
The Partnering for Native Health Program, a collaborative effort of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Alaska Legal Services Corp. and Alaska Pacific University, trains existing health providers to screen patients for health-harming legal needs and treats those needs through a legal treatment plan. The plan addresses indigenous peoples’ social determinants of health by using legal empowerment and education as a tool to improve the health and safety of tribal members. It also establishes culturally appropriate locally based networks of civil legal attorneys embedded in the tribal health care delivery system, organizers of the World Justice Project said.
The program was one of 30 out of over 250 applications selected to be showcased at a presentation at The Hague during a meeting that took place April 29 to May 2 and named during that event as one of five applicants to be awarded.
“This award recognizes the incredibly innovative solutions being created in Alaska,” said Dr. Robert Onders, medical director for community and health system improvement for ANTHC. “Health systems increasingly recognize the importance of the social determinants of health and the role for team-based health delivery, such as employment, housing and safety from violence are often better addressed through civil legal aid. The Partners for Native Health Medical Legal Partnership’s attorneys have become critical members of the Alaska Tribal Health System assisting individuals, families and communities with many health harming civil legal needs.”
The partnership’s aim is to improve the health of Alaska Native and American Indians by reducing legal hardships linked to social or environmental factors, which can have a negative impact on overall wellness.
Partnering for Native Health currently provides legal support in 233 tribes through 13 locations throughout Alaska and in the Lowe 48 states.
More information about the World Justice Project is online at worldjusticeproject.org/world-justice-forum-vi/world-justice-challenge-2019.
