Transition and Reflections
by Eliza SchaflerEliza Schafler is an MHAS Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
I have had the privilege of working at MHAS for the past two years as an Equal Justice Works Fellow, generously sponsored by Greenberg Traurig LLP. In that time, we have created our Behavioral Health-Legal Partnership (BeHeLP) – the nation’s first medical-legal partnership devoted to children’s mental health.Our accomplishments in just two years have astonished us all: nearly 200 families provided with direct services, hundreds of mental health clinicians trained to identify legal needs, and demonstrated reductions in children’s mental health symptoms after receiving legal assistance. Working with our amazing partner, Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, we began to change the institutional culture and recognize the impact of social determinants of mental health.At the end of my fellowship, I am sad to be leaving MHAS and the wonderful community it has built. I am humbled by the tremendous support that made BeHeLP happen, and by the willingness of MHAS to embrace a new model of legal services that meets families where they are. As I continue to work in legal services and medical-legal partnership, I know I will stay part of the MHAS community, and I am grateful for that.There is much to celebrate. Our work with families in these past two years has made a lasting difference, one that will help children to achieve recovery and become productive and fulfilled adults. In addition, MHAS will continue the BeHeLP model; this fall, we are expanding it to serve veterans with our incoming Skadden fellow, Naomi Sultan.Stay tuned for more news about this and other innovative projects. Thank you for reading, thinking about the issues facing our communities, and supporting the important work of MHAS.