UChicago Medicine Program Provides Legal Aid to Survivors of Violence
Survivors of violence in Chicago face another level of trauma when dealing with their physical injuries. They could also lose their jobs and their ability to tend to necessities like paying rent or lose public benefits like food stamps while spending weeks or months recovering in the hospital.
Attorney Carly Loughran, the Legal Aid of Chicago aims to help victims of violence such as those who are shot or stabbed with their civil legal needs through the initiative at the UChicago Medicine in Hyde Park. According to a published post by Chicago Sun Times, Atty Loughran is teaming up with UChicago Medicine’s violence recovery specialists who are already building rapport with patients and offering support as they heal.
Legal Aid staff attorney Carly Loughran (left) talks with UChicago Medicine lead violence recovery specialist Christine Goggins (right) outside patient rooms in the hospital’s Center for Care and Discovery (Photo: WBEZ Chicago)
The Reason for This Initiative
There are lots of reasons for starting such an innovative initiative that may help numerous survivors of violence. Over the last five years the trauma center has treated more thanks 20,000 adults and children. There are 40% of the patients who had penetrating injuries such as gunshot or stab wounds.
Through the initial phase of the program, Atty Loughran spends Thursdays at the trauma center to meet with patients at the bedside. What she does is potentially build a long-term relationship with patients beyond their hospital stays.
