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ROD´S STORY Health Legal Services (HLS) helped an HIV-positive client with a complicated government benefits issue relating to his attempts to return to work. Due to the cyclical nature of HIV disease, the client was unable to sustain work for longer than a few months at a time and had to depend on his Social Security disability benefits to meet his basic needs. The client was wrongfully charged a large overpayment and his benefits were terminated. HLS advocated for the client�s reinstatement and negotiated a significant reduction to the overpayment with a $10 monthly payment plan.

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Health Legal Services: Mission

(formerly AIDS Legal Services and The Diabetes Law Collaborative)

In November 2009, AIDS Legal Services and the Diabetes Law Collaborative officially became Health Legal Services (HLS).

The mission of AIDS Legal Services has been to secure justice and the protection of human rights for people with HIV/AIDS through the development, delivery, and sponsorship of specialized legal services.

The mission of the Diabetes Law Collaborative has been to improve health stability for low-income adults living with diabetes by providing holistic direct legal services and systemic advocacy through a medical-legal partnership model.

HLS is the only legal assistance program in Santa Clara County specializing in HIV/AIDS and diabetes-related law. HLS has a staff of 3 attorneys, assisted by a part-time intake worker, a volunteer, and law students, who provide direct legal services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS and diabetes in Santa Clara County. HLS staff provides assistance in a wide range of practice areas by assisting clients with disputes involving private and public benefits and insurance; advocating for clients in housing and consumer matters; assisting clients with simple estate planning; representing clients in employment discrimination and reasonable accommodation matters; representing clients with breach-of-confidentiality issues; and providing representation or referrals on other legal issues.

HLS’s Diabetes Law Collaborative is the first program in the country dedicated to providing legal services to individuals living with diabetes through a medical-legal partnership model. To address obstacles to health stability that face clients living with diabetes, the HLS staff attorney holds weekly office hours at Valley Medical Center to meet with new clients, provides ongoing legal representation in areas such as employment law, public and private benefits, and housing. HLS also develops legal trainings for medical providers and joins the hospital’s diabetes education efforts, as appropriate.

Update: 2/2010