Connecting hospital violence recovery programs with on-site legal help
Harmonizing Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs with a Novel Medical-Legal Partnership – the HVIP-MLP Model
This project adds on-site legal support to hospital programs for people injured by violence to help fix problems like unsafe housing, lost benefits, or legal barriers and reduce repeat harm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193545 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are treated for a violent injury, the team will first gather information about the legal problems patients and families face after injury, such as housing, benefits, or safety concerns. They will bring lawyers into hospital-based violence recovery teams so you can get legal help alongside your medical care. The team will compare legal needs across neighborhoods and demographic groups and work with trauma centers to standardize how legal services are offered. Researchers will follow patients over time to see whether adding legal help changes repeat injuries and social outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people and families treated at trauma centers after firearm or other violence-related injuries who are willing to share information about their social and legal needs.
Not a fit: People without violence-related injuries, those not treated at participating trauma centers, or patients needing legal services outside the program's scope (for example criminal defense) are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get timely legal help that removes barriers to stable housing, income, and safety and may lower the chance of returning with another violent injury.
How similar studies have performed: Medical-legal partnerships have improved health and reduced legal problems in other clinical settings, but combining an MLP with hospital-based violence intervention programs for trauma survivors is a new approach.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zakrison, Tanya L — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Zakrison, Tanya L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.