2025 Poverty Law Conference: Full Schedule

1:00pm CDT

Empowered Choices: Legal and Health Interventions for Pregnant and Parenting Youth

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

This session will explore the legal challenges facing pregnant and parenting youth, the impact of Medical-Legal Partnerships in addressing SDOH, and the role of attorneys in creating pathways to stability for young families. Presenters will share insights from the program's development and implementation, as well as early outcomes and best practices for replicability in other legal aid settings.

Empowered Choices (EC) is an innovative program developed through a Medical-Legal Partnership between Greater Waco Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm, and Waco Family Medicine, a Federally Qualified Health Center. This program integrates legal services with healthcare access to support pregnant and parenting youth, addressing critical social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact maternal and child outcomes.

EC educates young parents about their legal rights and provides direct assistance in establishing a temporary, nonparent caregiver who can make decisions for their child without requiring court intervention. This legal mechanism allows youth to continue their education and employment while maintaining full parental rights. Through educational workshops and direct legal services, EC empowers young parents to make informed decisions, access critical support, and protect their families' futures.

Speakers

Jessica Trevino

Medical Legal Partnership Staff Attorney, Greater Waco Legal Services

Kayla Mize

Director of Operations and Impact, Greater Waco Legal Services

Kayla Mize is a Licensed Master of Social Work with over 10 years of program development and management experience. Her current role is Director of Operations and Impact at Greater Waco Legal Services where she leads internal operations, supervises programs, and drives strategic initiatives... Read More →

Thursday August 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Room 412 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Medical-Legal Partnerships

2:15pm CDT

Recipe for Success: Access to Justice through a Medical-Legal Partnership

Thursday August 28, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT

Room 412

This fast-paced session includes discussion about identifying patient participants, meeting program requirements for both organizations, the two organizations' staff roles and collaboration, expenses and cost sharing, and important tips for attendees, whether designing a new MLP or restructuring an existing MLP to improve program efficacy.

Speakers

Susan Soto

Staff Attorney / AccessHealth Medical-Legal Partnership, Houston Volunteer Lawyers

Carol Luna

AccessHealth

Darci Moore

Population Health Program Manager, AccessHealth

Thursday August 28, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Room 412 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Medical-Legal Partnerships

3:30pm CDT

Indigent Healthcare in Texas - From COVID to Measles - Where Are We Now?

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Room 412

With resources and funding from the federal government to the states to support access to healthcare during the pandemic now depleted and no longer available to the states, it has become more difficult for low-income Texans to find healthcare. With a growing measles epidemic, this access has become more urgent. Texas statutory and state constitutional law requires that each county provide access to health care to its indigent residents. While large urban areas can usually meet this requirement, rural parts of the state have fewer resources and larger challenges in providing healthcare. This session will cover how each county meets this indigent healthcare requirement (county indigent healthcare programs, public hospitals, hospital districts) and how to access the services. We will briefly discuss orders requiring hospitals receiving medicaid funding to inquire about citizenship status and our obligations as advocates to explain that requirement of hospitals and the patients option to decline to answer without any consequences to receiving treatment. Finally, the session will allow for discussion of advocacy strategy when a county is not following the law.

Speakers

Marty Orozco

Litigation Director for Public Benefits & Outreach, Lone Star Legal Aid

Bruce Bower

Volunteer, Texas Legal Services Center (volunteer)

Bruce Bower is a member of the State Bar of Texas and of the Poverty Law Section. The State Bar of Texas lists Mr. Bower as certified to provide representation in guardianship cases in Texas. Mr. Bower was employed by Texas Legal Services Center from 1989 to 2022 and now does... Read More →

Jeff Larsen

attorney, Lone Star Legal Aid

woodworking, traditional music and singing in parts, Shakespeare, Social Security

Thursday August 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Room 412 500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701

Medical-Legal Partnerships

2025 Poverty Law Conference

From $306.69