Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. (LASO) partners with the Cherokee Nation to place AmeriCorps Attorney members throughout the Cherokee Nation as part of a multi-state effort to improve tribal health.

Tahlequah, Oklahoma (October 21, 2016) – LASO today announced receiving a grant from the federal AmeriCorps program as part of the Obama administration’s investment in tribally-sponsored AmeriCorps programming.  Through this project, LASO AmeriCorps members will deliver civil legal assistance to improve health.

“A person’s health can be significantly impacted by social problems like domestic violence, denial of public benefits, or unsafe or substandard housing, just to name a few; these are issues that may have a civil legal solution,” said Michael Figgins, Executive Director of LASO.  “By partnering with the Cherokee Nation, LASO attorneys can identify issues impacting health that might have a civil legal solution.  Working together, caregivers and attorneys can holistically address problems and help ensure better overall health outcomes for patients.”

The three-year grant will fund four (4) attorneys who will work with Cherokee Nation to identify and treat Social Security Disability and aging-related problems.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker stated, “The Cherokee Nation Tribal Health System is excited to implement a partnership that will be a powerful tool in helping our medical providers assist our elderly patients, as well as those with Social Security Disability issues.”

The project is part of a larger, six-state public/private investment in medical-legal partnerships in Tribal communities throughout the nation.  Building on the success of a pioneer program in Navajo Nation, AmeriCorps made simultaneous investments in Arizona, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah.