Earlier this year, a young couple in their mid-twenties realized that they risked losing custody of their two-year-old daughter if they didn’t address their opiate addictions. The couple had struggled with heroin, but had refused treatment until they realized that they needed to do so to be able to care for their daughter safely and appropriately.
When beds became available at an in-patient treatment facility that would allow the young mother to bring her daughter with her as she received treatment and counseling, the couple found that they could not pay for treatment without Medicaid. However, Medicaid approval was going to take too long to ensure that the bed space would remain available. In response, the couple reached out to their local legal aid office. A legal aid attorney was able to get an expedited approval of their Medicaid applications and they are now both participating in in-patient treatment for their addictions. Their daughter is with them and they are learning to work together as a stable and addiction-free family.
Around the state, legal aid helps those suffering from the opiate crisis access appropriate health care to treat their addiction and return their lives to those of productive citizens.
