Our objective is to provide holistic, interdisciplinary public health legal services to address the social determinants of health for low-income children in the midlands region of South Carolina.
The CHAMPs program addresses the legal, social, and environmental conditions that negatively impact children's health. If resolved through holistic legal services, children's health improves. CHAMPs provides holistic legal services in the following ways:
The bulk of the public health legal services, which amounts to nearly 300 cases since the inception of CHAMPS, are provided by the CHAMPS staff attorney. The staff attorney manages a full caseload throughout the year.
The CHAMPS Clinic students handle a small number of cases, typically taken from the CHAMPS staff attorney’s caseload, each spring. The cases are selected for their pedagogical value. In Spring 2019, CHAMPS Clinic students spent over 1400 hours working on clinic and client-related matters.
Carol Adams (USD, ABA Certified Paralegal, 2016) assists and supports the work of the staff attorneys in their representation of low-income children and their families in civil matters that address the social determinants of health and collaborates with partners at Prisma Health.
Lacie Brown is a Social Worker for the Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership (CHAMPS).
Johnna Menke (USC J.D., 2020) is a Staff Attorney for the Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership (CHAMPS). Johnna represents low-income children and their families in civil matters that address the social determinants of health and collaborates with partners at Prisma Health.
Macaulay Morrison (USC J.D., 2018) is a Staff Attorney for the Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership (CHAMPS). Macaulay represents low-income children and their families in civil matters that address the social determinants of health and collaborates with partners at Prisma Health.
Shannon Wood is a Special Paralegal for the Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership (CHAMPS).