This is a fantastic event that benefites the Texas Legal Hospice.
www.legalhospice.org
Legal Hospice of Texas is the only North Texas provider of pro bono legal services dedicated to the population of low income individuals with terminal illnesses or HIV-disease.
Dallas Legal Hospice is a nonprofit law firm established in 1989 to specifically address the health related, civil legal needs of low income individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness or HIV-disease. It is a Texas Nonprofit Corporation, with IRS designation as a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization. In 2007, The Board of Directors registered the dba Legal Hospice of Texas as more reflective of the current organization and its growing geographic area of services. It currently has a full time staff of 5, including three staff attorneys, and one part time staff, a volunteer coordinator. Volunteers now exceed 130 individuals annually, including attorneys, notaries, paraprofessionals, language interpreters, office and special events support. Its mission is to provide timely and compassionate legal services to low income individuals with terminal illnesses or HIV-disease.
Legal Hospice of Texas is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Directors are elected to staggered 3-year terms. The work of the Board is guided by a Strategic Plan, created with assistance from an outside professional consultant. Various standing committees and task groups implement the Strategic Plan, with specific objectives assigned to the appropriate committee/task group. The Board of Directors meets monthly to review financial and programmatic reports and to review and reflect on progress toward achieving the goals and objectives resulting from the Strategic Plan.
In 2008, volunteers will provide nearly 3,000 hours of service with an estimated value of over $250,000. Legal Hospice of Texas serves over 800 persons each year who reside in Dallas, Collin, Denton, Fannin, Cooke, Henderson, Hunt, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Grayson, and Navarro counties. In March 2006, DLH began collaborations with Cancer Care Services and AIDS Outreach Center, both in Tarrant County, to provide legal services to their clients in Tarrant, Johnson, Parker and Hood counties. In its 19 years of operation, Legal Hospice of Texas has assisted over 9,750 clients. We have recovered back awards in excess of $850,000. We have also mediated forward awards in excess of $150,000 per month; all of this to provide a higher quality of life for our clients and their families as they struggle with extreme health problems.
Legal Hospice of Texas provides free legal counsel, advocacy and representation in the areas of Estate Planning (wills, financial/medical power of attorney, living wills, guardianship declaration), Insurance (health, life, credit, disability, COBRA), Employment (benefits, discrimination, ADA, FMLA, return to work issues, disability issues), Credit (debt counseling, creditor harassment), Public Benefits (Social Security counseling and appeals), Housing (discrimination, eviction), and Family Law (visitation). In addition to these services, LHT maintains a network of attorneys who accept referrals of non-qualifying cases, frequently at a reduced fee.
Besides direct client services, Legal Hospice of Texas conducts in-service staff training for other social service providers and medical hospice providers. We maintain an active network of referral with over 20 social and medical services providers. We have participated in local and regional educational conferences helping to educate persons on legal issues related to terminal illnesses and HIV/AIDS, and in 2006 and 2007, co-hosted with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center an inter-disciplinary conference on end-of-life issues.
