More Legal Aid Attys Move To Addiction Epidemic Frontlines - Law 360 News

Our #BeyondOpioid Program was #InTheNews for a national discussion on legal aid attorneys moving to the frontline of the opioid epidemic. The epidemic has hit our fellow Arkansans in many ways, and our staff has stepped up to help face this issue. Our Beyond Opioid Project works hand-in-hand with community partners and relevant stakeholders to serve Arkansans and their families struggling with the effects of opioids.

--For some clients, the fear of their past being brought up at a court hearing can trigger a lot of stress, said Angela Echols, an attorney with the Beyond Opioids Project, a statewide project led by the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas.

"I've attended several hearings where I'm waiting on the client, and the client never even comes, and it's heart-wrenching," Echols said. "You may even talk to a client the day before, and they seem ready to come and advocate for themselves with our assistance. And then, the day of, they can't do it."

It can be hard to build trust with clients because of their past experiences with the justice system, noted Helen Gratil, director of the Beyond Opioids Project, which launched in 2020 with funding from the federal Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. Because of stigmatization, she said, "people don't even ask for help because they want to hide the root of the problem."--

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