DC CFAR investigator, Nina Yamanis, PhD and her colleagues have published an article in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health entitled, "Immigration Legal Services as a Structural HIV Intervention for Latinx Sexual and Gender Minorities". This article details the results of Dr. Yamanis' CFAR Adelante award in which she worked in collaboration with La Clinica del Pueblo.
This article discusses a study that looked at the lack of legal immigration status in Latinx sexual and gender minorities (LSGM) and its association with poor HIV-related outcomes, with medical-legal partnerships as a potential intervention. The authors conducted thorough interviews with a number of LSGM who had recently applied for immigration relief. Dr. Yamanis and her colleagues found that challenges to building a medical-legal partnership for LSGM included lack of specialized training in working with SGM for immigration attorneys, and from the LSGM's perspective, lack of knowledge about legal deadlines, adequate housing, and family supports. They also found that when attorneys and mental health providers collaborated, LSGM's outcomes were positive.
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