Health and Human Well-Being

CRLA adopted this priority area to help low-income families gain access to affordable healthcare, secure public benefits to which they are entitled, and to assist survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Healthcare access is a problem for millions of Americans including many low-income Californians. CRLA offers assistance to those who feel they may have been wrongfully denied care or have faced challenges in their application for care through the public sector. A task force comprised of CRLA attorneys and community workers meets regularly with the primary goal of keeping low-income rural families secure in body, health, nutrition, and housing.

CRLA advocates help qualified individuals and families with these major Public Benefits programs: CalWorks (welfare, formerly AFDC); Supplemental Security Income disability; Social Security; Unemployment Insurance Benefits; Medicare; Medi-Cal; Food Stamps; county-provided General Assistance; county-provided medically-indigent adult services, as well as others.

CRLA provides case-by-case assistance to individuals, and litigates major public benefits cases to change laws to help thousands of Californians. CRLA advocates assist battered women, children and men with temporary restraining orders in domestic violence cases, and provide referrals to shelters, crisis centers, and other local resources.