This past summer, I secured an internship with Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy and Law) at Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI). Project HEAL provides advocacy and legal services for low-income families and children with disabilities who receive services at KKI. This medical-legal partnership, one of the few in the country dedicated to serving children with disabilities, makes for an interesting and powerful team that has changed the lives of many patients.
Like most students with an aspiration of working in public interest, one of my desires to work for Project HEAL came from the longing to have an impact on the community and help those who are less fortunate than I am. The other, and more prominent desire, came from the fact that Project HEAL gave me an opportunity to give back to a group of people who I have benefited from all my life. My sister, Alex, was diagnosed with Global Apraxia and a mild Intellectual Disability when she was a toddler. Alex, and her friends, have blessed me with the gift of perspective and an appreciation of the talents I’ve been granted. After 23 years of giving very little and receiving a great deal, Project HEAL gave me the opportunity to give back to a special community of people who need our help more than ever.
I was also attracted to Project HEAL because Maureen van Stone, the Director, has such a positive impact not only on the special education community, but also the students of local Law Schools. Through countless interns, she has instilled attributes that will last for a lifetime and will have no small impact on the lives of future attorneys. Based on the example she set, I know that I will not only be a better attorney, but that I will be a better contributing member of my community.
When Maureen and I first met to speak about the possibilities that Project HEAL could provide for a legal intern, I was skeptical that all of her promises could come to fruition in just ten weeks. I was wrong. Maureen, Project HEAL, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), and KKI provided more opportunities and eye opening experiences than I could ever have imagined possible.
Most of my days were filled with Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings and client intakes. I attended over 15 IEP meetings and conducted over 40 client intakes. IEP team meetings were especially interesting because they provided insight into what advocacy really meant. I observed how Maureen negotiated with the school system and their counsel, and opened their eyes to the struggles of each of her low-income clients. Frequently, both parties would come to an amicable agreement and develop a more appropriate educational program for their child and identify a more appropriate educational placement for the child.
IEP meetings and client intakes allowed me to sharpen my client interaction skills; however, there was also plenty of opportunities for legal writing. I wrote over 15 client closing letters, status letters for our clients, a Maryland State Department of Education Complaint, and letters to our opposing counsel. The ability to write, revise, and receive feedback from Project HEAL attorneys was valuable, and I noticed an improvement in my writing style over the short ten weeks.
In addition to client services, Maureen is involved with many coalitions and task forces. We regularly attended EAC (Educational Advocacy Coalition) meetings, City Wide Special Education Advocacy Project monthly meetings, Maryland Special Education Lawyers meetings, Futures and Estate Planning presentations by Victoria Sulerzyski of Ober Kaler, City School’s presentations on the state of City School’s buildings, and countless others.
Aside from these regular meetings, I was exposed to a host of other educational experiences including,
- visiting KKI’s Neurobehavioral Unit, which provided a better understanding of the clients we were serving;
- providing brief advice to parents and guardians over the phone;
- case consultations to KKI health care professionals;
- accompanying a family to visit a school option and guiding them through the process of asking pointed questions and discussing what option best fit their child;
- using the skills and strategies I had learned over the summer to advocate for a child and attend his IEP meeting on my own with supervisory support, when needed;
- data entry on MVLS’s legal database;
- professional trainings for KKI health care professionals and service providers;
- community trainings for consumers and families; and
- attending Kennedy Krieger’s Society Party, which provided a great opportunity to network with KKI donors and Project HEAL supporters.
Hunter McIntyre
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