Education

Graduate students from multiple disciplines assist people diagnosed with life changing health events as they navigate multiple complex systems of care and services.

Students typically come from law, medicine, the MPH program, pharmacy, social work, genetic counseling and other graduate programs. For more information, you can reach us at learning@cpp.wisc.edu.

Learn more about the Health Justice Clinic Experience

The Center’s Health Advocacy Certificate Program educates a diversity of graduate and professional students interested in health advocacy. The 12-credit program is an innovative, experiential, interprofessional advocacy training experience for graduate students from across campus.

Learn more about the Health Advocacy Certificate Program. Or, to get started with an advising session, please send us an email (learning@cpp.wisc.edu) or call 608 263-7736.

The Medical-Legal Partnership is a Pro Bono clinic in which Law Students learn to advocate with primary care patients who need legal assistance to address health-harming social needs.

Learn more about the Medical-Legal Partnership 

Undergraduate students can enroll in Legal Studies 473/694/699 to participate in the Resource Navigator Program.

With the help of supervisors, students work with patients to help them connect with needed community resources and follow-up with them regularly to help them stay healthy. Meeting regularly as a class, students learn about the important links between basic social and economic needs and health, interact directly with patients to help them meet their needs, and learn important patient advocacy skills.

Law and pre-law students are on hand to help patients with health-harming legal needs. In this win-win-win program, patients receive guidance as they navigate through the web of social service and legal systems, students learn important skills and perspectives, and providers gain allies in supporting patients who struggle to access the resources that will boost health outcomes.

Learn more about the Resource Navigator Program

Legal Studies 473 Health Impacts of Unmet Social Needs will replace Legal Studies 400 beginning Fall 2022. Legal Studies 400 – Understanding the Impact of Social and Legal Issues on Health, is a service-learning course that engages students in direct work with patients at a local clinic six hours per week. Students will develop an understanding of how social determinants of health affect peoples’ lives. Students will also attend a weekly seminar where they will reflect on their experiences in the clinic and further explore how social location impacts health, legal and social service delivery. 

Law and pre-law students are on hand to help patients with health harming legal needs. In this win-win-win program, patients receive guidance as they navigate through the web of social service and legal systems, students learn important skills and perspectives, and providers gain allies in supporting patients who struggle to access the resources that will boost health outcomes. 

Legal Studies 694 is a variation on Legal Studies 473 offered as an internship in the summer only for a shorter number of weeks and more hours per week.

Legal Studies 699 is only offered for 1 credit and only for returning students who have completed Legal Studies 400/473.

Learn more about Legal Studies 473/694/699, the Community Resource Navigator Program

LIFT Wisconsin provides legal services at community-based pop-up legal clinics. LIFT Wisconsin helps people restore suspended driver’s licenses, assisting people identify other legal problems they may have, and referring them to further legal services and employment support. Students are supervised by clinical faculty at the Center for Patient Partnerships and the Neighborhood Law Clinic and staff attorneys at community-based partner organizations.

• Approximate hours of work requested: Students are asked to commit to at least 9 hours over the semester, which would be a 3-hour training, plus volunteering at 2 clinics.
• Location: Pop up clinics are from 3-6pm on Thursdays. The rest of 2023 will be serving clients in Jefferson County. Dates and locations are below.
  • May 18, 2023: Dwight Foster Public Library
  • June 15, 2023: Lake Mills Library
  • July 20, 2023: Watertown Public Library
  • August 17, 2023: Dwight Foster Public Library
  • September 21, 2023: Lake Mills Library
  • October 19, 2023: Watertown Public Library
  • November 16, 2023: Dwight Foster Public Library
  • December 21, 2023: Lake Mills Library
• Training: All volunteers must complete a three-hour training on reinstating driver’s licenses.  Additional training will be provided as new modules are rolled out.
• Transportation: A vehicle is required to travel to Jefferson County. Carpooling will also be coordinated.
• Desired course or clinic experience: No specific course or clinic experience required. Training will be provided. Complete the Canvas training course prior to training for or beginning this opportunity. All levels (1L-3L) welcome.
• To participate: Contact attorney Sachin Gupte for more information.

Formerly known as the “Patient-Centered Care and Health Advocacy Clinical”, this experiential, interprofessional course has students work directly with patients facing life changing health events as they navigate healthcare, benefits, and insurance systems.

This seminar (Law 940) is designed to build on the patient advocacy clinical experience by (1) deepening understanding of the systemic causes of problems consumers experience with health and health care in the U.S. and remedial opportunities; (2) examining key elements of, and challenges/opportunities in, the advocacy field; (3) strengthening identity and capacity as an advocate – with particular emphasis on system-level strategies.

The course: introduces theories of change, themes, roles, and strategies of system level advocacy; highlights the opportunities and limitations of patients in the policy domain, explores the role of advocacy groups, and critically examines advocacy in the legislative, regulatory, community, and organizational arenas.

This four week, interactive, e-learning seminar (Law 940) is designed to equip future health care providers with tools to improve community health in three ways: (1) by deepening your exploration of determinants of health and the systemic causes of problems consumers experience with health and health care in the U.S.; (2) by introducing you to a range of strategies for creating productive change with and on behalf of groups of patients; and (3) by strengthening your ability to see the connections between the experiences of individual patients and the organizational, political, social, and economic structures that influence the experiences of all patients. We will introduce theories of change and strategies relevant to system level advocacy; highlight opportunities for and limitations faced by patients in the policy domain; explore the role of advocacy groups; and critically examine advocacy opportunities for health care providers in the legislative, regulatory, community, and organizational arenas.

Further, students will enhance their ability to form key partnerships and work effectively with a broad range of other actors central to improving health and health systems. The online course utilizes discussion forums, collaborative documents, and multimedia sources. Assignments will include reflective pieces, and short papers. Community forum participation will factor significantly into the final grade.

(Med-Sc 941 – online course; offered for medical, occupational and physical therapy, and genetic counseling students: 2 Credits)

This four week, interactive, e-learning seminar (Law 940) is designed to provide an overview of the complexities of the U.S. Health Care System, as experienced by patients and health care providers caring for them. It will also build your capacity for advocacy in clinical settings by exploring strategies for addressing barriers and inequities, and for harnessing system resources and building on community assets. Study of public and private insurance, medical billing, employment issues, and disability will provide future health care providers with a comprehensive view of the myriad of challenges patients face as they navigate illness and health care – and concrete tools to address these issues that often stymie health improvement for individuals and populations. Each topical module will conclude with guided reflection where students envision prevention and response strategies, resources, the provider’s role, and the roles of other key stakeholders. The online course utilizes discussion forums, collaborative documents, and multimedia sources. Assignments will include reflective pieces, and short papers. Community forum participation will factor significantly into the final grade.

(Med-Sc 940 – online course; offered for medical, occupational and physical therapy, and genetic counseling students: 2 Credits)

In our Directed Research (Law 990) option, students work with a faculty mentor on a self-directed project or paper from conception to completion. Past projects have included an analysis of cost-savings as a result of advocacy interventions, a video examining advocacy throughout the stages of cancer care, creation of an information packet for a spinal cord injury support group, and a needs assessment for a community non-profit contemplating advocacy training.

(Law 990: Directed Research–on campus; combination (on campus & online); or online)

Hardware and Software Requirements:

• Operating System
  • Windows: Windows 10 or higher
  • Mac: Mac OS X (10.12 or higher)
• Internet
  • You need sufficient internet bandwidth/speed to complete all tasks required in our courses. For the Applied Advocacy Experience this includes activities such as frequent video conferencing and telephone calls via your computer.
• Video & Sound
  • Headset with microphone (REQUIRED)
  • Webcam (REQUIRED)
• Browser
  • Firefox (latest version)
  • Chrome (latest version)
  • Safari (latest version)
  • Check to see what browser you are using now and if you need to update at www.whatbrowser.org.
• Programs & Plugins
  • Java (free)
  • Adobe Reader (free) or Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Flash Player (free)
• E-Mail
  • You must have the ability to send and receive e-mail from your computer

Contact us at learning@patientpartnerships.org if you have specific questions about the above requirements.