Medical-Legal Partnerships for Women With Co-Occurring Intimate Partner Violence and Opioid Use Disorder: An Exploratory Study

We interviewed 40 individuals working across service domains (e.g., healthcare, criminal justice) to understand their perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to employing a medical-legal partnership (MLP) in settings which serve women with co-occurring intimate partner violence and opioid use disorder (co-IPV/OUD). Providers cited "buy-in" from all stakeholders, establishing shared goals, objectives, and practices across stakeholders, training on IPV and OUD, and/or the need for additional staff, and funding as key considerations for MLPs in this context. Our study finds that MLPs represent a viable and promising potential pathway to providing more co-located or coordinated care for women with co-IPV/OUD.