We are thrilled to share that Lisa Morrow has been promoted to Director of HLA's Mental Health Advocacy Program (MHAP) for Kids. Lisa steps into this role following the departure of Marisol Garcia, who was appointed Massachusetts' Child Advocate this past month.

Lisa joined HLA in 2013 as the first Staff Attorney for MHAP for Kids' predecessor program, the Juvenile Court Mental Health Advocacy Project (J-MHAP). Lisa played a key role in J-MHAP, representing court-involved children with unmet mental health needs and establishing the J-MHAP model of representation. The exceptional results she achieved for her J-MHAP clients contributed significantly to the Boston University School of Public Health's first evaluation of J-MHAP which fueled the initial growth of the program and its transformation into MHAP for Kids. In 2022, she was promoted to MHAP for Kids' Managing Attorney, her most recent position before being named Director. She previously held the roles of Senior Staff Attorney and Senior Supervising Attorney with MHAP for Kids. 

In her new role as the Director of MHAP for Kids, Lisa will ensure the program continues to provide exceptional legal services to our clients, nurture MHAP for Kids' numerous partnerships, guide the program's outstanding team members, advocate for funding for MHAP for Kids, oversee program evaluation, and serve as a member of HLA's Senior Management Team.

"Having served with MHAP for Kids since its founding in 2017, I am honored to step into the role of Director," said Lisa Morrow. "With the support of the State Legislature and Administration, and our other funders, MHAP’s growth has enabled us to build a dedicated and compassionate team of attorneys and paralegals serving families across the Commonwealth. I am proud to lead this work as we continue removing barriers to appropriate mental health care and educational supports for children and diverting young people from the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. I look forward to building on the strong foundation established by our team and our outgoing Director, Marisol Garcia."

"Lisa is exceptionally qualified to serve as the Director of MHAP for Kids as she has shown for thirteen years at HLA how effective she is as an advocate for our clients and as a leader," stated Matt Selig, HLA's Executive Director. "Lisa has spent her entire professional career working to support children facing challenges. She has a true passion for improving children's health and wellbeing. We are lucky that she has accepted this new role."

Prior to joining HLA, Lisa spent four and a half years as a staff attorney at the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts. At CLCM, Lisa represented children in education matters as the sole attorney for an education advocacy initiative in Lawrence, MA. She is a member of the state's Special Commission on Access to Behavioral Health Services for Children and Families. Lisa holds a law degree from Boston University School of Law and Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Visual Art and History from Brown University.