Legal Aid Society receives internat’l award for mental health assistance model

The Puerto Rico Legal Aid Society, through its innovative Mental Health Legal Assistance Program, has become the first Puerto Rican organization to receive the Project of the Year award in the Justice or Public Administration Organization category of the International Institute of Legal Project Management’s Global Awards.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rico Legal Aid Society (SAL by its acronym in Spanish), through its innovative Mental Health Legal Assistance Program (PALPSM), has achieved an unprecedented milestone in the island’s legal history by becoming the first Puerto Rican organization to receive the Project of the Year award in the Justice or Public Administration Organization category of the IILPM Global Awards 2025.

The prestigious international recognition, awarded by the International Institute of Legal Project Management, certifies the PALPSM management model as a benchmark of global excellence.

The award, which comes after special recognition obtained by the organization in 2024, enshrines the success of a model that has radically transformed access to justice for one of Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable populations. Since its inception in April 2023, PALPSM has responded to a long-ignored human rights crisis: the lack of free, specialized legal representation for people with mental health conditions involved in legal proceedings. The success of PALPSM served as the basis for the now-established Community Reintegration Program (PRCSAL), which, applying the same award-winning methodology, has served more than 600 people in its first year, helping them expunge their criminal records and rebuild their lives.

* The impact of the PALPSM is reflected in compelling figures:

* 5,431 people have received expert and free legal representation.

* More than 32,300 family members and petitioners have been guided in times of deep crisis.

* The rights of participants have been defended in more than 20,300 court hearings.

* The interdisciplinary team of lawyers and social workers has invested more than 65,500 hours of work.

* The community has been empowered through 431 educational events, directly reaching almost 12,000 people.

“This award is a testament to the power of innovation in the service of human dignity. It shows that a management model focused on the individual, equity, and rehabilitation not only results in more effective judicial processes but also transforms lives,” SAL Executive Director Alejandra Belmar Jiménez said. “Above all, this recognition highlights the tireless work of our team of professionals who are deeply committed to the people we serve. We thank the IILPM for recognizing the impact of our work and for promoting excellence in the justice system.”

PALPSM Coordinator Ferdinand López Colón noted that the award “is a recognition of the vision and work of our entire team.”

“Every effort reflects the conviction that access to justice must be sensitive, dignified, and transformative,” he said. “That is the path we continue to build from the SAL mental health program.”

PALPSM Legal Project Manager Jonathan Otero Ramos emphasized the vital role of teamwork as the “heart of this achievement.”

“We intentionally created multidisciplinary units, merging the expertise of lawyers with the compassionate and direct support of social workers,” he said. “This model transforms us from mere legal representatives to true agents of social change.”