waterloo region law association |
IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH FOR
LAWYERS AND PARALEGALS IN WATERLOO REGION
The Waterloo Region Law Association (WRLA) makes mental health and substance use issues a priority. In 2020, the Mental Health Committee was established with a mandate to identify ways to reduce the stigma of mental health issues; encourage good mental health initiatives and awareness; and support declining mental health and crisis.
A 2016 study published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine of nearly 13,000 American lawyers found that over 36%of participants showed signs of possible alcohol dependence, more than 45% described experiences of depression, and 11.5% reported having had suicidal thoughts at some point in their careers. The primary barrier identified to lawyers seeking treatment or assistance is stigma. The Member Assistance Program (MAP) provides confidential services and support to lawyers, paralegals, law or paralegal students who are facing mental health or substance use issues. To find out more about MAP, click the link below. |
LET'S BE WELL TOGETHER PODCAST
WRLA President, John Webster, has been on a wellness journey since 2014 when he finally turned his physical fitness around through a slow and steady approach to healthy eating and exercise. Years later it sparked a personal epiphany about wellness in different areas of his life.
John has put together a podcast team. They launched the Let’s Be Well Together Podcast on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 with new episodes weekly on Tuesdays. They call themselves your wellness check-in team, whose goal is to remind listeners to think about wellness and make it a priority in their lives. They explore wellness and intertwined categories, such as: Mental, Physical, Spiritual, Economic, Environmental, Artistic, Intellectual and Social. If we’re thriving in some facets but ignoring others, it affects our overall well-being. The hosts discuss wellness issues and interview guests about their experiences in the eight areas of wellness. Some guests explain concepts connected to a facet of wellness. Others are from organizations that foster wellness. The podcast is be available on www.letsbewelltogether.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.