BAEC Bulletin | November/December 2021 | 7
Bar Association and Foundation Unveil Member Assistance Program With the wellbeing of its lawyers a top priority, the
deeply committed and offer true expertise in mental health.” Russ continues, “We all need and want
BAEC and ECBF are pleased to add a Member Assistance Program (“MAP”) to the practical resources now offered to our lawyers navigating the challenging business of practicing law. The hallmark of this program is immediate confidential access to mental health counseling. The MAP will complement and broaden the groundbreaking wellbeing work of the ECBF and the BAEC’s Lawyers Helping Lawyers Program and Depression Support Group. All of these programs are designed to keep lawyers at their professional best and destigmatize pursuing help for mental health. The MAP will be operated in partnership with Child & Family Services. The MAP is easy to access and free for BAEC members and those in their household. Confidential counseling can be sought for job stress, changes or loss, family matters, bereavement, relationship conflicts, substance use disorder, anxiety, depression or any other matter that affects mental health. With national and state conversation increasingly drawing attention to a legal profession in crisis, this program will help combat isolation and the challenges of finding help when the road is more challenging than planned for BAEC members or their families. BAEC member lawyers and their household members will have access to resilience building interventions and connections to community resources that support mental health and well-being with privacy and speed.
peace of mind. MAP resources along with our other programs are real solutions when we need help. Don’t go it alone.” The Foundation has been dedicated to assisting lawyers since its inception in 1957. Mike Perley adds, “We are excited to include MAP in our repertoire of confidential resources available to attorneys and their families for whatever issues they may face. We are also deeply committed to removing the stigma associated with getting any form of help. I encourage every member to advocate for and use this program. It is good for our members, clients and the profession to take care of our mental health.” • Online Presentations and Panel Discussions on topics responsive to current, local needs or national trends that are important to BAEC members. • Work-life Consultations regarding Financial, Nutrition, Child Care, Elder Care, Conflict Resolution, and Smoking Cessation Child & Family Services, EAP Director, Julie Loesch, Esq. and Assistant Director, Megan Andrews, LCSW-R will work with the BAEC and ECBF to facilitate this new service to the members of the Bar Association. [PICTURE HERE] Key Features of the Member Assistance Program: • Counseling and Coaching • Education and Resources The Member Assistance Program is active and available to BAEC members effective December 15, 2021. Members will receive additional information and resources on MAP throughout December and the new year. Contact Anne Noble at 716.852.1777 if you or someone in your household needs assistance immediately. The BAEC also has two Committees available to our members for ongoing support and assistance - Lawyers Helping Lawyers and the Committee to Support Lawyers With Depression. Learn more at www.eriebar.org/lawyerwellbeing. •
Building on the work of bar leaders in recent years, President Hugh M. Russ, III, and Foundation President Michael F. Perley spearheaded making access to a MAP a reality, with each Board approving the program and playing a key role in its implementation and roll out. The decision followed a wellbeing survey conducted by the BAEC which showed that the vast majority of our membership saw a benefit to offering a MAP.
RUSS
Russ states, “There is no doubt our membership wants to go beyond talking about wellbeing and do something that makes us all better off. Counseling can help and I encourage my colleagues to use this program’s resources. We are fortunate to have C&FS in our backyard and they are PERLEY
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