Mental Health Task Force

Overview
Law School Subcommittee
CMBA Journal Articles
Law Firm Mental Health Toolkit

The Lawyers’ Mental Health Task Force (“Task Force”) was created in 2009 by former CMBA President Michael Brittain. The Task Force works to educate the legal community about mental health and mental illness and address issues impacting attorneys with a mental illness.

The Task Force is currently co-chaired by Jeff Pollock of McDonald Hopkins and Joan Englund of the Mental Health Advocacy Coalition. The Task Force has a wide variety of members, including attorneys from large and small firms and other organizations, judges, and interested professionals in the field of behavioral health care.

If you are interested in joining, please contact K. Ann Zimmerman, General Counsel, at 216-696-3525, or click here to join online.

The Law School Subcommittee includes staff and students from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, and The University of Akron. Every year the schools present mental health and substance abuse-related programming.

Programs and initiatives that one or more law schools have provided recently include:

Panel discussions on several topics: impact of mental health and substance abuse on the legal profession, including law students; prevention, detection, and treatment resources for students; connection between finances and debt and mental health and substance abuse;

Wellness fairs to promote mental and physical health, provide healthy food, and offer neck massages;

Promotion of treatment and support resources via websites, email, and refrigerator magnets;

Substance abuse seminars required for students taking the Ohio bar;

Meals and receptions to provide fun opportunities for interaction and to build community among students, staff, and faculty; and

Exam relief/study breaks with food during exam period.

Beginning in 2010, the Task Force coordinated an effort to increase awareness of mental health issues among attorneys by featuring articles in the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal written by behavioral health care professionals and practicing attorneys. The first article appeared in the December 2010 edition of the Journal. The nine article series concluded in November 2011 with an article written by Justice Evelyn L. Stratton and Judicial Attorney Kristina Hawk.

December 2010 - written by R. Jeffrey Pollock		May 2011 - written by Scott R. Mote

January 2011- written by Dr. Scott Bea		June 2011 - written by Diane Citrino

February 2011 - written by Sarah Polly		July/August 2011 - written by Ellen Riehm

March 2011- written by Mary L. Cibella		November 2011 - written by Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton

April 2011- written by Cynthia Vrabel, M.D.

The Task Force has created a Law Firm Mental Health Toolkit.

Click here to download the PDF document.

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