Illinois (IL) Mental Health Sub Abuse CLE Course Catalog

In this 1-hour course, Dr. Brian Russell, Licensed Psychologist and Attorney, discusses issues encountered and interventions employed repeatedly in years of psychotherapy sessions with attorneys. Topics include "impostor syndrome," perfectionism, burnout, and spillover effects on relationships outside of work, as well as tips to help attorneys manage work-related stress more healthily, effectively, and sustainably.

Join Attorney Carolyn Reinach Wolf, Executive Partner and Director of the Mental Health Law Practice at Abrams Fensterman, LLP, in New York State, Past President of the National Behavioral Intervention Team Association (NaBITA), and lecturer and consultant to healthcare, mental health organizations, and universities on the topics of mental health law issues, substance abuse, and workplace and student violence. Attorney Wolf was recognized this year as Lawyer of the Year for Health Care Law by The Best Lawyers in America?. She will lead an in-depth discussion of the prevalence and associated risk factors of substance abuse in the legal profession and will offer practical tips and strategies to address substance abuse among lawyers.

In this program, seasoned mental health attorney Carolyn Reinach Wolf (Abrams Fensterman LLP) will take the audience to an in-depth conversation about the growing issues surrounding substance abuse and addiction among legal professionals. The speaker will also present the best strategies and practices for prevention and treatment.

In this 1-hour course, psychologist, attorney, author, and television personality Dr. Brian Russell provides actionable insights for attorneys into the alarmingly and increasingly common phenomenon of professional burnout. Participants will learn what burnout is, how it impacts attorneys in and out of the office, how to spot it, how to be more proactive in the avoidance of it, and how to begin to address it if one is in the midst of it.

With a demanding work schedule and stressful environment, many lawyers are no strangers to mental health challenges and often don't get the help they need. Join our mental health workshop to hear key actionable insights that will help you identify, understand and respond to mental health challenges of your own and others within the legal industry. Our speakers will share experiences and insights to ensure those in the legal industry are well-equipped with the right mental health resources and effective communication skills to discuss mental health and wellness.

Lawyers are much more likely than other professions to suffer from substance use and mental health disorders due to the high-stress nature of our work and a culture that encourages us to be self-reliant. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing stress and isolation among lawyers has made this problem even worse, particularly for the newest members of the bar. Our experts discuss this alarming trend and what we can do to help ourselves and our colleagues during these difficult times.

Experts differ on whether lawyers are more prone to depression than others who work in equally high-stress occupations such as doctors. But one thing is clear: the stigma associated with depression is one of the reasons lawyers may not get help when they need it. Is an ancient virus the reason humans are susceptible to substance use disorders? How has modern medicine changed the way we treat substance use disorders? This program answers these important questions so that today's lawyers have the tools they need to help themselves or a colleague.

This session will cover barriers to wellness for lawyers, and why lawyers are often reluctant to seek help. This panel will also include achievable strategies that lawyers can employ to enhance their well-being. In addition, this program will review lawyers' ethical obligations, and how enhancing personal well-being and adopting strategies for balancing life’s demands can enhance their ability to comply with these obligations.