Last week, I moderated and spoke on a panel with Gina Passarella, Diane Costigan and Kerrie Mohr on how to create a more mentally healthy workplace at your law firm. The conversation was great and we thank everyone who joined us and participated in the discussion.
Here’s a replay of the webinar.
In the webinar, Gina explored the results of the ALM 2021 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Survey, which showed that isolation and anxiety were among the top issues faced by law firm employees and only exacerbated by the pandemic.
There were some bright spots – while overall law firm employees felt that the pandemic has made their mental health worse, they also thought their firms made a larger commitment to their well-being.
The workplace issues that associates struggle with versus partners is something very much worth noting as you can see in this chart. These issues are crucial to address in order for law firms to retain their talent, particularly in the rebounded and competitive job market of today.
Diane discussed what she does as Director of Coaching and Wellbeing at Winston & Strawn. She offered ideas and solutions on how law firms of all sizes can create and promote an emotionally and mentally healthy workplace. She noted the Mental Health First Aid training program, which teaches business professionals the skills to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use. This is a program worth implementing at organizations of all sizes in our opinion.
Kerrie provided tips for employees on how to manage their own mental health and manage their stress as we return to socializing and as companies plan to bring their employees back to work, including go slow, attune to yourself, honor your boundaries and build your trust back at your own pace.
Here’s a list of resources that may be helpful to you.
Feel free to connect with us on LinkedIn:
- Diane Costigan, Director of Coaching and Well-Being at Winston & Strawn LLP
- Gina Passarella, Editor-in-Chief, Global Legal Brands at ALM Media LLC
- Kerrie Mohr, Founder and Director at A Good Place Therapy & Consulting
- Stefanie Marrone, Founder of Stefanie Marrone Consulting (moderator)
Remember that 1 in 4 people struggle with a mental health issue, so you aren’t alone. There’s help out there.