MBA Health & Well-Being

The Massachusetts Bar Association has created a Health & Well-Being page to support member wellness during COVID-19. Many of the resources are provided by the ABA Commission on Lawyers Assistance Program.

Resources for Coping with COVID-19

ANXIETY

To get free confidential, 24/7 support for anxiety, text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line, 741741
COVID-19: Anxiety and News in the Massachusetts Legal Profession (Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers/Mass LOMAP)
Manage Anxiety & Stress (CDC)
Science-Based Strategies for Coping with COVID Anxiety (The Conversation)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

National Domestic Violence Hotline: For any victims and survivors who need support, call 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 for TTY, 24/7, or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.
- Click here for the Spanish version.
Domestic Violence Services by Massachusetts County

MASSACHUSETTS LAWYERS CONCERNED FOR LAWYERS SUPPORT GROUPS

Register for a group. Free and confidential for lawyers, law students and judges in Massachusetts, with specific groups for law students, solo practice lawyers, immigration practitioners, addiction recovery, attorney moms, ADHD, and attorneys involved in a disciplinary process.
Register for Yoga for Busy Legal Professionals on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Join Massachusetts LCL for a weekly 20-minute yoga practice, followed by an optional 10 minutes for Q&A, discussion and connection. Starting Jan. 13, Massachusetts LCL will explore simple postures that can be done right in the office or home, suitable for all levels of yoga experience.
Register for Solo Stress Connection. Join peers in solo and small law practice in a monthly discussion about the unique stress you experience related to practicing law while also managing a practice. Meetings take place via Zoom the last Friday and first Monday of the month from 2 to 3 p.m.

Reporting Incidents of Racial Injustice in the Massachusetts Courts

The Trial Court set up a new way to report racial injustice experienced in the courts, as a direct result of the recent Report Summarizing Affinity Bar Town Hall Meetings from the Massachusetts SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being.

The email address, fairandequitablejusticeforall@jud.state.ma.us, and hotline number, (617) 878-0411, are for anyone to use if they believe they or someone they know has been treated in a manner that is disrespectful, hostile or harassing in the Massachusetts courts.

It’s critical for white individuals in the profession to take the burden of speaking out against transgressions. Experiencing racism is exhausting, and those who benefit from it need to be aware and act to stop it.

The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: A Toolkit for Bar Associations in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Bar Association and the SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being are excited to introduce The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: A Toolkit for Bar Associations in Massachusetts.

The Toolkit, which was created in partnership between the MBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee (chaired by MBA Vice President Grace Garcia and Marianne LeBlanc) and the SJC Standing Committee, provides extensive resources for individuals, employers and organizations within our legal community to help them attain greater success in achieving a healthy, positive and productive balance of work, personal life and wellness.

It also provides sample well-being educational programs with an index of local speakers, in addition to extensive resources on mental health, substance use and addiction, and tools for thriving.

The Toolkit is available on this MBA Health & Well-Being webpage, and the SJC Standing Committee’s webpage, and will be updated regularly so that it remains a vital resource for the community.

Please direct any feedback and suggestions to Grace Garcia at ggarcia@morrisonmahoney.com or Marianne LeBlanc at mleblanc@sugarman.com.

View the Toolkit

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER

AA Central Service Committee Of Eastern Mass.
AA Online Meetings Directory
Al-Anon
In the Rooms
Smart Recovery
Importance of seeking help for mental health and substance use disorders, Speaking Out to End Stigma (three-minute video)

SUICIDE

Free, Confidential 24/7 Support for People in Distress, Prevention and Crisis Resources for Oneself and Others, Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK

TRAUMA

Clinicians at Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers are available to speak to lawyers, law students, judges, legal professionals, and their families. Appointments can be scheduled directly from their website.
The Lawyers Depression Project is a peer resource group where folks can talk through what they're feeling/experiencing with other lawyers and legal professionals in a free, confidential, virtual environment.
NAMI Massachusetts provides peer support for folks with mental health conditions or symptoms, have experienced trauma, or would otherwise like support, as well as family support, and a helpline to navigate the mental health system.
Resiliency After Violence (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) (Guidance to parents on helping their children after a shooting)
Crisis and School Safety - Talking to Children about Violence (National Association of School Psychologists)
Building Resilience from Trauma in the Legal Profession (LCLMa.org)
Research and Reports on Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Post-Traumatic Stress in the Legal Profession (SJC Standing Committee)