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Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, the Minds Count board reflected on what’s been learned in 2018 and what the coming year will bring for discussions about and initiatives for wellbeing across the legal profession.
This year has seen a focus on substance dependency and abuse along with workplace practices, said Minds Count board member and Australian Bar Association CEO Cindy Penrose.
However, there is is much to be optimistic about as we head into 2019, she noted, as while the legal profession is competitive, “it can also be particularly collegial”.
“There is widespread appreciation for the prevalence of ‘unwellness’ in our profession from senior members and generally good support developed from across all areas of the profession from private practice, the bar, the bench and government,” she explained.
“Minds Count would like to see a strong focus of support on smaller in-house legal teams and regional and rural lawyers.”
Looking ahead to 2019, Ms Penrose said, the “core goals” of the charitable advocacy organisation would be to “engage more with the signatories of the best practice guidelines to appreciate their pressure points and explore initiatives to provide tools to assist, develop further strong advocacy of mental wellbeing in the legal profession [and] continue the flagship annual lecture and transition our leadership and brand”.
The foundation will also be looking into new areas of research which may be required, she added.
“Some of the themes of this research are focused on substance abuse and dependency and workplace practices.”
Lawyers Weekly, in conjunction with Thomson Reuters and Momentum Intelligence, is currently running a survey called ‘Tech and the Law, 2018 Wrap Up’. For every person who completes the survey, Lawyers Weekly will donate $2 to Minds Count. If you wish to support the work of Minds Count, please complete the survey here.
Jerome Doraisamy is the managing editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in New South Wales, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
You can email Jerome at:
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Jerome Doraisamy
