Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program (OLAP)

“Sometimes, asking for help is the bravest thing you can do.”  Such is the declaration that welcomes visitors to the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program (OLAP) website www.ohiolap.org. Truer words could not be spoken because seeking help with your mental health is an indication of strength and the recognition that life can be better even when facing challenges.

As a requirement of licensure in Ohio, each aspiring attorney must first be educated on substance abuse and why it touches the lives of so many in our profession.  Your education regarding substance abuse continues throughout your career, as each biennium, you will be required to show substance abuse and ethics training as part of your continuing legal education (CLE) requirements.  Even so, and despite the outreach and education on the importance of mental health, Ohio attorneys and law students are often unaware of OLAP and the assistance it offers.

OLAP offers multiple levels of support to those in the Ohio legal profession, including law students.  OLAP, which is governed by strong rules of confidentiality, is there to provide various sources of support and assistance for lawyers, judges, and law students who are facing substance use disorders and mental health issues.  Whether you reach out for yourself or on behalf of someone you are concerned about, OLAP is there to offer confidential advice, help arrange and implement formal interventions, help with understanding and choosing treatment options, and monitoring and providing aftercare services.    More specifically, OLAP has shown tremendous success in helping the legal community cope with the stresses inherent in our profession, and have saved careers and lives by helping lawyers with depression, burnout, anxiety, gambling disorders and more.

While OLAP is headquartered in Columbus, there is an office right here in Cleveland.  Reach out confidentially to learn more about the services, programs, and help that OLAP can provide for you or someone you are concerned about.  bendslow@ohiolap.org www.ohiolap.org  Cleveland office: (440) 338-4650 or (800) 618-8606

If you or someone you know is in need, do not hesitate to call.  Again, the information is confidential and you can discuss the ways in which you’d like to work with OLAP to gain key assistance.  Working with OLAP can also be a wonderful way of addressing character and fitness issues that arose before or during your law school career related to drugs or alcohol, such as arrests, warnings, or convictions.  OLAP is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of Ohio attorneys, judges, and law students and was created to help those brave enough to ask for it.

This week’s wellness posts are sponsored by the CSU|LAW Wellness Committee.