
Why Mediation Institute?
Why Mediation Institute? Find out the benefits of training with or joining Mediation Institute.
Paul Kenna is an experienced family lawyer, mediator, family dispute resolution practitioner and legal supervisor for Interact Support.
Too many people generally and too many people working in the broader legal industry confuse Mental Health and Mental Illness and consequently shy away from discussing either. Mental Illness is a convenient excuse for anything out of our ordinary that we don’t want to address.
Yet if you are willing to look a little closer you will realise that mental illness is at the end of continium under the banner of Mental Health.
If you had a scale between 1 and 100 where 100 was optimal wellbeing and 1 was a profoundly challenged person who would struggle to exist in society then most of the incidents of Mental Illness that we come across in our daily lives in this profession would be in the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s in this scale. Psychologists have tried to rate mental Illness and what is normal in what is known as the Global Assessment of functioning.
This scale was included in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version IV) and is summarised as follows:
91 – 100 No symptoms. Superior functioning in a wide range of activities, life’s problems never seem to get out of hand, is sought out by others because of his or her many positive qualities.
When I was studying it was pretty hard to maintain a 90 + grade average – indeed I dont think I ever did as an undergraduate student but that improved for the better as a part time mature aged student. In a profession where you are expected to be right all the time despite the facts and the law are selldom that clear cut raises stress levels. Add to this the stress our clients bring to the practice of Family law and Dispute Resolution. A little bit of self care may be needed.
There is a nice resource that was developed by the Law Society of South Australia to assist its members and those in the profession generally which you can access whether you are a lawyer or not. Its called their Health and Wellbeing package that aims to expand participants’ knowledge of mental health issues, and for participants to then contribute to building a culture of wellness and self-care throughout the legal profession. To access the program, go to the Law Society of South Australia ‘s website. You don’t have to be a LSSA member but you will need to create an account and login. Click on this link It should take between one to one and a half hours, and completing it earns you one CPD unit (for Victorian Lawyers in the compulsory area of professional development).
Why Mediation Institute? Find out the benefits of training with or joining Mediation Institute.
Use this Mi Ai Mediation Coach HowToo guide to explore how to use the Mi Ai Mediation Coach core features, student AMDRAS roleplays, member coaching tools, reflection journals, CPD, uploads, accreditation support, and more—all in one handy place.
Use the Mi Ai FDR Coach HowToo post to explore how to use the Mi Ai FDR Coach to explore roleplays, reflection tools, journals, compliance guides, training notes, and FAQs—all in one handy spot.
There is also another resource that may be of value to practitioners working in high stress areas. Mindscount has been established to focus legal practices on what they are doing to their lawyers. Check out their online Publications and other resources for people working in this industry https://mindscount.org/
One of the prices we have to pay when considering issues like this is that it can stir up issues in our own lives that may not have been fully dealt with. Thats healthy and needs to be addressed but not necessarily alone. We have great resourses available if we need support such as:
Lifeline Crisis support Phone 13 11 14 (24 hour)
SANE helpline (9am -5pm) 1800 187 263
Beyondblue info line 1300 224 636
Black Dog Institute (02) 9382 2991
Men’s Line Australia 1300 789 978
Salvos Care Line 1300 363 622
And Your GP who can provide you with a Mental Health plan and discounted access to psychological support