What to Expect When You Call Lawyers Helping Lawyers
by Shannon Johnson
“Lawyers Helping Lawyers, this is Shannon.” If you call (801) 579-0404 or 1 (800) 530-3743, this is most likely what you will first hear on the other end of the phone. My name is Shannon Johnson and I am the administrative assistant for Lawyers Helping Lawyers (LHL). As such, I have the opportunity of answering the phone and therefore being your first contact with LHL. I count this as a privilege and hope that I can always help you feel by the time you hang up the phone that your needs were or will be met. In order to make sure this happens, let me take a moment to guide you through what to expect if you call LHL.
First and foremost, please know that any information you share with me or anyone associated with LHL is always kept completely confidential. We keep private records of the number of calls we receive and what they are regarding so we can track our services, but that information never leaves the LHL office unless it has been stripped of any identifying features (even gender), and then only if necessary for reporting purposes. I will probably ask for your name, but if you don’t feel comfortable telling me, that is perfectly fine. If you do, however, know that I will never share your name or contact information with anyone without your express permission to do so. Along the same lines, if I ever need to contact you for information or to follow-up, I will not identify myself as calling from LHL unless you have agreed to that as well. Hopefully, understanding these facts will remove some of the questions or anxiety you may have about calling.
Next, there are two types of phone calls we receive at LHL that I would like to address, since someday you might find yourselves in one of these two situations. The first is the self-referral, when you call regarding a problem or issue that you are dealing with and request help. The majority of LHL’s calls are self-referrals. The second is the referral, when you call regarding someone you are acquainted with who seems to be struggling.
First, if you are calling for yourself, I will begin by asking you about the situation. Maybe it’s a drinking problem, a battle with depression, or overwhelming work-related stress. Whatever it is, I’ll ask for as many details as I think may be useful to help find the best services for you. We may discuss how long the problem has persisted, and what you think triggered it, down to how long and in what area of law you practice. Then we will discuss your options.
Perhaps this is a good time to explain that I am not an attorney, psychologist, counselor, or any other type of professional treatment provider. I am an administrative assistant. But before you wonder what qualifies me to answer your phone call, understand that while I may not have the experience myself, I have access to the very best of resources. At LHL, we have a unique combination of connections with mental health, substance abuse, and other associated treatment providers, as well as a network of nearly fifty lawyers who volunteer their time, talents, and experience to helping other attorneys in need. So, whether you need to speak with a counselor regarding your drinking problem, or just need to talk with another lawyer who practices criminal defense to see how they keep it all together without letting it drag them down, we can help.
Now, back to your phone call. After we have discussed what the issue is, I will probably ask you what you would like to see happen. What do you need, exactly, and how can LHL help you meet that need? If you don’t know the answer to that up front, that is ok. Many of us don’t. But as we talk it through together and discuss options and resources, it will become clearer. Depending on what your needs are, I will give you the information, resources, or connections that will help you meet your goals, such as AA schedules, a referral to a counselor to contact for an appointment, or the name of another lawyer who may have similar personal experience and could provide support – just to name a few. Sometimes getting you this information may mean that I need to take your number and call you back so I can let others who may become involved know to expect your call, and so I can verify that they are the right ones to help you. If this is the case, I promise not to keep you waiting long. I know that calling LHL takes courage and that you are ready for help.
Second, if you find yourself in the position of seeing a lawyer display behavior that is out of character or worrisome, you can fulfill your duty to report such behavior by calling LHL. See Utah Rule of Professional Conduct 8.3. Again, your referral is confidential, so the person about whom you are calling will never know you contacted us unless you personally tell that person or allow us to disclose that information.
When you call to report concerns about another attorney, I will most likely first ask you some of the same questions. What have you seen in his or her behavior that has given you reason to worry? Do you know what may have led to the behavior? What do you think needs to happen to help him or her? As we talk, I will probably ask what type of relationship you have with the attorney and if you have approached the attorney about the issue.
If you have, chances are the problem is still evident. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be calling LHL. It may take another, more direct approach from you, or even from someone else in the attorney’s life (spouse, family member, close friend, etc.) in order to help him or her recognize the problem. If you haven’t approached the attorney directly, we will discuss who should speak with the attorney. If you want to speak with the attorney I can provide you with resources to give to him or her that will hopefully point them in the right direction.
It is ideal if someone who is personally or professionally close to the attorney contact him or her before LHL makes contact, because one is much more likely to take seriously the concerns of someone they know cares about them. In fact, a stranger calling from LHL may put the person on the defensive and could exacerbate the problem. If this is the only option, however, either I or an LHL board member will privately make contact with the attorney and let him or her know that we have received a call from a concerned acquaintance who believes he or she may be struggling. This approach will be as caring and non-threatening as possible. Hopefully, we will be able to encourage the attorney to take advantage of LHL’s services. Ultimately, the choice will be up to them, but you have done your part to help.
I hope that this may have shed some light on what to expect when you call LHL, and thereby remove at least some of the anxiety you may feel about calling. We are here to help you and meet your needs. LHL’s purpose and goals are all about YOU! If you have any questions or concerns that haven’t been answered in this issue of the Bar Journal, please don’t hesitate to call me. You know the number.
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One of the most important services which Lawyers Helping Lawyers offers is a confidential Support Group for Lawyers. The support group meets informally on the third Wednesday of every month from 6:00 until 7:00 p.m. (or whenever we finish) at the Clift Building, 10 W. Broadway, Salt Lake City, Utah, in the third floor conference room.
As a group, lawyers face tremendous pressure to solve the problems of others. Often, in their zeal to help their clients and to serve their employers, lawyers overlook their own personal needs. The Support Group for Lawyers can help lawyers address their emotional needs.
It can be very reassuring for a lawyer to know that he or she is not alone in whatever problems he or she might be facing – and to know that others have been there before him or her, and were able to
address the problem and move on. It can also relieve stress to vent frustrations in a safe environment.
Participation in the Support Group for Lawyers is an opportunity for lawyers to discuss personal issues they are encountering, including but not limited to issues that are caused by work or that may impact their work. Issues which are discussed at a typical Support Group for Lawyers meeting may include stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, family issues, substance abuse, and other health issues. Lawyers may discuss these issues with others who have personally experienced the pressures and rewards of a legal career.
Lawyers from all walks of life and forms of practice have benefited from the Support Group for Lawyers. Participants may contribute to the discussion as much or as little as they desire.
Please feel welcome to attend the next Support Group for Lawyers. If you have any questions about the Support Group for Lawyers or about LHL, please contact administrative assistant Ms. Shannon Johnson at (801) 579-0404.