THANK YOU! #BELLLETSTALK Day RAISED OVER $7.2m
The final results are in! Thanks to everyone who participated in #BellLetsTalk Day, another $7,272,134.95 was raised for mental health initiatives, bringing Bell’s total commitment to since 2011 to $100,695,763.75.
Throughout January 2019, FOLA ran a #BellLetsTalk awareness campaign on our Twitter page to encourage Ontario lawyers to get involved in the online conversation about mental health. And you guys were awesome!
During the month of January, FOLA saw our twitter traffic far outperform our usual engagement: Our retweets were up 700% from December and our Link Clicks were up 246%!
Next year, we'll be running a similar campaign with pre-written content so all you have to do is cut and paste and Tweet! It's a great way to show you care about mental health AND a great way to engage your online community!
If you are a lawyer and need help, please contact the Law Society's Member Assistance Program.
Mental Health & Wellness Resources
LSO MEMBER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The Law Society's Member Assistance Program (MAP) for lawyers and their families is provided by Homewood Human Solutions. It is a fully confidential service funded by the Law Society of Ontario.
MAP provides secure, single sign-on access to counselling, coaching, online resources and peer volunteers. Members can get professional help with issues related to addictions, mental or physical health, work-life balance, career, family and more.
A full description of the program can be found on the Member Assistance Program website.
For questions about specific services covered by MAP call 1-855-403-8922.
Peer volunteers needed
If you're an empathetic and caring lawyer who has struggled in the past with addiction, mental health, or other serious issues, consider helping colleagues facing similar struggles by volunteering for MAP's confidential Peer Support Program.
The Peer Support Program, an integral part of the Member Assistance Program, offers peer-to-peer support to lawyers. No experience is necessary - Homewood Human Solutions provides all volunteers with on-going training on effective ways to support others in the profession. The program is administrated by Aon Hewitt Inc. to ensure the full confidentiality of all client information.
For more information about this volunteer opportunity, send an email or call 1-855-403-8922.
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health means striking a balance in all aspects of your life: social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental. Reaching a balance is a learning process. At times, you may tip the balance too much in one direction and have to find your footing again. Your personal balance will be unique, and your challenge will be to stay mentally healthy by keeping that balance.
Click here for information and suggestions from the Canadian Mental Health Association to help you keep your balance.
Click here and enter your postal code to find your local Canadian Mental Health Association branch.
ONTARIO AA LINKS
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who think they have a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem. Click here to find a meeting in your area (Ontario Only).
WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH
Medcan offers employee health solutions bridge the gap between your benefits plan and the health needs of your employees. Plus, they have some amazing resources for you and your family.
The Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace is a leading source of free, practical tools and resources designed to help Canadian employers with the prevention, intervention and management of workplace mental health issues. All tools and resources are available in English and French to anyone, anywhere, at no cost.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness Without Borders (MWB) is a leading provider of best practices and evidenced-based programs on secular mindfulness and social-emotional intelligence to youth, educators, health and corporate professionals in communities around the world. MWB offers in-person and on-line workshops, produce a fantastic blog, and have lots of resources on their website.
MUSE, a Personal Meditation Assistant from Toronto's Interaxon, is wearable tech at its best! It's a headband that, when paired with their app, gives you feedback about your meditation in real time by translating your brain signals into the sounds of weather.
MORE RESOURCES COMING SOON
Do you have something you'd like to share? Please contact our Executive Director at katie.robinette@fola.ca. Thanks
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you are a lawyer and need help, please contact the Law Society's Member Assistance Program.
Language matters
The words you use can make all the difference. Words can help, but they can also hurt.
Educate yourself
Stigma has been around for a long time. knowing the facts and myths about mental illness can be a great way to help end the stigma. Become a stigma buster!
Be Kind
Simple kindness can make a world of difference. Whether it be a smile, being a good listener or an invitation for coffee and a chat, these simple acts of kindness can help open up the conversation and let someone know you are there for them.
Expressions like “You’ll get over it” and “Just relax” can minimize how a person is feeling. Instead offer your support and say “I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well.” Ask what you can do to help.
Listen
Mental illness is a very common form of human pain and suffering. Being a good listener and asking how you can help, sometimes just even being there for people you care about, can be the first step in recovery.
Talk about it
Break the silence. Mental illness touches us all in some way directly or through a friend, family member or colleague. Stories of people who have experienced mental health issues and who are doing well can really challenge stereotypes. Most people with mental health issues can and do recover, some just by talking about it.
Other helpful tips
To help you be part of the conversation, the Bell Let’s Talk Conversation Guide was created. It provides information and resources on how you can facilitate a conversation in your community, as well as guidelines on how to have conversations with people you care about and may be concerned about.