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Compassionate Professionalism and Wellness: Because Mere Civility Is No Longer Enough

When:
July 19, 2022 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
2022-07-19T12:00:00-04:00
2022-07-19T13:00:00-04:00
Cost:
$50 for Solo & Small Firm Section Members

Live GoToWebinar presented by Don Blackwell of Bowman and Brooks LLP and moderated by Cristina Alonso. Course number and Professionalism and Mental Health Awareness CLE credit pending approval. Registration opens soon.

Don Blackwell, who has written and spoken extensively on issues relating to mental health and professionalism, will share an account of the personal challenges that often overlay our already highly stressful and demanding professional lives as attorneys – challenges that not only can affect our own professionalism, but be profoundly impacted by the professionalism or lack of professionalism of others.  He will highlight the alarming statistics relating to attorney mental health, discuss commons triggers and signs of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and eating disorders, before suggesting everyday practices that attorneys can utilize to be more mindful of their and their colleagues’ (friends and foes) mental and emotional well-being and, in the process, enhance everyone’s level of professionalism.  He will conclude by educating attendees on the myriad resources that exist through The Florida Bar to assist those in need of mental health counseling, support, and professional guidance.

The goals of this presentation are fivefold:

  1. To share a firsthand account of the personal challenges that often overlay our already highly stressful and demanding professional lives;
  2. To highlight the alarming statistics relating to attorney mental health;
  3. To discuss common triggers and signs of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and eating disorders;
  4. To suggest everyday practices that attorneys can utilize to be more mindful of their and their colleagues’ (friends and foes) mental and emotional well-being; and
  5. To educate attendees on the myriad of resources that exist through The Florida Bar to assist those in need of mental health counseling, support, and professional guidance


Donald A. BlackwellDon Blackwell is a trial lawyer at Bowman and Brooke, LLP, in Lake Mary, who, for the past 38 years has defended designers, manufacturers, and retailers of automobiles, watercraft, medical devices, power tools, heavy equipment, chemicals, and friction products in personal injury and wrongful death actions. He earned his Bachelor’s in English with Honors from Spring Hill College and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Don has written and spoken extensively on issues relating to mental health and professionalism, including several articles that have appeared in The Professional: “Compassionate Professionalism,” “The Time Has Come to Give Mental Health’s No. 1 Killer a Seat at the Table,” “Who Cries at Texas Roadhouse,” “The Help Desk,” and “The Price of Needing to Be Right.”