With increasing focus on the strains the profession places on mental health, Reed Smith has announced a global Mental Health Task Force to help Reed Smith’s team address mental health issues as they arise.
The new task force grew out of the work of the firm’s Looking for Excellence and Advancement of Persons with Disabilities (LEADRS) group, and closely tracks the recommendations of the American Bar Association’s National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. Partner Kimberly Gold will serve as the inaugural chair of the task force:
“The mission of this task force is to ensure that our lawyers and professional staff have access to help whenever they or their family members experience or are at risk of experiencing mental health or substance use issues. We will also challenge the well-documented stigma surrounding these issues and cultivate a workplace culture that promotes psychological wellness and positive help-seeking behaviors,” Gold said. “We are collaborating with other key members of Reed Smith’s Diversity & Inclusion team to develop a comprehensive strategy for assessing and addressing these outcomes across our global platform.”
The group has scheduled multiple events across the firm, including a Lawyers Assistance Program Panel Webinar in the United States and a Mental Health First Aid Training program. In March, the firm plans to conduct a firmwide survey to identify additional members for its advisory teams.
Hopefully more firms take Reed Smith’s lead.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.