LAP is available to any lawyer struggling with issues relating to addiction and substance abuse , behavioral health , as well as law office management . Although LAP may rarely initiate a contact , participants are generally referred by a concerned co-worker , friend , or fellow practitioner . Referrals mainly come from :
• Inquiry Committees , Disciplinary Board or the North Dakota Supreme Court
• The State Board of Law Examiners
• A lawyer who makes a self-referral
Referrals are assigned to a committee member , who meets with the lawyer and conducts an intake evaluation . The Committee then reviews the evaluation to determine whether the lawyer is an appropriate candidate for LAP . Court and disciplinary referrals that require participation always end up in the LAP caseload .
Once accepted into LAP , the Committee and the lawyer develop an Individualized Assistance Plan ( IAP ) to address the issues of concern , and the lawyer is then asked to commit to all plan requirements . A mentor is normally assigned to the lawyer to assist in monitoring the lawyer ’ s compliance . On a number of occasions , committee members have also served as mentors .
Over the last few years , the Committee has handled approximately 15 cases each year . The numbers appear small when compared to the breadth of the problem outlined in the national study . If those statistics hold true for North Dakota , only a small percentage of lawyers suffering from alcohol abuse or behavioral health issues come to the attention of the LAP Committee .
Granted , there are many resources available throughout the state that serve to treat these problems . Furthermore , it is more common for the Committee to deal with cases that are referred by the disciplinary entities where the extent and severity of these problems create behavioral and competency issues that need to be addressed to protect the public from lawyer harm .
Anecdotal evidence brought before the Committee strongly suggests lawyers often wait too long to seek help . By then , loss of employment , family breakup , criminal problems , and disciplinary review , etc ., may have already occurred . Alcoholism , as an example , poses great life threatening consequences if left untreated . The LAP Committee has experienced the loss of a lawyer where the illness advanced to a state beyond which help could avert a tragic death .
Stigma remains an obstacle when dealing with mental health treatment . The Committee is aware of the perceived negative connotation involved when these problems are recognized , and help is avoided because of perceived societal views and norms . Who wouldn ’ t be afraid to answer questions on job applications or other documented inquiries into one ’ s mental health or addiction history ?
Our profession , however , has the resources and services available to avert the tragic events that can happen when early detection and treatment are avoided . The Member Assistance Program also provides confidential assessment and treatment to lawyers and their immediate families for a
SSTEVEN A . STORSLEE
NEW CONTACT INFORMATION
wide variety of challenging issues , including addiction and mental health issues . SBAND collaborates with a large service provider , as well as LAP , in securing this help for lawyers , as well as their family members , on a statewide network . Financial constraints do not have to be a barrier to receiving help as those resources are also available through SBAND .
Finally , there is more the LAP effort can accomplish . Mentors are needed in every area of the state . They are needed not only to address the current caseload and cases yet to come in , but also to educate themselves on the ability to recognize these issues in the professional communities . Mentors and volunteers are key in creating an environment where suffering lawyers are more apt to seek help . The mentors that work with LAP give generously of their time to help participants in the program and are instrumental in their success . The Committee stands ready and dedicated to assist any lawyer or law student that is in need of help . Referrals and requests for assistance can be directed to NorthDakotaLAP @ gmail . com .
EXPERIENCED MEDIATION
� 40 years as a civil litigator
� 20 years as a mediator
� Substantial experience in mediating oil field cases
Storslee
Law Firm , P . C .
Phone : ( 701 ) 226-3550 steve @ storsleemediation . com P . O . Box 996 , Bismarck , ND 58502-0996 www . storsleemediation . com
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