Mental health professionals, attorneys, and policymakers are invited to join Vermont Law School students to examine Mental Health and the Law at the 2019 Solutions Conference on Friday, March 22 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Chase Community Center at VLS. Participants will strengthen skills in professional wellness practices and learn ways to better advocate for their clients who struggle with mental illness. The conference is free and open to the public and will be streamed live at vermontlaw.edu/live.
Communities are grappling with an increasing number of citizens struggling to cope with trauma. Employers work to find a balance between employees with mental illness and their bottom line. Families must balance the needs of their loved ones while advocating for them in schools, navigating the health care system, and facing the economic uncertainty that comes with illness. Attorneys and law enforcement become intermediaries at each of these intersections. As professionals interacting with a challenging population, instituting systems of self-care and professional development are key to mitigating burn out.
The mental illness that all too often follows trauma affects 70% of youth in juvenile justice systems, according to the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, estimates that 1 in 5 adults experience a mental illness each year. The resources that are required to cope with a problem of this magnitude are constantly being tested.
“The mental health system in Vermont is in crisis,” says conference organizer and VLS JD/MELP '20 Candidate Jessica Debski. “The Solutions Conference this year is designed to support law professionals who are on the front lines of the mental health epidemic. We will be addressing burnout and depression within the legal profession.”
Sponsored by Vermont Law School student groups If/When/How, Veteran's Law Student Association, Mental Health Committee, Women's Law Group, Latin American Law Student Association (LALSA), and Black Law Students Association (BLSA), the 2019 Solutions Conference will examine the intersection between mental health and the law through three panel discussions: Lawyer-Client Relations; Self-Care in the Legal Profession; and Restorative Justice. The Keynote address will be delivered by Paula Schnurr, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD.
For more information about the conference, please contact Harrison Drapo at harrisondrapo@vermontlaw.edu.