HELP FOR A COLLEAGUE: If You Don

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HELP FOR A COLLEAGUE If You Dont Help Who
Will?Intervention Expressing Concern About
Someones Drinking

• Teleconference Presented to N.B. LAP Volunteers
• by
• John G Starzynski, Volunteer Executive Director,
  Ontario Lawyers Assistance Program
• and
• Leota Embleton, Program Manager
• Jan 23, 2008

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Lawyers and Addiction

• Is addiction an issue for the legal profession?
• If I had to pick the most common malady
  affecting lawyers, it would be alcoholism. Many
  lawyers use alcohol to self medicate against
  career stress and to cope with their own
  challenging personality traits which can include
  perfectionism, the need to control and
  grandiosity.
• Don Carroll, A Lawyers Guide to Healing
  Solutions for Addiction and Depression.

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What is Addiction?

• Addiction is a continued escalating repeated
  behaviour despite knowledge of negative
  consequences and knowledge of harm to self or
  others. Symptoms are biological, cognitive and
  behavioural.
• Alcoholism (addiction) is a brain disease.
  Addiction has been shown to have both a cause and
  an effect relationship to changes in brain
  structure and function. It is this relationship
  that makes addiction a disease of the brain, not
  a moral failing
• Diagnostic Services Manual IV Mental Disorders
• Dr. Graeme Cunningham, Director of Homewood
  Health Services, Guelph, Ontario

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How to Help a Colleague

• Intervention A planned, goal orientated, caring
  process to help an individual identify and
  address an addiction.
• The plan involves those who are affected by the
  behaviour (colleague, family member(s), law firm
  partner)
• The process is to approach the individual from a
  perspective of caring (not threat)
• There is a goal associated with the process
• For Example To have the person agree to get
  help

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How to Recognize Addictive Behaviour

• Notice and record changes in behaviour
• Attendance
• Performance
• Personal habits and behaviour

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Some Behaviours that indicate a problem drinker

• Attends Court or meetings after drinking
• Drinks during working hours
• Drinks often and a lot
• Defensive about drinking
• Legal problems related to drinking
• (impaired driving charges, domestic violence)
• Conceals amount of consumption or frequency

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Types of Intervention

• Informal (usually one-on-one)
• Multidimensional (crosses boundaries of
  activities)
• Structured (with an outside professional)
• Focused on one area of functioning
• Workplace, Friend)
• Family

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Preparation for Intervention

• Decide who will be involved
• Get the facts
• Determine the details
• Location
• Order of speaking
• Prepare for denial, defensiveness and possible
  personal accusations
• Practice

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Overview of content

1. Name the problem
2. Select the participants
3. Identify concrete feelings and incidents
4. Propose solutions and choices
5. Offer on going support

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Details the Intervention Process

• Choose location
• Emphasize confidentiality
• Be open and honest
• State the purpose
• Emphasize that this is an offer of help
• Avoid judgements
• Dont arguethis is not a trial
• Offer your experience and message of strength and
  hope
• Suggest a plan
• Take Action

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Conclusion

• Always leave the door open
• Arrange to follow up
• Practice detachment

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When do you act?

• The sooner the better
• Taking action can save a career
• Taking action can save a life

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Remember

• There is no such thing as a failed intervention

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References

• Help for a Colleague If You Dont Help A
  Colleague, Who Will?
• http//www.olap.ca/if20you20wont20help20a20c
  olleague.html
• Caring About a Problem Drinker
• http//www.lawcare.org.uk/PDF20Files/Caring20Ab
  out20a20Problem20Drinker.pdf
• 2. OLAP Volunteer Handbook
• www.olap.ca/volunteer-info-handbook.html
• The Impaired Lawyer from the Firms Point of View
  http//www.olap.ca/documents/Impaired20Lawyer20-
  20From20the20Firm's20Point20of20View.htm.pdf
  
• Identifying Addiction
• Carol P. Waldhauser, GP Solo Magazine,
  July/August 2001, Vol. 18 5

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• For more tips and articles on helping someone
  with an addiction issue visit our website at
  www.olap.ca/articles or Call OLAP905-238-1740