CONSULTATIONS

Specialized and Tailored Assistance for Legal Professionals

When we are stressed, overwhelmed, or going through a hard time, it is difficult to know where to start or what assistance might be needed for yourself, your colleagues, family, or workplace. A consultation with one of our specialized and licensed clinical staff will help get you started.

1. Free and Confidential Individual Consultations

Consultations for Self: When you contact COLAP for your own needs, the consultation will help you clarify the scope of your presenting issues, including personal and professional or career-related concerns. You will also receive education about the topics, develop goals for addressing the issues, learn about resources and techniques that can assist you, and determine an appropriate strategy for moving forward.
Consultations for Another: When you contact COLAP out of concern for a family member, colleague, or other member of the legal community, the consultation will help you clarify and understand the concerning behaviors you have been observing. You will receive education about signs and symptoms of behavioral health issues, and develop a plan for how to offer support to the person you are concerned about.

Consultation topics include but are not limited to

Mental health concerns including stress management, anxiety, depression, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma.
Substance use and/or addiction issues.
Career-related issues including retirement and life transitions.
Relationship and/or communication issues with family, clients, or other members of the legal community, including judges, staff, and colleagues.
Personal legal issues or professional conflicts with opposing counsel.

Resources shared might include

Vetted specialists for assessment, psychotherapy, inpatient or outpatient treatment, career counseling, executive coaching, and other personal or professional needs.
Recovery support and peer support group meetings.
COLAP confidential volunteers for peer-to-peer assistance.
COLAP voluntary monitoring.
Programs, agencies, and organizations assisting with financial, ethical, legal, and career-related needs.

2. Free and Confidential Workplace Consultations and Critical Incident Response

Whether it is for a firm, district, or agency, COLAP clinical staff can support leadership and management in creating a culture of well-being, and address systemic issues to improve wellness, staff engagement, and job satisfaction.
After a crisis has occurred, COLAP clinical staff can support your team with critical incident debriefing and trauma-informed therapeutic referrals for the legal community.

Confidentiality

All communications with COLAP are privileged and held in the strictest confidence.

Members of the legal community can be reluctant to seek assistance for behavioral health, well-being, and career-related issues. The Colorado Supreme Court addressed this concern by making COLAP a separate and independent agency.

In addition, pursuant to Rule 254, the court mandated that all communications with COLAP are “privileged and held in the strictest confidence.”

COLAP is prohibited from disclosing any information without a signed release from the individual it pertains to, and information shared with COLAP cannot be used as evidence in complaints, investigations, or in legal or disciplinary proceedings. Reaching out to COLAP cannot negatively impact your license, career, or personal relationships; but not reaching out might.