May is Mental Health Awareness Month! To that end, Harris Beach has taken the American Bar Association’s Well-being Pledge. The firm has doubled down on its commitment to create a healthier workplace and legal profession. The ABA Well-Being Pledge supports well-being in the legal profession and addresses troubling rates of alcohol and other substance-use disorders, as well as mental health concerns.

Developed by the American Bar Association’s Working Group to Advance Well-Being in the Profession, this campaign seeks to catalyze significant improvements in the legal sector, particularly by empowering legal employers to foster supportive and healthy work environments.

Harris Beach has pledged to:

1. Provide robust education regarding well-being and mental health;
2. Disrupt the status quo of drinking-based events;
3. Develop visible partnership with outside resources;
4. Provide confidential access to addiction and mental health resources;
5. Develop policies to support assessment and treatment of substance use and mental health problems;
6. Actively demonstrate that help-seeking and self-care are core cultural values; and
7. Highlight the adoption of this framework to attract and retain the best individuals in the organization.

The Harris Beach Wellness Committee has been carrying out this mission for years, even before taking the ABA’s pledge. Efforts have included meditations, yoga sessions, massages, walks, runs, wellness drives, wellness speakers, flu shots, a firm-wide roundtable discussion on mental health, Mental Health First Aid certification, and more.

Are you and your organization interested in collaborating on a wellness initiative? Please reach out to attorney Brendan Hall to explore opportunities! He can be reached at (212) 912-3635 and bhall@harrisbeachmurtha.com.