Montana Lawyer April/May 2024

ABA-sponsored pledge to reduce substance use disorder and other mental health problems in our profession, by reducing if not eliminating alcohol-centric workplace and networking events.6 I hope other legal workplaces, bar associations, and law schools will soon make the same or similar pledges. Further, several state bar associations including the WSBA have developed effective models of accessible and completely confidential lawyer-assistance programs, separate from the disciplinary functions of their associations. The WSBA, for example, provides free and confidential addiction and psycho logical counseling as well as other programming. In addition, the State Bar of California and some others now require CLE reported credits (and associated CLE trainings) on substance use disorder. I hope the WSBA will consider doing the same. NOTES 1. Patrick R. Krill, Ryan Johnson, and Linda Albert. “The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys,” Journal of Addiction Medicine 10, no. 1 (Feb. 2016): 46-52, https://doi.org/10.1097% 2FADM.0000000000000182. Patrick Krill is an attorney as well as a board-certified alcohol and drug counselor. 2. Justin Anker and Patrick R. Krill. “Stress, Drink, Leave: An Examination of Gender-Specific Risk Factors for Mental Health Problems and Attrition Among Licensed Attorneys,” PLoS ONE 16, no. 5 (May 2021), https://doi.org/10.1371/jour nal.pone.0250563. 3. Id. 4. Id. 5. See ABA National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being Report (“The Path to Lawyer Well-Being”), and corresponding ABA Board of Governors Resolution 105, at https://lawyerwell being.net/. 6. The Pledge can be found at www.americanbar.org/ content/dam/aba/administrative/lawyer_assistance/ls-colap working-group-pledge-and-campaign.pdf. See also www.ameri canbar.org/groups/lawyer_assistance/well-being-in-the-legal profession (Pledge Toolkit for Lawyers and Legal Employers); Patrick R. Krill, “The ABA Well-Being Pledge Turns 5: Progress Made, Progress Needed,” ABA Journal, Oct. 23, 2023, at http:// www.abajournal.com/voice/article/the-aba-well-being-pledge turns-5-progress-made-progress-needed.  7. I am a volunteer peer counselor. Free Recovery Sources • Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 • Lawyers Depression Project: www.lawyersdepression project.org/. • SBMT Lawyer Assistance Program https://www. montanabar.org/Membership-Regulatory/Member-Resources/ Lawyer-Assistance-Program. • ABA National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being Report and corresponding ABA Board of Governors Resolution 105. https://lawyerwellbeing.net/. • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): www.dru gabuse.gov/. • National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), www.niaaa.nih.gov/. • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (includes information and resourc es on both substance use disorders and mental health disor ders): www.samhsa.gov.

BOWLES GROUP EXPERTS

ECONOMICS | VOCATIONAL | LIFE CARE PLANS | LIFE EXPECTANCY

Britani Bowles - MRC, CRC

Tyler is a PhD economist and a CPA. He has provided litigation support throughout the Intermountain West for over 30 years. Tyler is an award-winning teacher at a major university and has published extensively on in the primary forensic economics journals. economic damages Douglas P. Romrell - MS Doug has been a faculty member in the Economics and Finance Department at Utah State University since 1993. He has a master's degree in economics, owned several small businesses, and has been involved in since 2015. economics Britani has a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) - the most recognized credential in her field. At Bowles Group Experts, she specializes in Previously, Britani worked for the Idaho Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. vocational assessment. Austin received his MD with honors from the University of Pittsburgh. Austin is a practicing physician, and has formal training in mathematics with a master's degree in statistics. Austin applies his unique training to the questions of but-for and post incident Austin J. Bowles - MD, CLCP, MS certified life care planner, forensic life expectancies. Tyler J. Bowles - PhD, CPA

https://www.bowlesgroupexperts.com/

APRIL-MAY 2024

27

WWW.MONTANABAR.ORG