| THE ONTARIO LAWYERS’ ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The Ontario Lawyers Assistance Program (OLAP) Free-of Charge Counseling One of the services that OLAP provides to the profession, law students and their immediate families, is free-of-charge counseling. This is in addition to and sometimes, in tandem with, peer support. An agreement with an international provider of employee assistance programs offers counseling to assess and determine a course of future counseling needs by offering the opportunity to talk, identify the issues, address them and work out a plan of action. What is counseling? Counseling is a specialized process of working with a trained professional to help solve life’s challenges. It is a partnership between the counselor and the client. Counselors have specific training and expertise and belong to a discipline-specific college to safeguard the client and the professional. Never hesitate to ask the qualifications and professional membership of the counselor you are referred to. What happens when you call OLAP? It is our goal to address all calls in person to answer your questions and make suggestions about your next step, decide what might be helpful and set up an appointment with a counselor if appropriate. Your call is responded to by OLAP staff listed below. If we are unable to answer your call directly we will call back within 24 hrs. Back-up help is available through our Employee Assistance Program and your call may be answered by intake staff at Shepell.fgi. Short term counseling Short-term counseling is offered through the employee assistance component of OLAP. Short term counseling is usually considered solution-focused and is goal-oriented to assist in dealing with specific problem areas. Short term counseling has a specified number of hours. Please ask the counselor what the limit to the number of sessions is. Long term counseling Long-term counseling may be required for some complex situations or situations that have many different aspects. OLAP manager and therapist Leota Embleton provides long term counseling in situations when it is appropriate. Also, the counselor that provides short term counseling may refer clients to an agency or specialized service for longer term help. Counseling is always confidential within the limits of the law. No information discussed is shared with LSUC or LAWPRO or any other entity without your signed consent.
Intake Counselors have variety of training and areas of expertise. OLAP case managers help determine the nature and needs of individual situations and assist in making the best possible match between lawyer and counselor. All therapists have training at the Masters level with degrees from recognized university programs in social work, counseling, psychology or mental health. They also have additional experience in a variety of areas. Face to face counseling with a professional therapist is available to lawyers, judges and members of their immediate families through the Ontario Lawyers Assistance Program. OLAP has a contract with an international Employee assistance Program as referred to above – Shepell.fgi - that allows us to offer face to face counseling in all areas of the province. A centralized intake centre allows easy access and quick appointment set up. Telephone counseling is also available. Links to Information about services is available on our web site and self assessments are available under mental health and addiction menus. Issues that are dealt with include addiction assessment for alcohol, prescription drugs, illegal drugs, gambling, internet and sexual behavior; assessment for mental wellness concerns such as grief/loss, stress, suicidal ideation and trauma; mood disorders such anxiety, depression, and bi-polar/ mood disorder illness; relationship issues such as divorce/separation, child management, blended family, couple, family; food and eating disorders such as anorexia/bulimia, weight problems; health issues; and work-related concerns such as career issues, discrimination, job loss, sexual harassment, stress and work relations conflict. There is a one-number intake for assessment – GTA – 905-238-1740; outside the GTA – 1-877-576-6227. All calls are treated with the same strict confidentiality policy as those for peer support requests. Your name or identifying information will never be disclosed to anyone outside the OLAP team. However, statistical information is collected to ensure that present and future needs are met appropriately. It may be that a caller requires and would benefit from both counseling and peer support. OLAP provides this all round, holistic approach to addressing issues callers have. To talk to one of the OLAP team of Leota Embleton – Program Manager, Doron Gold – Case Manager, Terri Wilkinson – Case Manager and Catherine Hendrick – Administrative Assistant, please call 1-877-576-6227. The Volunteer Executive Director, John Starzynski, can be reached at 1-877-584-6227. Please visit the website at www.olap.ca for additional resources and information related to lawyers’ wellness. If you would like an OLAP staff person to speak to your organization, firm, legal committee or local law association, please feel free to contact us.
Legal Profession Assistance Conference (LPAC) |Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) | Lawyers Assistance Program of British Columbia (BCLAP) | Nova Scotia Lawyers Assistance Program (NSLAP) | Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) | The Lawyers Assistance Program (LINK) | The Alberta Lawyers Assistance Program | Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (Saskatchewan) | The Lawyers Professional Indemnity Company (LawPRO) | Law Practice Consulting |
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