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Deborah Wigington is judge of Comal County Court at Law No. 3 in New Braunfels. The mental health court handles both civil matters, as well as criminal referrals, related to mental health issues. The purpose of the court is to take a non-adversarial approach to helping individuals with mental health issues find resources that can help them. The court has forms to share with other courts interested in offering mental health services. Visit https://www.co.comal.tx.us/CCLaw/Mental_Health_Court.htm to view these documents. The Texas Judicial Summit on Mental Health will take place Nov. 21-22, 2024. The in-person event is full, but you can still register and attend for free by signing up for the livestream at https://web.cvent.com/event/4bb9ad0d-0f6d-4154-837d-5c941190c00c/regPage:3a358dcf-21b7-414c-ad7b-06220cc77043.

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In the next episode of Stop the Stigma, we talk to Paul Jacobs, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. In Paul’s own words, his addictions cost him virtually everything - his lucrative career, his marriage, and nearly his children. In his heart, he knew he was an addict, but it wasn’t until he was at his lowest point - -23 degrees below zero at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where a doctor told him his ear, nose, and throat system was irreparably damaged as a result of his cocaine use - that Paul accepted help, or surrendered.

What followed was an intense rehab process that finally got Paul sober, and today, more than five years clean, Paul helps other attorneys in crisis at TLAP. It’s important for Paul to be vocal about his addiction and recovery, he says, because it lets other attorneys know they’re not alone, they just need to ask for help. In retrospect, he says, if a lawyer he respected had shared their own story of recovery, Paul himself might not have felt so ashamed of asking for help. He hopes providing his story will make the difference for another attorney who is struggling.

Don't let costs stop you from getting the help you need. The Austin Bar Foundation offers the Justice Mack Kidd Fund to help pay for treatment of mental health disorders, like depression. Visit https://www.austinbar.org/?pg=justice-mack-kidd-fund

Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program offers the Sheeran-Crowley Trust also offers financial help in getting treatment for substance use and mental health issues. Visit https://www.sheerancrowley.org/

The Austin Young Lawyers Association Foundation offers the Personal Crisis Assistance Plan, which offers either $1,500 to help with practice-related financial obligations or helps coordinate with volunteers to oversee an individual's practice while he or she handles the personal crisis. To apply confidentially for financial or practice assistance, please contact Debbie Kelly at 512-472-0279, x105 or by email at debbie@austinbar.org.

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The Christi Center is a free grief counseling center in Austin, Texas. The Center has groups for Loss to Suicide, Loss to Overdose, Pregnancy and Infant Loss, Crime Victims, Teen Group, as well as a general adult group.

Featured in this episode are Ana-Christina Gonzalez, a fundraising consultant for the Christi Center; Executive and Clinical Director Jocelyn Chamra Barrera; Peer Support Coordinator Christi Neville, and Board President Julio Mendoza-Quiroz.

The Christi Center has its annual fundraiser, Heart Connections, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Norris Conference Center. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, a table, or sponsoring the event, please click here.

If you're interested in learning more about the Christi Center, including joining any of its grief groups, please click here.

The Christi Center offers numerous resources for parents in how to help their children through grief. To access these resources, including the downloadable PDF "Coping with Grief," click here.

The Christi Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. To make a tax-deductible donation, click here.

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to with Aaron Moncibaiz, general counsel for Goodwill of Central Texas. For more information on how you can support Goodwill Central Texas, visit https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - 01:00 Introduction 01:01 - 05:30 Why did you want to share your story with us? 05:31 - 10:57 How did you experience depression and what effect did it have on your practice and personal life? 10:58 - 11:42 How did you realize what you were feeling was depression? 11:43 - 13:51 How did you reenter the practice of law? 13:52 - 19:14 How do you prioritize your mental health? 19:15 - 23:22 What do you do when you find yourself in a “messy middle”? 23:23 - 24:33 Tell us about your practice. 24:34 - 26:16 What other self-care techniques do you employ? 26:17 - 34:38 What perceptions of mental health and substance abuse do you want to change? 34:39 - 37:45 What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your mental health journey that you know now? 37:46 - 41:28 What advice would you give to young attorneys? 41:28 - 45:56 How do you balance work and your mental health? 45:57 - 47:48 How do you balance your mental health and being a mom? 47:49 - 51:03 What advice would you give to an attorney who’s struggling silently? 51:04 Closing Statements Eileen Lawrence is an estate-planning lawyer based in Round Rock, Texas. For the past seven years, she has struggled with her mental health - primarily depression, which she calls "a really good liar." This is because depression talks to you in the same voice that you have come to trust. Eileen details her struggles, including "the messy middles," on in her Substack newsletter, to which you can subscribe for free at https://notesfromthemindfield.substack.com/ Her practice's website is https://centraltexaswills.com/

This week we revisit our interviews with the Hon. Maria Cantú Hexsel of the 53rd Civil District Court and María Amelia Calaf, partner at Botkin Chiarello Calaf.

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Gabrielle Smith, president-elect of the Travis County Women Lawyers' Association. To become members of TCWLA or learn more about the organization, visit tcwla.org

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar talks to Philip Arnold and Matt Garcia, chair and chair-elect of the Austin Bar LGBTQ+ Law Section. To donate to the Drag and Justice LGBTQ+ Scholarship Fundraiser, visit https://givebutter.com/em7Ihu. To join the section, visit https://www.austinbar.org/?pg=lgbtqlaw

The section is also accepting applications for the LGBTQ+ Scholarship. Click here to learn more about the scholarship program and to apply