Standard XI
The court system should respond to substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and co-occurring disorders among judges, clerks, and court personnel. The response should include opportunities to receive referrals for treatment through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and recognition by appropriate authorities that required participation in treatment can be an appropriate condition of employment.
Commentary
Individuals who work in the court system can be vulnerable to substance use, mental health, and co-occurring disorders. Providing information to court personnel on ways to access treatment will strengthen the system overall. Personnel policies in the court system should include provisions for addressing issues related to substance use, mental health, and co-occurring disorders. The Trial Court Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual, the appellate courts' personnel policies, the Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Committee on Professional Responsibility for Clerks of the Courts, and the Board of Bar Overseers should take these issues into account in employment policies and corrective action plans. The Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers organization and the Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being are also valuable resources. Trial Court judges and personnel may also utilize the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), offered by the Group Insurance Commission.
Contact for Standards on Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health Conditions: Standard XI. Substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and co-occurring disorders in the courts
Online
Phone
Maura A. Looney, Esq., Acting Clerk
Maura S. Doyle, Clerk
Jennifer Donahue, Public Information Officer