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Well-Being

Fall 2021 Sustaining Well Being in Public Defense


Description
Working in public defense has very real impacts on our well-being. Though we must maintain our physical and mental health in order to provide high quality and client-centered representation to the people we represent, we face constant obstacles of working within under-resourced agencies, being exposed to intense trauma, and handling casework demands that often challenge our boundaries and commitment to self-care. This course will provide an informed and supportive conversation about burnout, self-care and sustaining motivation for PD work. We will explore practices to sustain well-being and mitigate the traumatic impacts of public defense work. Drawing from yoga, mindfulness, and gratitude practices, we will explore self-care techniques and how to include them in our demanding schedules. Using self-assessment, reflection, and structured goal setting, participants will develop individualized strategies to sustain well-being while working in public defense. We will discuss strategies to advocate for systemic change and create public defense culture supportive of well-being.

This course is intended for anyone working in public defense—attorneys, investigators, mitigation specialists, administrators, holistic advocates, paralegals, legal secretaries, interns, anyone.

This course is a prerequisite for Part 2: Supporting Well Being in Public Defense, which focuses on the ways leaders, trainers, supervisors, well-being committee members and individuals can improve systemic support for well-being in public defense.
Content
  • Section 1: Is Working in public defense good for you?
  • Course Overview (5 min)
  • Small group discussions (1 min)
  • Section 1 Introduction (1 min)
  • Why Sustaining Well-Being in Public Defense is a Priority for Me (7 min)
  • Discussion Forum: Why is Your Well-Being a Priority for You Right Now? (5 min)
  • Framework of 3 Spheres of Public Defense Well Being (6 min)
  • Research and Studies of Impacts of Public Defense and Legal Work (9 min)
  • Research and Studies (15 min)
  • The Toll of Trauma: 2011 Study of Wisconsin Public Defenders (5 min)
  • Self Care Practices to Mitigate Traumatic Impacts and Build Resilience (3 min)
  • Growth Mindset v. Fixed Mindset (2 min)
  • Invitation to Try New Things (2 min)
  • Third Thing, by Jeff Sherr (3 min)
  • Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower (3 min)
  • Optional Mindfulness/Gratitude Practice: Neighborhood Walks
  • Section 1 Conclusion
  • Section 2: Assessments and Goal Setting for Well-Being
  • Introduction: Section 2 (1 min)
  • Self-Assessments (5 min)
  • Well Being Self-Assessment (8 min)
  • Setting SMART Goals to Sustain Well Being (6 min)
  • How to Set SMART Goals (4 min)
  • SMART goals worksheet (8 min)
  • What is Your SMART Goal? (5 min)
  • Section 2 Self Care: Gratitude Practices (1 min)
  • Gratitude in Public Defense (15 min)
  • The Gratitude Experiment (5 min)
  • Optional: An Experiment in Gratitude | The Science of Happiness (7 min)
  • Optional Gratitude Practices
  • Section 2 Conclusion
  • Section 3: Mitigating the Cumulative Impacts of Trauma
  • Introduction: Section 3
  • Beyond the Cliff, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky TED talk (19 min)
  • Step Inside the Circle (7 min)
  • ACE: How childhood trauma affects health, Nadine Burke Harris (16 min)
  • Take the ACE Quiz (5 min)
  • Benefits of Yoga: Prison Yoga Project San Quentin (3 min)
  • Optional Practice: Day 1 of 30 Days of Yoga with Adrienne (35 min)
  • OptionalJessamyn Stanley: Every Body Yoga, How I Learned to Love My Body (2 min)
  • Discussion: Check in: How is Your SMART Goal Going? (5 min)
  • Section 3 Conclusion
  • Section 4: Wellness as Competence and Access to Justice
  • Introduction: Section 4
  • Well Being as Part of Competence (10 min)
  • Understanding the Stress Response (4 min)
  • Emotional Signs of Too Much Stress (4 min)
  • Optional Mindfulness Practice: Lengthen Exhale to Reduce Stress Response (3 min)
  • Optional Mindfulness Practice: Deepen Breathing to Activate Relaxation (4 min)
  • Discussion: How is Your SMART Goal Going? (5 min)
  • Section 4 Conclusion
  • SECTION 5: BOUNDARIES AND EFFICIENCIES
  • Introduction: Section 5
  • Making Time Off Predictable—and Required (3 min)
  • Setting Boundaries in Public Defense Work (20 min)
  • NAPD: First Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask, by Mary Moriarty (3 min)
  • The Daily Routine Experts Recommend for Peak Productivity (3 min)
  • The Disease of Being Busy (3 min)
  • Work Efficiencies AKA Proactive Self Care (9 min)
  • How Mindfulness Can Be Useful in Public Defense (15 min)
  • How You Can Help Others by Practicing Mindfulness ( 3 min)
  • Optional Niroga Dynamic Mindfulness Practice (5 min)
  • Optional Reading: Lion's Roar: I Vow Not To Burn Out (4 min)
  • Section 5 Conclusion
  • Section 6: building a culture of well-being
  • Introduction: Section 6
  • Supportive PD Culture for Challenging Emotions (9 min)
  • That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief (4 min)
  • Well Being Self-Assessment #2
  • Brené Brown on Empathy (3 min)
  • Brene Brown on Blame (3 min)
  • Brene Brown on Embracing Vulnerability (6 min)
  • Why We Focus on the Negative, Roy Baumeister (2 min)
  • Resilient Thinking: Taming Negative Emotions, by Anne Brafford (5 min)
  • How to Navigate Difficult Conversations (5 min)
  • Complete Public Defense Growth Worksheet
  • Optional Journal Prompt: Reflect on this Poem and Write for 5-10 min (10 min)
  • Section 6 Conclusion
  • Section 7: systemic change to support well-being
  • Introduction: Section 7
  • Dr. Z: It's Not Burnout, It's Moral Injury (6 min)
  • Talbot and Dean Article on Moral Injury (3 min)
  • OPTIONAL PODCAST: Moral Matters (48 min)
  • How to Fight Racism Through Inner Work, Jill Suttie int. Rhonda Magee (5 min)
  • Five Common Work Challenges Mindfulness Can Improve (2 min)
  • Discussion: Have You Completed Your SMART Goal? (5 min)
  • Section 7 Conclusion
  • Section 8: Action Plans for the Future
  • Introduction: Section 8
  • Discussion forum updates
  • Discussion: What is Your Next SMART Goal? (5 min)
  • Discussion: Post an update: Why is Your Well-Being a Priority for You? (5 min)
  • Well Being Self-Assessment for a future date
  • Upload a video testimonial (required for scholarship registrants)
  • Certification of Completion of Course - 4 hours
  • Evaluation: Sustaining Well Being in Public Defense
  • Section 8 Conclusion
  • Practices: Library of Optional Practices to Try Anytime if You Wish
  • Optional Practice: Guided Meditation with Jellies (2-11 min)
  • Finding Your Seat For Mindfulness Practice (6 min)
  • 1 minute Practice: 3 Full Breaths
  • Optional Gratitude Practices
  • Optional Practice: Calm amid COVID-19: Gratitude (4 min)
  • Optional Practice: Day 1 of 30 Days of Yoga with Adrienne (35 min)
  • 1 minute Practice: 3 Full Breaths
  • Optional Mindfulness Practice: Lengthen Exhale to Reduce Stress Response (3 min)
  • Mindfulness Practice: Deepen Breathing to Activate Relaxation Response (4 min)
  • Optional Practice: Mindfulnes Sound Focus: Rhapsody in Blue (4 min)
  • Yoga with Omaid (public defender investigator) (14 min)
  • Practices: Library of Dynamic Mindfulness Practices from Niroga
  • Optional Dynamic Mindfulness Practice (5 min)
  • Optional Practice: Dynamic Mindfulness Classroom Session (16 min)
  • Optional Mindfulness/Gratitude Practice: Neighborhood Walks
  • Jessamyn Stanley: Every Body Yoga & How I Learned to Love My Body (2 min)
  • Yoga Myths, interview with Jessamyn Stanley (3 min)
  • 1 sun salute in 1 minute with Jessamyn Stanley (1 min)
Completion rules
  • You must complete the units "Evaluation: Sustaining Well Being in Public Defense"
  • Leads to a certificate with a duration: Forever
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