Reconnecting with COLAP

By Elizabeth Lembo, PhD, LPC, LAC, Executive Director COLAP

While many may be familiar with the Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP), I’d like to take this opportunity as the recently appointed Executive Director to reacquaint you with COLAP services and our passion for supporting Colorado’s legal community. For thirteen years, COLAP has provided free and confidential support to attorneys, judges, law students, paralegals, and administrative staff. Whether your concern is for yourself, a colleague, or a loved one, we are happy to help. Our well-being consultations can include tailored referrals to counselors and treatment facilities, as well as psychoeducation on behavioral health topics, coping strategies, and next steps for responding to stress and moments of suffering. If your concern is for a colleague, our clinicians can provide coaching on how to express your concerns to the person directly, if appropriate, or we can reach out to the person you’re concerned about anonymously on your behalf. All COLAP services are confidential and privileged, as outlined in Rule 254.

In addition to consultations, COLAP provides free ethics CLE presentations on a range of well-being topics including navigating attorney and client stress, vicarious trauma and empathic strain, mindfulness, as well as time management and organization skills, among others. Our experienced presenters tailor presentations to each group and reach a wide range of Colorado’s legal community both virtually and in-person. We also regularly hold exhibit tables at conferences and events; we hope you’ll stop by and say hi next time you see us!

COLAP supports the wide-ranging contexts of Colorado’s legal community. Our services are available to individuals in both urban and rural locations throughout the state. Across diverse areas of practice ranging from solos, small and large firms, government settings, in-house counsel, serving on the bench, and everything in between, our team cares about the unique challenges of your work and helping you build upon personal strengths to strike a work-life balance supportive of your well-being. We’re also deeply invested in supporting the legal community throughout the changing context of their career. Whether you’re applying to or navigating law school, stressed about the bar exam or character and fitness process, working your first job as an associate, seeking a change in employment, adjusting to a new promotion, up for retention, thinking about retirement, or feeling lost after retiring, we are here for you.

When caring for our own health begins to feel like a goal outside of our reach, it’s often an indication that we may need to engage in some level of change to prevent the serious consequences of putting everything else first. The idea of making changes can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do this alone. When you contact COLAP, our team will schedule a time to speak with you. On a call, you can expect that our clinicians will listen to what you’re experiencing. We see great value in normalizing human reactions to stress and strain, reducing stigma associated with mental health and substance use concerns, providing education on the efficacy of self-compassion and mindfulness skills for stress management, and the importance of connection to community. If you’re ever seeking this type of support, we sincerely hope you’ll reach out to us.

Part of reconnecting with COLAP is getting to know our highly qualified team. I am pleased to introduce you to our newest team members.

Stephanie Mastroantonio is a Clinical Coordinator for Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP). She earned her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies and her MSW both from Colorado State University, Fort Collins. Ms. Mastroantonio is a Colorado Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience and training in trauma across the lifespan, forensic social work, workplace management, crisis intervention, and specialized parenting. She has worked with individuals and agencies from the micro level of individual therapy to the macro level of committee involvement, which has included extensive work supporting attorneys and populations navigating the Colorado judicial system.

Maggie Kapitan is a Clinical Coordinator for the Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP). She earned her M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in marriage and family therapy from Purdue University Northwest. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Colorado. Ms. Kapitan has clinical experience in the treatment of PTSD, trauma processing, mood disorders, and relationship issues for individuals, couples, and families.  Her experience also includes providing higher education in human development.

Ben Gaibel is a Clinical Coordinator for the Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program (COLAP). He is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with nearly 20 years of experience in behavioral health, specializing in mindfulness-based approaches to stress reduction, trauma exposure, and building resilience. He has been teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) since 2001 for a variety of populations. Ben has extensive experience providing counseling and wellness education in healthcare settings, including 11 years as an Oncology Social Worker at Intermountain Health’s Good Samaritan Cancer Center, where he developed and led mindfulness programs for patients, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. He is also certified as a personal trainer and brings a whole-person approach to well-being that integrates mental, emotional, and physical health.

Whether you would like to request a presentation, schedule a well-being consultation for yourself, discuss supporting a colleague or loved one you’re worried about, are just curious about how COLAP can support you, or are interested in volunteering, we’d love to hear from you! You can contact COLAP via email at info@coloradolap.org or by calling (303) 986-3345. Whatever your specific context may be, we are grateful for everything you do to support your community, and we’re here for you.