The Office of Professionalism is expanding upon Fordham Law’s annual Mental Health Day by launching the Law School’s first-ever Wellness Week. Doubling down on the school’s already robust wellness offerings, the week is designed to spark conversations about holistic approaches to well-being and to promote mental health awareness in the Fordham Law community.
“We firmly believe that wellness is a community effort,” said Jordana Confino, director of professionalism and special projects. “With COVID-19 and everything else that’s been going on in the world, it has never been so important for us to find ways to help the members of our community care for themselves and one another and to cultivate their mental health.”
The eight virtual events on tap are wide-ranging, including yoga and mindfulness sessions, nutrition advice, and stress management workshops. A number of programs also take a more serious tone. “Recognizing Stress and Burnout, Rebounding, and Managing the Road to Recovery: A Conversation with Attorneys Who’ve Made it to the Other Side,” for example, will feature a panel of lawyers who will share their personal experiences overcoming mental health challenges. Confino said this program—co-sponsored by the Fordham Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Fordham First Generation Students (F1GS), and the Fordham Mental Health Society—will be one of the most important conversations taking place during the week.
“In addition to fostering hope and awareness more generally, this program will specifically focus on some of the unique challenges and considerations people from underrepresented groups face when dealing with and addressing mental health issues,” Confino explained. “We recognize that wellness is not one size fits all, so our goal is to provide as many perspectives as possible to ensure that all members of our community can find something that resonates with them.”
Indeed, that is the precise aim of the Virtual Wellness Gallery the school will be creating on Saturday, October 10, in honor of World Mental Health Day. All members of the Law School community are invited to contribute to the gallery by submitting a photo that captures what wellness means to them. Additionally, a friendly Inter-house Wellness Challenge will take place throughout the week. Students, upper year advisors, and affiliated faculty, administrators, and alumni mentors will have the opportunity to earn points for their House for participating in the programs. Points will be totaled at the end of the week and all participating student members of the winning House will receive a wellness-themed prize, sponsored by Fried Frank.
More information about the full line-up of events can be found here.