A mental health-conscious and trauma-informed approach

After looking after and helping many clients over the years who develop a psychological condition as a result of their injuries or as a result of the legal process, we understand how important our client’s well-being is.

We also understand that sometimes it is difficult to recognise when someone is going through a mental health crisis and requires some extra support.

With this in mind, our lawyers, Bree Knoester and Jyoti Haikerwal, have both obtained their Mental Health First Aider accreditation. We believe that this new knowledge and qualification will help us better support our clients better during a time of great stress.

The Mental Health First Aid training program is designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge to provide mental health support to those in need. The course covers a range of topics, including anxiety and depression, suicide prevention, and how to respond in a crisis.

For us at Brave Legal, obtaining this accreditation was an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to our clients’ well-being – and our own.

We know that our clients are often not just dealing with the physical effects of their injury, but also with the emotional impact of what has happened to them. By having a deeper understanding of mental health and the support that is available, we are now better equipped to help our clients through what can be a very difficult time.

As well as having lawyers that are Mental Health First Aid accredited, at Brave Legal, our clients have access to a trauma-informed counsellor and therapist via our “Brave Support” program.

This means that clients will have access to mental health support through both our mental health first aid accredited lawyers and our firm’s qualified counsellor who is available to provide support and assistance within days of contacting us.

This is a unique service that Brave Legal offers to clients, one we are particularly proud to be able to provide given the current environment where there are significant delays in accessing mental health services in the community.

We recognise that legal process is not just stressful for our clients but also for our lawyers and support staff.

In order for our legal team to provide the best support and care to our clients, we must also look after our individual mental health as well. In response, the Brave Legal team undertakes regular ongoing training in relation to trauma awareness, self-care, the impact of vicarious trauma and mental health issues through the “Brave Wellbeing” program.

In an industry that can be challenging and emotionally draining, we are proud at Brave Legal that we recognise and continue to ensure that the well-being of our clients and our team are at the forefront of what we do.

We are hopeful that in offering these unique services that we can break down the stigma surrounding mental health and prove that it is possible to provide excellent legal representation whilst also caring for ourselves and the emotional needs of our clients.