Balancing Acts: Navigating Suffering with Self-Compassion

Join us for the first of a four-part webinar series where we delve into a vital yet often overlooked aspect of child welfare work: the wellbeing of the professionals behind the scenes. Every day, dedicated child welfare attorneys and other professionals navigate through the profound suffering within families they serve, yet their own emotional toll is frequently disregarded. In this discussion, we explore the inherent suffering experienced by child welfare attorneys and other professionals and highlight practical strategies rooted in compassion science. Discover how we can cultivate openness and responsiveness to the suffering of others while also nurturing our own wellbeing.

Presenters

Sheri Freemont, JD – Managing Director, Judicial and National Engagement, Casey Family Programs

Sheri Freemont, JD, proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Counsel for Children. She is the managing director of the Judicial and National Engagement consulting team at Casey Family Programs, aiming to support judges and lawyers nationally to apply gold standard principles for children and families in the child welfare system.

Vivek Sankaran, JD, CWLS – Director, Child Advocacy Law Clinic and Child Welfare Appellate Clinic, University of Michigan Law School

Vivek Sankaran, JD, CWLS, directs the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and Child Welfare Appellate Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School and co-founded LawLifeProfs, which promotes wellbeing and compassion in legal spaces.

Sheri and Vivek are graduates of the Applied Compassion Certification Program through CCARE (Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education) at Stanford University, where they are developing materials, workshops, and retreats to support compassion for lawyers in child welfare practice.

CLE

California (60-minute hour)

This participatory activity has been accredited by the State Bar of California for a maximum of 1.5 hours of Wellness Competence credit. Live and on-demand viewing are both participatory activities since NACC confirms duration of attendance. Attorneys must sign in for CLE. Credits will be reported within 60 days of participation.

Colorado (50‐minute hour)

This course is accredited by the Colorado Board of Continuing Legal and Judicial Education for a maximum of 1.8 units of General credit. Attorneys must sign in for CLE. Colorado is a self-report state.

Attorneys in all other jurisdictions must seek CLE accreditation individually if desired.