Florida Lawyers Assistance positioning for the future.

Under new management and infused with fresh blood, Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc., is joining the "health and wellness" wave that legal advocates hope will reshape an entire profession.

The Pompano Beach-based nonprofit has been helping the legal community recover from alcoholism, substance abuse, mental health, and emotional problems since the 1980s.

But the organization is starting a new chapter and stressing outreach after the death last October of Executive Director Michael Cohen. A beloved icon in legal and recovery circles, Cohen was FLA's public face for the past 22 years.

The loss thrust veteran assistant director Judy Rushlow from the shadows to the limelight, but the legal community has been largely unaware.

"I had a phone call from a Ft. Lauderdale lawyer who I've known for years, and he said, 'by the way Judy, who's your new boss?'" Rushlow said. "I've been here, but behind the scenes, for many years. We have to do a better job getting the word out."

Rushlow's ascent, which will be followed shortly by a website redesign, comes at a propitious time.

Legal organizations across the country are scrambling to respond to an ABA/Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation study that landed in the Journal of Addiction Medicine in 2016.

Based on surveys of nearly 13,000 attorneys nationwide, it showed that one in three practicing lawyers are problem drinkers. The study also showed that 28 percent of lawyers suffer from depression and 19 percent suffer from anxiety.

Closer to home, Florida Bar President Michael Higer formed the Special Committee on Mental Health and Wellness of Florida Lawyers, last November after a 2015 survey showed 33 percent of Florida lawyers considered high stress a significant challenge, and 32 percent reported difficulty balancing family and career.

In the same survey, 79 percent of Florida lawyers reported that the legal profession was becoming a less desirable career.

Rushlow says Florida Lawyers Assistance is perfectly positioned to help with a wide range of mental health challenges, even if people tend to think that FLA only serves alcoholic lawyers.

"Michael and I recognized, probably 15 years ago, that we were missing the mark," Rushlow said. "That not all of the troubled lawyers in Florida were alcoholics or addicts. There were lawyers who were depressed. There were lawyers who suffered from bipolar disorder."

Like her predecessor, Rushlow is a member of The Florida Bar and acknowledges years of successful recovery. A...