SC tackles mental health of judges, court personnel

THE Supreme Court (SC) recently held its first regional summit in Baguio City to discuss mental health issues of judges and court officials and employees.

The SC CARES regional summit, entitled “Nurturing Mental Health to Enhance Efficiency and Productivity in the Judiciary,” was held at the Cordillera Convention Hall of the Baguio Country Club in Baguio City last July 12, with Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo gracing the event.

SC C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Supreme Court Compassion, Awareness, Education and Save Program on Mental Health, seeks to combat mental health risks by fostering awareness, eradicating social stigma surrounding the condition, and providing professional counseling for affected employees.

The summit is a project of the High Court’s Governing Council for Mental Health (SC GCMH), which is chaired by Gesmundo, with Associate Justice Mario Lopez as working chairperson and Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh as vice chairperson.

The SC said the summit was attended by close to 200 attendees consisting of randomly selected judges, clerks of court, and personnel from the first- and second-level courts from the First Judicial Region, which covers the Ilocos Region, Abra, Benguet, and Mountain Province.

In his keynote message, Gesmundo reiterated his appeal for everyone in the judiciary to prioritize their mental health.

This as he emphasized that the promotion of mental health is an integral part of the SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) 2022-2027, which he said “centers on safeguarding our most precious resource – our people.”

The chief justice said that under the SPJI, the SC institutionalized a socialized health insurance system for judicial officers and employees.

He also shared that a mental health unit, similar to the one in the SC, is in the works for all court levels.

“We are dedicated to enhancing the well-being of our justices, judges, and court personnel, but importantly, promoting their mental health is not merely about enhancing performance excellence, or elevating the quality of judicial services; it is also about safeguarding their personal lives,” Gesmundo said.

He noted that the SC signed the first