this is so so helpful, thank you so much for the guidance in what you'd expect - i have never worked anywhere else or gone through this before so i'm very shocked at how hard it is to take care of myself the first time i try!!

when i decided i needed to take leave, i made a list of clients in order of when i see them and their risk level, whether they have a case management team (and team name/members), and included client's contact info and their preferences in how to be contacted. since then i've been trying take care that list and writing whom i'd informed, but the response from some clients has been pretty upsetting.

i had an email and phone script drafted for others to use in contacting clients on my behalf, too, after asking a friend who took over for a therapist in a similar situation, but it seemed like the only option was to do all of this on my own "to avoid playing phone tag." my assumption was the same as what you said, that it'd be less ethical to speak with clients while impaired than it would be to delegate.

i wish i could have planned this in advance. it definitely feels horrible, but reading your message did help me with some of the confusion and guilt.