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Senior Research Fellow (HealthQWest) I have been a core member of HealthQWest, a research consortium in the West of Scotland, and a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Health Studies at Bell College since July 2005. Previous posts have included Depute Director, Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research, University of Glasgow (1999-2005), and Research Fellow, Centre of Gerontology and Health Studies, University of Paisley (1995- 1999). I am a member of the British Psychological Society Scotland Committee, and the British Society of Gerontology Scotland Organising Group.
Research and Information Analyst - Health Research Board I am a researcher and data analyst with experience in the areas of disability and mental health. I graduated with a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Dublin, Trinity College in 2002 and secured my M.Sc. in Applied Social Research from the same university in 2005.
Research & Resource Officer, Western Alliance for Mental Health I began my career as a Clinical Psychologist but became a user of the mental health services for a good number of years, and can say I know intimately many of the obstacles people face coming to believe in the possibility of Recovery, not to mention finding a way out of the labyrinth that obscures the exits from the MH system.
Head of Research Currently I am employed (part-time) as Head of Research of Threshold a psychodynamically oriented Belfast-based voluntary Mental Health organisation and also work as an associate (part-time) lecturer with Dublin City University School of Nursing. To date (unlike Paddy) (fortunately or perhaps unfortunately) I have not heard "voices" and therefore, speak with a less distinguished, less authoritative and unavoidably less empathic outside-in “voice”. As a mental-health professional my perspective is necessarily informed by theoretical presuppositions and the best available scientific evidence but is also firmly grounded in the lived learned experience (professional-personal) of spending some ten years working in residential therapeutic communities with people (like Paddy) whose voice hearing experiences and associated internal and external distress were synonymous with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. This lived learned experience of bearing witness to and tolerating each of the others full "biological" cycles of ordered and disordered behaviour, madness-sanity as well as the full gamut of related human emotions has had a powerful and lasting impact on my perspective and formulation of mental-health / illness. These experiences integrated with emerging scientific evidence (or lack of) have led me (like Paddy) as with more eminent colleagues, to conclude that “part theories whether psychoanalytic, cognitive behavioural, neurotransmitter, genetic traumatic etc. are unlikely to unravel [either] the conundrum of schizophrenia [or the schizophrenic conundrum]” (Mosher, 2001, p. 14). I am published in the field of specialised psychotherapy research and clinical commentary, a member of the International Society of the Psychological Treatments of the Schizophrenias (ISPS) and an associate group member of the Association of Therapeutic Communities.
Information Support Officer - Scottish Recovery Network I have worked as part of the Scottish Recovery Network since it’s launch back in December 2004. My current role is to assist with the promotion of recovery by gathering, summarising and producing information for sharing and also contributing to awareness raising efforts. Prior to taking up my current post I worked as a research assistant on the SRN Narrative Research Project and over the past two years I have worked to share the stories and findings from this project. In 2006, I edited and collated the booklet “Journeys of Recovery”, which contains stories from the narrative research project; over 20,000 of these booklets have been distributed within Scotland, the UK and internationally. Also, in this coming October I will be involved in the launch of the eagerly awaited report from the project in Glasgow, followed by 5 dissemination events across Scotland. Before joining SRN I worked in information and research roles within the voluntary and public sectors in Canada.
Labyrinthireland In 2005, I founded the organisation ‘labyrinthireland’ to raise the awareness and use of labyrinths as a tool for personal and spiritual growth. I have been working with labyrinths for a number of years, and found using the ancient pattern of the labyrinth to be a wonderfully centering and balancing experience. For me, walking the labyrinth has heightened my self awareness, brought me a sense of peace, and is a wonderful tool for reflection and for seeking answers to questions in my life. As my knowledge and experience grew, I decided to share my experiences with others.
Lecturer - University of Paisley I have been involved in mental health one way or another for over 35 years .My main interest now is incorporating various models of intervention and applying them using a paradigm that myself and a colleague Dave Deady who by the way has been involved in mental health longer than I have.have developed.
Senior Lecturer, DCU I am the Academic Lead for the Child Health Team and Programme Director for the Higher Diploma in Children’s Nursing in the School of Nursing, Dublin City University, Ireland. Previous post include: Academic Director and Programme Chair for the BSc in Nursing undergraduate degree; Director of the Diploma in Nursing and one year top-up degree BNS programme. My clinical experience is in the area of children’s nursing and I specialised in neonatal intensive care, cardiac intensive care and gastrointestinal intensive care prior to working in academia. I have over twenty years in children’s nursing firstly as a practising nurse and then as a lecturer. My research primarily focuses upon: family centred care, children’s nurses contribution to care, child and adolescent mental health services, and children’s participation in consultation and decision-making.
Professor, University of Texas Dr. Cutcliffe holds the 'David G. Braithwaite' Endowed Professorial Chair in Nursing at the University of Texas (Tyler). He also holds the Associate Dean: Psychiatric Nursing position at Stenberg College, Vancouver, Canada and Adjunct Professor of Nursing at the University of Ulster, U.K.
School of Psychology, Trinity College I was awarded a BA in Psychology at Trinity College Dublin in 2005. I then worked as a research assistant in the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience where we investigated the neuropsychology and genetics of ADHD. Following this I moved to the Educational Research Centre (ERC) in Drumcondra, Dublin in 2006 where I was involved in the management of an international survey of teachers and learning. During my time at the ERC I also completed research on admissions procedures to medical courses and public opinions on education. I returned to Trinity College in April of 2007 to begin a PhD which aims to specify the ways in which states of mindfulness can be explained by aspects of both culture and cognition and also how these factors together act to influence time-perspectives and behaviours in obesity. This project will be carried out within the Global Health Research Group and is supervised by Professor Malcolm MacLachlan author of the book ‘Embodiment: Clinical, critical and cultural perspectives on health and illness’ published in 2004 and also of ‘Culture and Health’ (2006), and co-editor of the forthcoming ‘Psychoprosthetics: The State of the Knowledge’ (New York: Springer, 2007).
Research Officer - Health Research Board I am a research psychologist and have been employed as a Research Officer with the Mental Health Research Unit (MHRU) of the Health Research Board (HRB) for a number of years. I have been involved in numerous research projects in the MHRU and I have worked extensively on the National Psychiatric In-patient Reporting System (NPIRS). NPIRS is the only national psychiatric in-patient database in Ireland and I have produced annual reports based on the database and on the psychiatric in-patient census for a number of years.
Senior Researcher, Mental Health Reserach Unit Following completion of my undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Ulster, I graduated with a PhD in Psychology from the University of Ulster in 2000. My research interests include health service research, the interface between primary care and secondary care, and psychosocial and cognitive rehabilitation. I have worked extensively in the area of health service research and have presented research findings at national and international conferences. I have also published nationally and internationally on my research interests. I have wide experience in working in partnership with both academic researchers and health service providers.
Platinum Clubhouse I have worked in the disability sector for 15 years and worked in mental health for over 5. I have been the manager of Platinum Clubhouse for over 3 and half years, Clubhouse is an innovative approach to supporting people with mental health problems back into their community. I have done 3 week training in America as part of my training to become more aware of the Clubhouse History and the Standards. I find working in a Clubhouse both stimulating and educational, as everyday is different to the last. I give regular talks to different people in the community about Clubhouse. We are the only accredited Clubhouse in Ireland and have achieved 3 year Accreditation twice.
Senior Lecturer - University of Huddersfield Andrew is a child therapist currently working as a Senior Lecturer in Health and Community studies at the University of Huddersfield. He has presented numerous workshops and seminars in the UK and Internationally on the use of soultion-focused and narrative ways of helping children, adolescents and their families give voice to the labels and diagnosis that result from a Western dominated bio-medical model of child psychology and psychiatry.
Member Platinum Clubhouse I have been a member of Platinum Clubhouse for 3 and half years and have been ill for over 5 years. I have participated in 2 T.E’s as part of the employment programme I am currently in Full time education doing a 3rd level course in Business Studies. I have found my time in Clubhouse has been very beneficial and has aided my road to recovery, I participate in the social programme and the work ordered day when I am in Clubhouse.
Researcher - Health Research Board I am currently employed as a Data Analyst in the Mental Health Research Unit of the Health Research Board. In 2004, I completed my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Sociology at the University of Dublin, Trinity College and at present, I am completing my MSc in Applied Social Research at the same university. Previously, I was employed by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse where I was involved in researching historical legal documents to assist the work of the Commission. I also performed in depth content analysis of qualitative interviews and conducted quantitative research into the spatial distributions of Industrial Schools. Since commencing employment in the Health Research Board, I have been using its National Psychological Wellbeing and Distress Survey to analyse data on Internet use in Ireland for health matters. I have a special interest in e-inclusion and e-accessibility issues. I am also presently undertaking quantitative research into the prevalence of prescribed psychotropic drug use in Ireland.
Palliative Care-Bereavement Counsellor - Murwillumbah Community Health Centre (NSW, Australia) My name is Mark Gibney and I am a Counsellor/Psychotherapist in Palliative Care and Bereavement Counselling. I currently work for the North Coast Area Health Service based at Murwillumbah Community Health in the northern part of New South Wales, Australia
Lecturer, Dublin City University I am the Pathway Leader for the MSc / Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Dublin City University. I completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Guidance and Counselling in 1996 and a Masters in Education in 2001 at Queens University Belfast. I am a member of the British Association of Counselling and Therapy and an accredited member of the British Association of Sexual and Relationship Therapy and work in clinical practice. I have conducted research in the areas of Domestic Violence [2001], Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution [1996], Enhancing Emotional Well Being in Victims of Domestic Violence [2004/5] and Prisoners needs in relation to addiction counselling. Additional to my teaching and research work in DCU I have been active in developing AKOS – The centre for psychological health and well being at the School of Nursing which in addition to providing therapy will be a resource for student placement and research in the area of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Lecturer in Psychology I am a Lecturer in Psychology and founding member of the Psychology Department at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick. As an academic I have designed and delivered third level courses in both the UK and Ireland. My research interests focus on aspects of individual and group decision making. My work outside the academic sector includes the areas of Risk Management, Emergency Planning, Crime and Health. My current research interests include factors that impact on decision making in the caring professions, Partner Perceptions in Chronic Illness and Disability.. Together with my colleague Dr Suzanne Egan, and members Lorraine Whisker and Mary Varley, I formed the Chronic Illness and Disability Research Interest Group (CIDRIG) in 2006. The work I am presenting at this conference is a result of this collaboration. I am fortunate to be an Honorary Research Fellow in Psychology at University College London and wish to acknowledge the access to their facilities that this endows.
Executive Director- Slí Eile I was born in Jersey, Channel Islands and relocated to County Cork with my Irish husband in 1967. We have two daughters and four sons . Initially I worked in the family custom-made furniture business and then went on to set up my own food processing business, involving budgeting, marketing, human resources ,with sales to the national supermarket chains and the catering market
Manager of Hearing Voices Ireland (HVI) & Regional Peer Advocate Irish Advocacy Network I grew up in Limerick in the 70s. It was a bleak place and I always wanted to get out of it. I was lucky to get into college in Dublin. My career as a designer looked certain but disaster was waiting around the corner.
Clinical Placement Co-ordinator - St John of God Hospital, Stillorgan I am a registered Psychiatric Nurse having trained in St John of God Hospital, Stillorgan and received my Diploma from University College Dublin. I have been working in the area of education in the position of Clinical Placement Co-ordinator in St John of God Hospital for the last 2 years. My previous employment was within the Cluain Mhuire Community Service where I worked in an Acute Day Hospital with responsibility for facilitating and developing therapeutic groups including anger management and anxiety management, as well as assessing and working with clients with a variety of mental health difficulties on an individual basis. Having previously completed my BSc in Nursing Management in University College Dublin, I am currently undertaking an MSc in Mental Health in Trinity College Dublin. I have a particular interest in the area of suicide and suicide prevention and am undertaking research in this area as part of my MSc. It was through work on this research that I became interested in the area of hopelessness in mental health.
For the past 5 years I have been working as a lecturer in Dublin City University. I have vast experience as a qualified psychiatric and general nurse both in the USA and Ireland. I am Discipline Leader for General Nursing on the Post Graduate Programme. I am involved in teaching and supervising research proposals on the undergrad programmes. Previous to this I was teaching in Connolly School of Nursing for two years. My research interests are in Intercultural Health and Healthcare focusing on the needs and experiences of healthcare delivery by and to persons of different ethnic groups: in mental health, maternity, physical rehabilitation and community/public health settings. I have an interest in the experiences of multicultural nursing students. I am also interested in students learning environment both in the classroom and in clinical practice. I have developed innovated teaching through simulation exercises to promote clinical judgement and decision making skills.
Lecturer, Dublin City University I am a lecturer in Mental Health Nursing at Dublin City University. Prior to moving to Ireland from Australia, I worked as a Community Mental Health Nurse, Suicide Intervention Officer and Duty Officer and, whilst a Project Officer and Training Consultant for the Department of Health in Western Australia, was actively involved in the establishment of clinical outcome measures for all mental health services in Western Australia. I also played a major part in establishing a Nursing Practice Development Unit. My research interests include the development and trialling of a new system of nursing intervention and a program of clinical supervision for mental health clinicians.
Researcher at the Mental Health Research Unit I am a social researcher with practical experience of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research in the areas of mental health, drug misuse, cross-cultural communication, and education. I earned my B.A. in teaching foreign languages at the Moscow State Linguistic University in 1989; an M.A. in T.E.S.O.L. at the University of Northern Iowa in 1995; and an M.Sc. in Applied Social Research at the University of Dublin, Trinity College in 2004. My research interests include personal growth, adaptation, psychological well-being, mental health, learning, and multiculturalism. I have published in the U.S.A. and Ireland in the areas of my research interests, and have presented research findings at conferences. I have been working as a researcher in the Mental Health Research Unit of the Health Research Board in Dublin since January 2005. I have led an HRB exploratory study on experiences, needs, and support requirements of families with enduring mental illness in Ireland (Kartalova-O’Doherty, Tedstone Doherty & Walsh, 2006). I am currently undertaking work-related Ph.D. research on the process of recovering from recurrent mental health problems in an Irish context.
Postgraduate Student, DCU, School of Nursing I am a PhD student in the school of nursing at Dublin City University. The title of my research thesis is Chronic Illness, Freedom and the Active Human Imagination. In this work I will analyse the philosophical presuppositions implicit in contemporary models of care. I am also proposing that we define a notion of the body that differs from the physiological body – a notion that is suited more to the realm of care than to that of treatment. My background is in Philosophy, having gained my BA and MA in the Milltown Institute of Philosophy and Theology. My MA (by research) was an exploration of the similarities between Focusing (developed out of Gendlin’s philosophy of implicit entry) and narrative (as instanced by Arendt in The Human Condition).
Irish Advocacy Network Joe has worked with IAN as Regional Advocate for the South-West Region of the country since 2002. This entails calling to the acute psychiatric units of the region. He is also involved with Training and Development and has a wide experience of this area having worked as training officer in the Kerry Citizens Information Service. Having completed a post graduate in Training and Development out of The University of Bradford he went on to design and deliver courses with the Kerry Education Services (formerly the VEC) covering areas such as ‘active citizenship’ and ‘rights and entitlements’ including Labour, Family, Consumer, Equality and Disability legislation with a heavy emphasis on ‘self-advocacy’ and the practical ways of ‘supporting’ self-advocacy.
Conaí Clubhouse EVE Limited Since joining Conaí Clubhouse a year and a half ago, I am finding it easier to cope with my illness. I am mixing with people who know how I feel and we all support each other. The Clubhouse allows me to use my skills and develop new ones. There is no pressure and we all want each other to succeed. We are encouraged to get involved in the Clubhouse activities but the choice is always our own. Conaí Clubhouse is my home away from home where I can pick up the phone and I’ll always get support at the other end.
Lecturer - Dublin City University I am a nurse by background. I moved to Dublin with my family in 2007. I previously lived in Townsville, North Queensland (Australia) where I was involved in setting up a homeless outreach team, and was a clinical nurse consultant on a mobile intensive treatment team. I was involved with facilitating a number of large conferences. I have an interest in professional ethics and sat on the district Health Research Ethics Committee and was a member of the training committee of the Australian Health Research Ethics Committee. I have an interest in extraordinary experiences, how people cope and helping people cope with them. My research to date has explored computer mediated communication, how people cope with hearing voices, and family/carer participation in mental health care. More recently I have developed an interest in more ordinary experience such as suicidal thoughts and feelings.
Lecturer, School of Nursing, Dublin City University I am a Registered General and Children’s Nurse and hold a degree of Bachelor of Nursing Studies. Recently I took up post as Lecturer in the School of Nursing, Dublin City University. Prior to this I worked as a Nurse Tutor and Clinical Education Facilitator at the Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street. My clinical nursing background is in both medical and surgical nursing in the care of infants and neonates. For the past four years I have been engaged in my PhD at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, of which the first two years were funded by the Office of Minister for Children. I have, to date, presented various aspects of my PhD work both nationally and internationally, which focuses on the nature of communication for children admitted to a specialist children’s hospital. An area of particular interest to me is research methodologies to actively engage children in research.
Lecturer in Midwifery - Trinity College Dublin I am a lecturer in midwifery in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin. I am a qualified nurse, midwife and nurse /midwifery tutor and I have over twelve years experience as a midwife. I qualified as a nurse/midwifery tutor in 2000 and became a member of the teaching unit in the Coombe Women’s Hospital. I was appointed Acting Principal Tutor in 2006. Currently I am completing an MA in International Relations. My research to date has focused on women’s experiences of postnatal depression. Other research interests include organisation and provision of midwifery care, women’s health and experiences in pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood, transition to motherhood, women’s human rights and vulnerable groups.
Lecturer in Practice - Dublin City University In 1988 I qualified as a mental health nurse and headed off from Ireland with my new found insights to change the world. Spending most of my early career in England with some brief sojourns in Australia and the Middle East, I have pretty consistently worked with people whom some would classify as having a serious psychotic illness, and more specifically concentrating on acute mental health care. Roles have varied with the common grounding of practice at the centre of each one. As a nurse, researcher/practitioner and in practice/service development. In 2001 I returned to Ireland with my family and now find myself somewhere between an ivory tower and lived experiences, as a lecturer in practice. I practice on an acute psychiatric admission ward and co-ordinate the developing postgraduate mental health nursing programme at Dublin City University. My clinical research focus generally centres on the relationships and understandings of nurses/mental health professionals and patients/service users in relation to mental health, illness and health care. I recognised earlier on that one way to push the boundaries of nursing was to seek academic pursuits in other areas. Beginning with a grounding in Health Studies for my first degree and then going on to complete a Masters in Sociology of Health and Health Care. For my sins returning to nursing and presently completing a taught doctorate in Nursing Science. Thankfully I have found new insights, lost some along the way and am still trying to change the world.
Director of MindFreedom Ireland and board member of ENUSP (European Network of UserSurvivors of Psychiatry) Mary is a former nun and psychiatric survivor. Believing in the myth of ‘mental illness’, for 20 years she was, as she describes herself, a ‘psychiatric slave’ chemically lobotomised by the drug treatment which deprived her of her humanity. With the help of people like Dr.Peter Breggin and Dr. Terry Lynch and MindFreedom International, she had her eyes opened and today is a liberated drug-free woman and active campaigner for a non-violent revolution in psychiatry.
Senior Teaching Fellow - School of Education, Queen's University, Belfast I am a Senior Teaching Fellow in the School of Education, Queen’s University, Belfast, where I coordinate the Open Learning Programme. I studied literature in Trinity College and did a doctorate in Canada on Flann O’Brien. I have been involved in many different fields and have published and broadcast on literature, community development, arts, and disability, social inclusion and inclusive/emancipatory research methodologies. I edited And Never Dared Ask, a manual for service users and carers, produced as an emancipatory research project with an Armagh based disability group, in partnership with Queen’s. I am currently researching learning paradigms which would link policy to practice and genuinely empower users and carers within the mental health nexus and also writing on the functions of madness in Irish literature.I am a carer, and have direct experience of the mental health system and the policy context behind initiatives such as Home Treatment.
Lecturer - School of Nursing - Dublin City University I am a nurse and a midwife and currently work as a Lecturer in Nursing at DCU. I have previously worked at the City Roads Crisis Intervention Centre in London, the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at University College Dublin, the Centre for Social Research of the University of Malawi and the Irish Council for Children’s Hospitals’ Care. I completed a Social Science Degree at University College Dublin and an MSc in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science. My PhD thesis, completed in 2006 at DCU, was entitled ‘Past and present perspectives on power and empowerment in midwifery in Ireland’
Psychotherapist, writer, and lecturer I am Jungian Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist in private practice with a background in childbirth education, founding the Holistic Birth Centre in London in the 1980s. A founder member of the Irish Analytical Psychology Association (IAPA), I returned to Ireland with my family in 1995. A writer, lecturer and pioneer in pre-and perinatal psychology, I write and teach extensively and am on the editorial board of the International Society of Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Medicine (ISPPM). I am the author of ‘Songs from the Womb-Healing the Wounded Mother (Collins Press,1998) and ‘Reclaiming Father-The Search for Wholeness in Men, Women and Children’ (Soul Connections, 2004). I am a frequent speaker at national and international congresses and travel internationally to teach, lecture and run workshops. My next book ‘Love in a Time of Broken Heart’ is due for publication early 2008. My more recent work involves the weaving together of insights gained from Jungian depth psychology, spirituality and healing. Though still concerned with pre-and perinatal work, my focus has broadened and moved to the inner workings of intimate relationships and our search for wholeness.
I am a General Nurse with experience of working with mental patients both on general and mental health wards. My research interest is in mental health, with a particular focus on suicide prevention.
Nurse Lecturer - University of Leeds I have worked for the past 30 years in mental health nursing, initially undertaking my RMN at a private hospital and later in my career enjoying posts in neuropsychiatry, community mental health nursing, primary mental health nursing and as a marital and sex therapist. Since 1992 I have been employed at the University of Leeds as a lecturer in mental health nursing, but retaining one day per week as a primary mental health nurse in a GP’s surgery. At the surgery I see those who are considered to have the ‘less complex’ common mental health problems. Within the University I have responsibility for the Post Graduate Pre- Registration Mental health Course in addition to various other modules.
Equality Studies Centre, UCD I am a doctoral candidate at the Equality Studies Centre in the School of Social Justice, University College Dublin. My research explores the empowerment potential of user involvement in the mental health services. For this project, I have engaged in Participatory Action Research with service users/survivors in Ireland. The practical outcomes of this research are available in a policy paper entitled Equal and Inclusive User Involvement in the Mental Health Services in Ireland: Results from Participatory Action Research published through the Equality Studies Centre and available at www.ucd.ie/esc/html/shari_mcdaid.pdf. I have conducted training with the interim National Service User Executive of the Health Service Executive, and have delivered a lecture to the Masters in Human Development Programme at St. Patrick’s College, Dublin on the topic of power and empowerment in the mental health services. I have a B.A. in philosophy from Northwestern University and an M.A. in Social Science from the Open University. I am also a Policy & Public Affairs Advisor at the National Disability Authority where my policy work includes communications issues for people with disabilities, representation of people with disabilities in the media, and the interface between ageing and disability. Previous to this, I worked as Policy & Administration Manager at Schizophrenia Ireland, and prior to this, I worked with homeless people in London.
Dublin City University, School of Nursing Originally from Omagh in County Tyrone I am currently employed as a lecturer with DCU School of Nursing. I recovered from Schizophrenia with the support of other survivors and professionals and can speak authoritatively and humanely from the inside out, relying not on the presuppositions of dubious and largely unproven scientific theories, but from reflecting sensitively, honestly and often painfully on the experience of “hearing voices” synonymous with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. I was involved in organising the first “Voices” conference in Derry in November1999. As a member of the Institute for Recovery in Mental Health and a prominent member of the International Network of Treatments Alternatives for Recovery (INTAR) I am committed to creating alternatives to the so-called medical or maintenance model. I set up the first user group in Ireland in1994 and was the founder and first Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Advocacy Network, heavily involved in developing peer advocacy training alongside staff awareness training in user empowerment and advocacy to an accredited degree level. I served on the National Disability Association’s Ad Hoc Focus Group on Mental Health and the Management Committee of the United Kingdom Advocacy Network. I have also been instrumental in designing and implementing user led research focusing on user-satisfaction with statutory mental health services throughout Ireland and continue to lecture on mental-health advocacy and recovery oriented approaches to severe psychiatric disability in Universities and Colleges locally, nationally and internationally, alongside facilitating training for mental-health and allied professionals, families and carers.
Theatre Practitioner - Drama Facilitator - Forum Theatre I am an Actor, a Drama Facilitator, a Forum Theatre Specialist and a part time Public Health Nurse... I graduated from the Gaiety School of Acting in 2000, followed by performances in several Dublin Theatres. This varied and happy combination has led me very firmly into the area of Arts and Health and has enabled me to work with extraordinary people in many contexts. Further training includes Facilitation with the HSE, Theatre through Reminiscence with Age Exchange in London, and this year, with an award from the Arts Council, I had the honour of training with Adrian Jackson and Augusto Boal in Theatre of the Oppressed/Forum Theatre. Recent projects include Drama work with Headway Ireland, the Peter Bradley Foundation and the National Rehabilitation Hospital Rehabilitative Training Unit, all with people with Acquired Brain Injury, Theatre through Reminiscence with older people in Dalkey Day Centre in collaboration with Deilg Inis Theatre Co. and currently the same process with residents of Leopardstown Park Hospital. I am also working with women from the Primary Health Care programme for Travellers in Newcastle, Co. Wicklow.
Lecturer - School of Nursing, Dublin City University I am a lecturer in Mental Health at Dublin City University where I coordinate the MSc / Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy (couples and relationships). Prior to working in DCU I was an Assistant Director of Nursing in the mental health services. Additional to my psychiatric and general nurse qualifications, I have completed a BA in psychoanalytic studies and an MSc in Psychotherapy and as a member of the Association of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in Ireland practice as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. During the past five years I have been involved in a number of research projects in the areas of harm reduction for addiction, dual diagnosis and most recently prisoner’s needs in relation to addiction counselling. I am currently a PhD student conducting research on the management of transference in the Irish mental health services.
HRB Clinical Nursing & Midwifery Fellow I am currently undertaking a PhD in the School of Nursing at Dublin City University. My research is focused on the experiences of patients with end stage renal disease on haemodialysis therapy. I was awarded a Clinical Nursing & Midwifery Fellowship from the Heath Research Board of Ireland in 2005. Before I commenced the Fellowship, I worked as a Clinical Skills Nurse in the School of Nursing at Dublin City University. This position involves teaching clinical skills in a simulated ward environment to students undertaking various nursing programmes at DCU. I will be returning to my role as Clinical Skills Nurse in January 2008.
School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin I graduated in 2005 with a BA in Psychology. Since then I have been pursuing a PhD that aims to explore critically the specific way in which embodied being influences experience and sense of self. To investigate this issue an empirical study which explores the experience of medical technology is currently being carried out. This is being carried out from a phenomenological perspective. The project is supervised by Dr. Jean Quigley. I would like to acknowledge the help of the Irish Kidney Association and the Irish Cancer Society in carrying out this project. This study is funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and the Social Sciences.
Conaí Clubhouse EVE Limited I have worked as a staff member in rehabilitative services for people with mental health difficulties over the past 8 years. In 2002, I became a Clubhouse staff member and was involved in the initial set-up of a new Clubhouse in Clondalkin. One of the reasons that the Clubhouse model of service appealed to me was due to its unique partnership approach, whereby members and staff members work together in the organisation and running of the Clubhouse. I completed the ICCD Clubhouse training last year and currently I am managing Conaí Clubhouse in Blanchardstown.
Principal Psychologist - Eve Limited Tom O’Brien is the Principal Psychologist with EVE Limited, a major provider of community-based vocational and psychosocial rehabilitation services to adults who experience mental health difficulties. EVE is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Health Service Executive. He is a Registered Psychologist and a Registered Family (Systemic) Therapist and has worked in a variety of capacities in the disability sector. Tom has presented on mental health-related matters at a number of national and international conferences and has published in the area. He teaches on post-graduate Rehabilitation programmes and has a particular interest in the topic of recovery from mental health difficulties.
Musician in Residence - Waterford Healing Arts Trust I am a musician whose goal is to facilitate music making with others in a way that inspires creativity and draws on the strengths of participants to make music together in an enjoyable and informal manner. I have been performing/recording music in a professional capacity since 1994 and I have received a number of awards from the Arts Council for collaborative work with artists from other disciplines.
Clinical Manager - Peer Counselling Service - Irish Wheelchair Association I trained as a psychologist and family therapist and have been working in the disability sector since 1991. I joined the Irish Wheelchair Association in 2001 to manage the peer counselling service, This is an innovative service that provides emotional supports/counselling to people with disability by other trained people with disability. Since 2000 my work has been greatly influenced by the training I did in narrative therapy and community work with Michael White in the Dulwich Centre, Australia. This training has transformed my way of working and In addition to working with the Irish Wheelchair Association I jointly run a training company that offers training in Narrative therapy practice. We have trained a significant number of psychologists, social workers, therapists and community workers in this way of working.
I gained my BA in Psychology from Trinity College Dublin in 2003. I have recently completed my MSc in Applied Psychology at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown. I have held a number of positions working with disability groups. This has included care work with individuals with learning disabilities and the elderly. I spent a year as a teacher working with a class of teenagers with severe and profound learning disabilities. I have also worked as a rehabilitation training officer on a programme for those who have experienced brain injuries. I then spent over a year working on a home care team in a community adult mental health service. Recently I have worked in a research capacity on the National Stroke Audit with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
I am a dual qualified (RPN/RGN) nurse with several years’ experience in the areas of mental health, sexual health promotion and HIV/AIDS. Much of my clinical experience has been within the NHS in London. During my time in London I held a variety of positions which included sexual health advisor, nurse manager in a high support addictions clinic, CNS in HIV/Mental health. I was awarded a MSc in Health promotion/Health Education from Kings College, London University in 1998.
Language Support Teacher I was raised in the USA and my international experience began when I spent two years in boarding school in Ireland at age eleven. My undergraduate work was done at the University of Notre Dame (BA in Modern Languages and a Secondary School Teaching Certificate). My Junior Year was spent in Angers, France. After graduation I received a French Government Teaching Assistanceship and returned to France for another two years, teaching at French secondary schools and at a private Language School. Upon my return I completed an MA in Applied Linguistics/TESOL at the University of Illinois Chicago-Circle. For the last twenty years I have taught English as an Additional Language in both public and private schools to all age groups in Ireland, France and the USA. I am currently teaching EAL at Scoil Naomh Brid in Celbridge.
Lecturer (Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems), Health Sciences, I have worked in the university sector for over 20 years including five years as Professor of Mental Health Nursing in a jointly funded post in Western Australia. I played a lead role in managing change and introduced clinical innovations in the health services and advanced research and education. My main research areas are mental health service delivery in particular the development and evaluation of mental health nursing practice and older people’s service delivery. I am currently lecturing in Mental Health Nursing, University College Dublin. I have produced 4 books and over 50 papers.
Staff Nurse I'm a psychatric nurse who has spent the last six years working in New Zealand as a Rehabilitation Specialist. The service provided by Health Waikato encompassed people with Severe Enduring Mental Illness and people within the Forensic Service. My background prior to this includes Psychosocial Training with both Kings College London and Southhampton University. I have worked internationally for many years and am now working for West Cork Mental Health Services.
School of Nursing, DCU The Organisational Process Research Group in the School of Nursing at DCU started its activity at the beginning of 2007. The group reunites faculty with various backgrounds (general, paediatric and intellectual disability nursing, but also social sciences). The majority of its members have an established experience in nursing practice and teaching, while another of the members has a strong research experience in social science research dealing with health care systems. Besides their varied previous research interests (nurse education and communication processes, children’s health, health care policies and governance), the group shares a newly developed interest in approaching processes in the health care sector, and especially those affecting nursing work, from a broad and dynamic organisational perspective. Its first project will be presented here in a work-in-progress format, and will try to interrogate the continuous salience of hospital acquired infections in Irish hospitals.
Strategic Development Coordinator - Sli Eile Housing Association I am a psychiatric nurse and have a Masters in Counselling Psychology. I have worked in the area of mental health in the UK and in Ireland, in a variety of community and in-patient settings, including primary care, continuing care and elderly care. I am also a qualified nurse lecturer with extensive experience in teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Lecturer - Dublin City University Jim used mental health services for approximately 14 years. During that time he became actively involved in various mental health initiatives set up with the specific aim to improve the status of people experiencing psychological and emotional distress within mental health care systems. He was employed by a health trust in Northern Ireland for approximately 4 years; first as a Day Care Worker and later taking on the role as the Mental Health Alliance Coordinator (the Mental Health Alliance is a collaborative initiative made up of mental health service users, carers and professionals. It was established to develop services in partnership). He is involved in several local, national and international user and carer initiatives – the Irish Advocacy Network, the Institute for Mental Health Recovery and the International Network of Treatment Alternatives for Recovery (INTAR, http://www.intar.org/). He now works as a lecturer in mental health at the School of Nursing, Dublin City University.
Lecturer - Dublin City University I am a nurse lecturer in DCU, with extensive experience in general and paediatric nursing practice and education. My particular interests are the art of nursing, teaching and learning using stories and poetry. I have also had some short stories and poetry published Other interests include reflection, sociology, communication, death and bereavement, personal development and stress management. My clinical area of interest is in tissue viability and wound care, having won awards for this nationally and from the European Wound Care Association (EWCA) for literature reviewed and documentation devised. respectively. I was a founder member and chair of the first Wound Care Management Committee on the island of Ireland. I am currently undertaking an MSc in Education and Training Management, E-Learning Strand, in DCU, incorporating e-learning into my areas of interest.
Professor in Mental Health Care - Institute of Health and Social Care Research, University of Salford I started working in mental health care in 1975. Over the next 20 years I gained extensive experience in nursing and service management, working in a variety of different specialist mental health service environments and contexts. I left the NHS in 1995 to join Manchester Metropolitan University, Department of Health Care Studies as a teacher and researcher. In 2006, I was appointed Professor in Mental Health Care at University of Salford.
Dr. Margaret Webb is the General Manager of E.V.E. Limited and is a registered Psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland. Since graduating, she has worked exclusively in rehabilitation, initially with the National Rehabilitation Board and then with Rehab as a Psychologist. In 1991, she joined E.V.E. as a Senior Psychologist and became General Manager in 1997. Her research interests have focused on the area of Quality of Life Assessment and Recovery in mental health services. She has pioneered the introduction of the Clubhouse model of service in Ireland and serves on a variety of statutory and non-statutory fora promoting the development of recovery-oriented programmes and practices. She was a member of the advisory subgroups who assisted in the development of the national mental health policy document, A Vision for Change (2006).
‘The Mission of WTN is to create an empowering, holistic inclusive environment which promotes equality and respect for women with mental health difficulties.’
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