Mental Health and Wellbeing
International Keynote Presentations on Mental Health and Wellbeing: Dr. Paul Downes
Dr. Paul Downes, Associate Professor of Education (Psychology), Director of Educational Disadvantage Centre gave two recent international conference keynote presentations on the themes of mental health and wellbeing in schools.
Dr. Downes gave the opening keynote presentation at the Austrian Ministry of Education and Science Conference, Psychosocial health as a key factor for successful educational pathways: Contributions of biopsychosocial support systems against violence and early school leaving, October 1st and 2nd 2018. His presentation was entitled, The Neglected Shadow of Emotions and Mental Health Supports for Engaging the Needs of all Students.
The other keynote presentation was given by Professor Wassilis Kassis, Research Chair in Teaching and Learning Processes, Zurich University of Teacher Education.
At the Austrian Education and Science Ministry conference, Dr. Downes also led a 2 hour workshop on multidisciplinary team working, with school psychologists, youth coaches, educational advisors and Senior Ministry officials. This strategic work on integrating combined system supports for early school leaving and school violence prevention, together with mental health supports, builds on his advisory work for the Austrian Ministry of Education and Science on these themes influencing their strategies in the past few years.
He also gave the keynote presentation, Beyond interagency working to developing multidisciplinary teams in and around schools: Key issues for system development, at the University of Warsaw, Poland, Faculty of Education International Conference, Supporting the Wellbeing of Children and Youth – Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 13th – 15th September 2018.