Donal Scanlan Email & Phone Number

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

This evolution of the operational leadership at Mental Health First Aid Ireland, to be responsible to lead, grow and develop the Mental Health First Aid Ireland service, ensuring that is is a leading provider of the mental health training programme and provides a fully accredited and quality-assured service. As head of service I am a member of the MHFAI Management Team within Saint John of God Hospital and will lead on the financial and resource planning for the service and ensure that the service is delivered and developed into the future.The position entails the successful strategic and technical leadership of the Mental Health First Aid Ireland team and external consultants. It also involves the exploration and advancement of business development and/or strategic partnership opportunities, while preserving established relationships with a wide array of stakeholders. Additionally, the role includes the responsibility to identify and cultivate lobbying opportunities to enhance the influence of MHFA both nationally and globally.The role will retain operational responsibility and oversight of the current and future MHFAI Operations Team, ensuring the delivery of courses, quality assurance, and product development, with the objective of maintaining a high-quality service that offers value for money.Responsibilities include actively marketing, promoting, and advertising all services and programs under Mental Health First Aid to the general public, social enterprises, non-profit organizations, corporations, and private health insurers, aiming to expand business and networking contacts.Additionally, the role involves developing and managing professional relationships with potential and existing workplace clients, youth organisations, and national mental health stakeholders.

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Returning to manage Mental Health First Aid Ireland is an exciting time for me. With such a dynamic team 'in office' and a group of dedicated instructors supporting training delivery it is an opportunity i couldn't resist. I aim to bring my personal experience of mental health and my professional experience to the role and be an authentic leader for change. I genuinely believe MHFA can be a significant contributor to the social fabric of mental health supports. Together with communities and workplaces around the country, and internationally, we can make a real difference.

County Dublin, Ireland

With this next step as Manager of MHFA Ireland I am inspired to continue my work in mental health, driving real and significant change. I want to lead and inspire our great team to deliver our evidence based training and research program, mental health first aid, in Ireland. I will represent MHFA Ireland at a national and an International level making the MHFA Ireland brand synonymous with excellence and reliability. To date I have provided key-note talks to workplaces, colleges, town halls, schools and colleges on wellness, stigma and mental health always getting asked for more; the next level of how to support others. We have a huge appetite to support others when in difficulty but a real lack of knowledge and confidence to do so effectively. Mental health first aid is the solution to this gap in training. I truly believe MHFA Ireland are part of that solution in Ireland; a solution that engages communities in how to better support and respond to others when they are having mental health problems.Communities are not just our sports clubs or town halls; communities are our workplaces, our families and friends, our colleges and clubs, our schools and voluntary organisations. Everywhere we gather together we have the opportunity to help each other. The people I meet when delivering MHFA inspire me; encourage me with their motivation to see real change in their organisations. To see better organisational well-being and a workforce who feel supported and engaged because an employer had the vision and insight to give them the tools to help themselves and others.

Dublin, Ireland

With well over 15 years experience in mental health I developed my skills with a focus on training, education and facilitation and used the time to reflect on how my own personal story can we woven into my work. Furthermore my organisational and motivational skills led me to the area of project management. I believe in a 'yes' approach when being asked to achieve a goal and then working with others to achieve the end result. I don't know it all. My skill comes with having the humility to realize this and the awareness and skill to utilize the expertise of my team while maintaining the values of the project. Mental Health First Aid is an educational course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help a person who may be developing a mental health issue. We all recognize the availability of first aid courses for physical health however most of these courses do not highlight how to help in a mental health crisis or how to recognize a problem. Mental Health First Aid Ireland aims to fill this gap. As Project Manager my role was to have overall responsibility for managing the role-out and development of MHFA Ireland services and programs. Be responsible for the marketing, promotion and advertising of all the services and programs within MHFA Ireland. I was successful in my endeavors to establish MHFA within Ireland and this saw the provision of MHFA training to multiple organisations and corporate clients throughout Ireland. It further saw the partnership with the HSE on a funded project that would initially see nearly 1000 people trained in MHFA in Ireland. I look forward to seeing how the organisation can grow and scale over the coming years.

The Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace (CICMHW) Advisory Group has been put in place to:• Provide guidance on emerging issues in mental health and wellness and topics that should be addressed in programming at the CICMHW• Provide assistance in identifying gaps in current programming at the CICMHW• Provide guidance in the identification and selection of leading-edge speakers• Provide input on issues such as branding for the CICMHWThe advisory group is meant to be inclusive and to have representation around the table and to obtain feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders.In carrying out its role, the CICMHW Advisory Group will be mindful of the importance of promoting the principles of cultural safety, anti-oppression, human rights, reconciliation and inclusion.

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Ireland

I am a believer in saving for, investing in and spending wisely our 'mental wealth' and wellness. In my work I make efforts towards spreading that message though my public speaking, social media management / event management / stigma campaigning / wellness facilitation. I look forward to bringing this work to a national and international stage. My role is to help enable clients to seek out positive health and well-being behaviours in a supportive motivational manner. Some specifc interventions relate to smoking cessation, sleep problems, health and well-being, nutrition and exercise, stress management. I believe in self advocacy and empowering the self to faciliate positive lifestyle change. I work closely with those who use our services and seek their contributions, advise and advocate for their opinions.I also work with See Change and our other partners to help challenge Stigma in the workplace and society in general, Co-facilitating the Stigma in the Workplace workshop for See Change.I am also a newly qualified TMV Tutor at SJOG. I recently paused my work with Suicide or Survive as a Wellness Workshop facilitator. During these days I got to present and talk to a group of 40 plus participants and talk from a professional and personal perspective on mental health. I firmly believe the answer to reducing stigma is the sharing of lived life experience.I am the social media manager for various mental health related accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc. where i personally help shape the message of hope, recovery and the improving brand image of the organisation.During my time in this post i have been a leader of teams as well as an active member and contributor to others. I have initiated and lead and managed many events at the hospital designed to give our organisation more personality, community spirit and to help challenge stigma.

I was a Specialist for 5 years in the Alcohol Treatment Program in the hospital and co-facilitated the group therapy sessions and helped manage the assessment process while liaising with the various consultant lead teams in the Hospital.

I worked within various wards in the hospital on both days and night. Particularly i worked in the acute admissions ward of SJOG and gained much experience in various client groups and their acute treatment needs.

Post Grad Diploma, Mental Health

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse

Education record