On the 1st of March 2017 the world will be asked to join hands on Self Injury Awareness Day. Also on this day to take place is the second Self-Harm Awareness Conference, organised by St Patrick’s Mental Health Services in partnership with Pieta House, at the AVIVA Stadium in Ballsbridge, Dublin 2.
In 2016, the first event took place at SPUH and was attended by over 200 parents, teachers and clinicians. This year the venue will be moved to the AVIVA Stadium, due to the huge interest received at last year’s event.
People self-harm when they can’t find ways of talking about their problems and feelings that they hide inside. People often feel that they have to feel the pain on the outside, so that they can be relieved from the internal feelings. The reason for this being: “It is easier to cope with physical pain than emotional pain.”
There are many ways people end up harming themselves. They could resort to burning and cutting into the body, so that there are visible scars and marks. “These wounds are tangible, external and treatable”, this is a way of asking for help.
Workshops and presentations will be held throughout the day, with refreshments and lunch. Why not join the conversation and find out more, below is a programme for the day:
Welcome & Opening Addresses
09.00 Registration
09.30 Welcome
Brian Higgins (CEO, Pieta House)
Paul Gilligan (CEO, St. Patrick’s Mental Health
Services)
09.45 Key Note Speaker 1
Dr Niall Muldoon (Ombudsman for Children)
10.15 Key Note Speaker 2 Blindboy Boatclub
(The Rubberbandits)
10.45 Break – Tea / Coffee
Morning Addresses
11.00 Supporting those who Self-Harm
Cindy O’Connor (Pieta House)
11.30 Parents & Caregivers
Anne Ferrey (University of Oxford)
12.00 Young People & Self-Harm
Derek Chambers (ReachOut.com)
12.30 Supporting College Students & Staff
Marian Browne (UCC)
Morning Workshops
11.00 Using sport and performance psychology to foster
positive mental health
Créde Sheehy-Kelly (Tackle Your Feelings)
11.00 Moving adolescents from self-harm to self-care
Marguerite Kiely (Pieta House)
12.00 Autism & Self-Harm
Clodagh Nolan & Claire Gleeson (Unilink)
12.00 Spotting and reducing self-harm in schools
Margaret Bourke (SPMHS)
13.00 Lunch
Afternoon Addresses
13.45 Treating Self-Harm Dr. Susan Healy (SPMHS)
14.15 Reducing SH for those on the Autism Spectrum
Adam Harris (AsIAm)
14.45 Wellbeing and Self-Harm in Schools
Betty McLaughlin (JCT)
15.15 Reducing Self-Harm through SPHE
Brian Murray (PDST)
Afternoon Workshops
13.45 Moving adolescents from self-harm to self-care
Marguerite Kiely (Pieta House)
13.45 Spotting and reducing self-harm in schools
Margaret Bourke (SPMHS)
14.45 Autism & Self-Harm
Clodagh Nolan & Claire Gleeson (Unilink)
14.45 Using sport and performance psychology to foster
positive mental health
Créde Sheehy-Kelly (Tackle Your Feelings)
15.45 Break – Tea / Coffee
Closing Sessions & Discussion
16.00 How society can guide government to reduce
self-harm
Senator Joan Freeman (Founder of Pieta House)
16.30 Discussion Panel: What’s changed in a year,
and what can we all do to make a difference by
next year?
Facilitator: Aine Lawlor (Broadcaster)
17.00 Concluding Remarks
