Mental Health in a New Working World
All the Tools You Need to Lead - Webinar
Welcome
Welcome to the ‘Mental Health in a New Working World – All the Tools You Need to Lead’ webinar.
MHI recognises the workplace as having an important role to play in the promotion of good mental health for all workers and to support those who experience a mental health challenge to remain in work/reintegrate effectively.
The concept of mental health has gained great importance in the current post-pandemic world where we are all recovering from such unprecedent levels of stress. The benefits of having conversations about how we can take care of our mental health in all kinds of work situations, be it in the office, remotely or in a hybrid model are clear in this scenario.
The seminar aims at providing business leaders and managers with an evidence based Mental Health Framework they can adapt and implement in their own organizations and provides best practice tools about how to take the first positive steps in that direction.
MHI recognizes the unique role leaders and managers have in promoting healthier workplaces for everyone.
This webinar will address:
- Workplace Mental Health
- MHI’s New Workplace Mental Health Framework
- Best Practices to support and improve workplace mental health

Speakers' Bios
Read more about our speakers
Dr Birgit A. Greiner

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Dr rer med habil, PhD, MPH, MScPsych
Birgit Greiner is an expert in occupational stress and health with over 30 years of international experience in teaching and research. She is well known for her research on the impact of the psychosocial work environment on worker mental health and wellbeing and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. She was an external expert reviewer of the fourth-coming World Health Organisation Guideline on Mental Health and Work. Locally, she has been involved as a Steering Group member in the Cork-based PSYCHED interagency initiative, that offers training to stimulate conversations in workplaces about mental health and encourages employers to foster mental health in organisations.
While being the founder of the MSc in Occupational Health courses at UCC, she has been dedicated to the training and education of students in the systematic assessment and management of psychosocial workplace risks with a view to create physically and psychologically healthy and safe workplaces.
Birgit lectured and conducted research in Germany, the USA, the United Kingdom and Ireland and favours inter-disciplinarity, while having completed academic degrees in work psychology, public health and epidemiology. She has been in a leading role in the ongoing European-wide MENTUPP research project (mentuppproject.eu) with the aim to develop and evaluate a workplace mental health promotion programme for SMEs in the construction, healthcare and the information and communication technology sectors.
Birgit recently retired from her posts as Senior Lecturer and Vice Dean of the School of Public Health at University College Cork but is still active in many capacities in teaching, research and workplace mental health advocacy.
Dr Deirdre Curran

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Dr Deirdre Curran has been employed as a lecturer in NUIG for 25 years. Her main area of teaching surrounds the employment relationship, how it is formed, how it is conducted, and how it might be improved and her work is informed by her core values of justice, equity, and voice.
Deirdre is a Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and she also represents the College of Business, Public Policy, and Law, as a Steering Committee member for the University of Sanctuary initiative aimed at making NUIG a welcome place for refugees, asylum-seekers, and members of our travelling community.
Deirdre is a qualified mediator having completed the PG Cert in mediation at Maynooth University, and she has been involved in mediation research ever since. She was one of the founder members of the Kennedy Institute Workplace Mediation Research Group (www.kiwmrg.ie), and has published several articles on mediation in the Journal of Mediation and Applied Conflict Analysis (JMACA).
Deirdre is currently involved in researching the lived experience of hospitality workers in Ireland with a view to highlighting issues and promoting positive change. She recently published a research report entitled ‘Inside Out Hospitality’. http://whitakerinstitute.ie/inside-out-hospitality-a-study-of-working-conditions-in-the-hospitality-sector-in-ireland/
Sean Russell

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Sean Russell – Principal Investigator driving the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot across the Midlands Engine, European Lead for IIMHL and former Head of Thrive for West Midlands Combined Authority
Sean Russell is the Programme Director and Principal Investigator for the Mental Health and Productivity pilot. He is a retired Police Superintendent having spent most of his 27 years’ service within Birmingham Command Units in operational roles and has a special interest in the intersection between policing, communities and mental health.
In 2017, Sean was appointed as the Implementation Director for the WMCA Mental Health Commission where he led the development and implementation of the Mental Health Commission Action plan. Building on the learning from that role, he is now driving the workplace mental health element through the Midlands Engine Mental Health and Productivity Pilot with lead Partners from Coventry and Warwick Universities, amplifying the work within the West Midlands Combined Authority across the Midlands Engine footprint. The ambition is to reduce the burden of mental ill health, improve people’s lives, and encourage healthier more productive communities through community and workplace wellbeing.
Resources
Thank You
Our co-production team – Catherine Brogan, Sonia Rennicks, Miriam Barrow, Dr Deirdre Curran, Steven O’Neill, Miffy Hoad, Maria Walsh-Healy, Dena McGrath, Carmen Bryce, Georgina Lawless, Teresa Keane, Nicole Lonican, Daniela Monza
Maria Walsh, MEP
Our speakers – Dr Birgit Greiner, Dr Deirdre Curran, Sean Russell
MC – Catherine Brogan, Steven O’Neill
Event Promotion – Carmen Bryce, Georgina Lawless
Technical Manager – Sonia Rennicks
Design team – Sonia Rennicks, Daniela Monza
Supports
In a Mental Health crisis?
You can access mental health support by clicking on the links below
Samaritans Text HELLO to 50808 Other crisis services
On Mental Health Ireland’s website there are also resources you can use to support your mental health
Recovery Education Mental Health Resources Mindfulness resources