Kate O'Hara
I have worked full time for CSIP and previously for NIMHE (National Institute for Mental Health in England) Regional Development Centre since January 2004. I lead on Public Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion and Anti-stigma and Discrimination work.
The key parts of my role are to support NSF Standard One (Mental Health Promotion) Leads across the West Midlands in delivering effective local mental health promotion strategies and to build and maintain relationships with other regional organisations to drive forward the wider public mental health agenda, which for example is seeing some success through our membership of the Regional Assembly’s multi-sector Health Partnership.
Prior to joining NIMHE, I worked in Dudley Health Promotion Service for 10 years leading the development and implementation of their mental health promotion strategy. I originally trained as a Psychiatric Nurse, working as a Community Psychiatric Nurse, specialising in Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatry.
I have a post graduate diploma and MSC in Health Promotion from UCE and have contributed to the development of mental health promotion at regional and national levels for several years and I am a member of NIMHE’s National Advisory Group for Mental Health Promotion. I was a co-author of a Society of Health Education and Health Promotion paper “Ten Elements of Mental Health, Its Promotion and Demotion: Implications for Practice” (MacDonald G, and O’Hara, K 1998) which provides a sound theoretical basis for and practical advice on mental health promotion work. Practitioners in various areas within and outside the region have used this paper and it has been referenced in a number of key publications.
Administrator: Melanie Nicholas
Telephone Number: 0121 678 4850
Email:kate.ohara@csip.org.uk