Presenter: Catherine (Cat) Boland, CCLS, LMP, MS (she/her)
OVERVIEW
This presentation includes an introduction to global resources on suicide prevention and response in humanitarian settings, key actors in an emergency response, and the role Child Life Specialists can play within their scope of practice.
About Our Presenter:
As an experienced Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Technical Advisor, Cat is committed to the advancement of psychosocial support services for children, women, and vulnerable populations facing humanitarian crises globally. Cat started her career working as a Certified Child Life Specialist in the Emergency Medicine and Trauma Center at Children’s National in Washington, DC. She continued her work in Child Life as a Consultant, supporting INGO, NGO and community-based organizations develop and implement psychosocial support programming for children and families globally. Cat currently works at the International Rescue Committee as the MHPSS Technical Advisor within the Violence Prevention and Response Unit. This position sits within the Crisis, Recovery, and Development (CRRD) Department, which houses all of the IRC’s country offices and Country Programs implementing essential programming in over 40 countries globally. Cat also acts as a representative on inter-agency committees in the USA and globally, such as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) MHPSS Reference Group, where she supports on the development of seminal guidelines and resources for the advancement of MHPSS services across humanitarian aid, relief, and development activities.
PDUs: Assessment PDU 1 hr
