Booking will close the day before the event so details on how to join the event can be emailed to those who have booked a place.

This webinar will focus on culturally sensitive assessments in the areas of child welfare and protection and in mental health with a focus on working with culturally/ethnic diverse service users. The webinar is part of the CPD programme of the IASW Anti-Racism Strategic Plan 2021-2023. 

Agenda

12.00-12.05        Introduction and Welcome from Evelyn Oboh (Chair)

12.05-12.25        Culturally sensitive practice when working with ethnically diverse families (Yemisi Ojo)

12.30- 12.50       Culturally sensitive practice intervention in mental health (Esther Onolememen)

12.55-13.55        Panel Discussion and Q&A with Social Workers

• Bernard Cantillon
• Ruth Omoregie
• John Levi
• Monica Hynds

13.55 -14.00       Concluding Remarks - Evelyn Oboh

Speaker Biographies

Esther Onolememen

Esther Onolememen is a professionally qualified social worker from Trinity College Dublin.  She holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Diversity in Mental Health from The Harvard School of Medicine.  She is currently specialising in Systemic Psychotherapy in the UCD School of Medicine.  Esther currently works as a Mental Health Social Worker with the Health Service Executive (HSE).  She is a Global Sickle Cell advocate, and Diversity Health Strategist with a very strong mental health, child protection and project management/lead background. She is the founder of Sickle Cell Society Ireland and founding president of Pan European Sickle Cell Alliance, where she represents Ireland within the EU framework. Esther has over 16 years’ experience working with young people, children, and their families within clinical and community settings.  She previously worked in Tusla - with statutory responsibility of protecting vulnerable children and families. She was recently co-opted as a board of Director of the Irish Patients Association (IPA) – with a special interest in directing the Diversity and Inclusion affairs. Esther has led and founded several other sickle cell initiatives nationally and globally – founding and setting up the first Primary Care Centre for Sickle Cell in her region in the Southern part of Nigeria, and more recently in 2020 co-founding the Africa Sickle Cell Alliance, an umbrella organisation with over 27 African countries leading NGOs represented.

Owing to her credible work in the area of sickle cell in Ireland and globally, Esther successfully worked with  institutions of Higher Education  in Ireland towards recognising the need for the inclusion of sickle cell education in their curriculum as this presents a preventative approach to better healthcare outcomes for patients and for the first time ever since 2014 sickle cell has been recognised in a higher education curriculum in Ireland.

Yemisi Ojo

Yemisi Ojo is a Community Leader, living in Ireland for over 20yrs. She has over 15 years experience as a Tusla Family Support Practitioner and is currently based at Chamber House, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Yemi is the Founder and CEO of Integration of All Children in Ireland (IACI). Yemi also co-founded several organizations and platforms such as Host-Family Matters, a weekly programme that creates awareness about family issues. New Communities Partnership an organization set up in 2003 to support migrants in Ireland. Yemi holds a Diploma in Family Support, from National University Galway.  She has facilitated child protection training with emphasis on cultural perspectives to over 500 migrant parents, social workers and social care workers and, community leaders, church leaders and foster parents. She is the Author of an inspirational Leaflet for Young People titled “Me, Myself and I” and “131 Tips on a Happy and Healthy Relationships”. Yemi is also the Winner of a number of prestigious awards including Unsung Heroes Lord Mayor’s Awards and Community Developer Awards of 2011.