Mental health advocate Jo takes up new position with MHI

MORE than a decade since beginning her advocacy work with Carlow Mental Health Association (CMHA), local campaigner Jo Donohoe has become the national development manager for programmes with Mental Health Ireland (MHI).

Jo was working as a community development worker with Carlow County Development Partnership when it joined forces with CMHA after reforming the Carlow Suicide Awareness Network, culminating in a group “with the skills, energy and knowledge to make a real difference in tackling the stigma associated with mental health in Carlow”.

Jo says that very early on she started to volunteer time outside of her working role. “Promoting mental health became a passion and one I was really committed to. When you see results, it is easy to give your own time.” During her time with CMHA, she helped to organise Mensana, Carlow's mental health festival, initiate the Hello, How Are You? campaign, launch a website with information on local services and work with businesses and communities across the county.” She told The Nationalist that while working with CMHA she learned a lot about her own mental health, becoming a SafeTALK trainer, working with Suicide or Survive and forming strong friendships with other volunteers along the way. Jo credits her involvement with the local voluntary organisation as a catalyst not only in her personal life but also in her career path, joining Mental Health Ireland, the national charity of which CMHA is a member, as mental health promotion manager in 2021.

From its Carlow inception and under Jo’s guidance, Hello, How Are you? has become a successful national campaign. She has also been involved in the expansion of programmes such as Woodlands for Health and World Mental Health Month. Her recent promotion to the senior management team at MHI will see her continue her promotion work, as well as training, education, corporate engagement, fundraising and recruiting new team members to continue the growth and sustainability of the work. Jo is keen to highlight mental health promotion in the workplace and to ensure that programmes are available to those more socially excluded. “It’s a big responsibility, but one I am excited for. We work on the preventative side, building the skills for people to look after their mental health before it gets to crisis stage. It can be hard to fight that case.”

Jo says that CMHA was a huge part of her life and identity for over ten years, but working nationally is great in a different way. "This work is meaningful and I consider myself lucky to be in a job that I love and that I am passionate about.”