Jigsaw Donegal

Study and work

Colleen Kearney has a degree in Psychology and a Social work qualification. Colleen has experience in working within a child and adolescent mental health service as well as working with young people in the care system.

Study and work

I qualified as a Community Youth Worker and I worked in different organisations supporting young people throughout Northern Ireland. Later on, I returned to university and qualified as a social worker.  I have a wide range of experience working with children, young people and parents.

I found out about Jigsaw from a friend and felt that it would be a great opportunity for me to continue offering support to young people.  I feel privileged to work with and support young people and I went to continue to enable young people to make positive choices and decisions.

Study and work

I have a degree in Mental Health Nursing from University of Ulster at Magee and I am a qualified Holistic Massage Therapist. I have worked in both hospital and community settings providing support and nursing care to people with a range of mental health issues. I believe in providing nursing care that is person-centred, supporting people to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to effectively manage their own mental health.

I really enjoy working with young people and I am delighted to be part of a team that are passionate about hearing and supporting young people with their mental health.

I love music, watching films, kayaking and walking on the beach with my two dogs Patch and Daisy.

Study and work

Before Jigsaw, Sonya worked as a teacher and an educational psychologist for 15 years. She has enjoyed working with children and young people as well as those around them to promote success and mental and emotional wellbeing in education and in their wider lives.

Study and work

I graduated from the University of Ulster, Magee with a BSc Hons in Community Youth Work and later went on to study an advanced Diploma in Project Management from Dublin Business School.

I have been working with Jigsaw for a number of years, previously as Youth and Community Engagement worker in Meath before returning home. Prior to coming to Jigsaw, I spent several years working in a management role with a Street based/ Outreach Youth Work organisation in Derry. The role gave me the opportunity to support young people in verity of settings through education, justice, care and health.
Supporting young people of the north-west has been a passion of mine for many years and I’m delighted to be able to continue that work with my colleagues in Jigsaw.

Study and work

I studied Humanities and Cultural Studies in Dublin Business School and then did my Arts degree in English, Sociology and Political Science in the National University of Ireland, Galway.

I have always worked in the healthcare sector and really enjoy working with and meeting new people. I believe that good mental health is vital to ensure a healthy, happy nation so when the opportunity to join Jigsaw arose I jumped at the chance to be involved.

Study and work

I’m an occupational therapist having studied in Ulster University. I also hold an MSc in Occupational therapy from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh and last year completed a PG diploma in Clinical Supervision in Trinity College.

Over the years I have worked in various mental health settings both in Ireland and Scotland which has offered me an opportunity to work with people, young and old and their communities. Having worked for Jigsaw for nearly 5 years I have met many young people and I’ve been fortunate to be able to offer support to them to overcome their challenges, achieve their goals and learn skills which they can bring into their future lives.

Study and work

I have an undergraduate degree in sociology from Liverpool John Moores University, and I also hold a Master’s degree in Social Work from Liverpool Hope University. Over the years, I have worked with young people across both statutory and voluntary sectors, specifically in relation to LGBTQ youth services, drug and alcohol services and domestic violence/ abuse services. Supporting young people’s mental health has always been a passion of mine, and I am absolutely delighted that I get to work with our team to ensure we provide the best support for all young people across Co. Donegal.

In my personal time, my hobbies include hiking and getting out in nature. I also enjoy reading and knitting to unwind. I also love getting to meet new people and travel.

Study and work

I trained as an Occupational Therapist in Coventry University and worked in England before moving home to Ireland a number of years ago. I have worked in a variety of different settings in my career as an OT, and for the most part, I have worked with people of different ages in mental health support services.

I have always enjoyed working with young people and local communities, so I was thrilled to have gotten the opportunity to join the Jigsaw team.

In my spare time, I enjoyed helping out with my local football club at home, listening to music, reading and being outdoors.

Study and work

I’m a qualified Social Worker, with experience in working in Child Protection and Children in Care social work teams. My favourite part of this work was engaging with the young people and it gave me the opportunity to see some of the issues impacting on mental health and the importance of early intervention services and having people young people can speak with to prevent crisis.

Working as a Jigsaw Clinician means I get to work with young people every day and provide this early support and promote the mental health and wellbeing of young people in Donegal.