Mental Health and Humanitarianism

We’ll be hearing three different perspectives in regard to mental health in the humanitarian sector, not just in regard to the individuals being helped and supported by aid workers, but of the aid workers and humanitarians themselves too, who often work in stressful and traumatic situations.

Exact agenda of the session TBC

Speaker Bios

– Lisa Reilly, Executive Director at GISF

Lisa has over 16 years’ experience in the development and humanitarian response sector, working overseas in a variety of programme management roles in both Africa and Asia. Returning to the UK in 2009 Lisa took up a position with RedR as Security Trainer developing and implementing personal security and security management courses, as well as undertaking a number of short-term consultancy projects backstopping and evaluating humanitarian response programmes.

– Dr Liza Jachens, Webster University

Dr Liza Jachens is a research associate and lecturer at Webster University, Geneva. She is an occupational health and research consultant for both public and humanitarian organisations. She has extensive occupational health experience, designing and implementing psychosocial risk assessments and health interventions. She has numerous publications on stress-related working conditions and employee health and wellbeing.

-Dr Gemma Houldey, Sussex University

Gemma Houldey has worked in the aid sector for over 15 years, with humanitarian, development and human rights NGOs in a range of contexts including Uganda, Kenya and Palestine. In 2019 she completed her PhD which investigated stress among aid workers in Kenya, and she is now writing a book entitled ‘The Vulnerable Humanitarian’ – due out in 2021 – which builds on the findings of the research and offers recommendations on mental health and wellbeing in the aid sector. She also delivers regular trainings on wellbeing and resilience for the charity sector, with a particular emphasis on systemic and structural challenges to mental health.