The Dept. of Adult and Community Education welcomes Marica Ferri, Jen McAsey and Derek Byrne as presenters at the annual Addiction Studies/Psychology Seminar.
Marica Ferri is a senior expert in public health and drug policy, with extensive experience in evidence-based research and capacity development. She currently leads initiatives on preparedness and response at the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). With a strong background in epidemiology and public health, Marica has contributed to shaping European strategies on substance use and harm reduction. She brings her expertise to this lecture, offering valuable insights into the evolving challenges of drug policy and public health in Europe. Marica will talk about the EU Drug Use and Health and Social Responses in Europe.
Jennifer McAsey is a Team Leader managing two community based Addiciton, Family & Child Services in Dublin North East. She has been working for over 15 years in Community Addiction Services. Her previous background was in Disability and Adult Mental Health. She is a pre-accredited member of the Addiciton Counsellors of Ireland and is currently focused on completing a Masters in Addiction Recovery with specific focus on trauma, psychological safety and its significance for women to engage services. Jen will talk about Addiction Trends and Responses at national and look at local trends and community responses.
Derek Byrne is an Academic and Journalist living and working in Dublin. He currently teaches on the Addiction Studies programme in the Department of Adult and Community Education at Maynooth University and is the LGBT+ Domestic Violence Education Officer at Men’s Aid Ireland. He has also worked as a Journalist and Broadcaster for over twenty years, most notably in the Opinion section of the Irish Times where he has commented on a range of social issues pertaining to the LGBT+ community and drug and alcohol policy in contemporary Ireland. Derek’s presentation will focus on Intimate Partner Violence-The Chemsex factor taking a Harm reduction non-judgmental approach.
We are looking forward to welcoming our certificate in Addiction Studies and certificate in Psychology students to what is shaping up to be an interesting and informative and if previous years are anything to go by a very enjoyable day.