Walk in My Shoes (WIMS) is partnering with Willow Grove Adolescent Unit to host a series of free webinars to support school staff across the 2026/27 academic year.
The webinar series aims to offer support and guidance to teachers and school staff in recognising signs and symptoms of mental health difficulties in students aged 12 to 17 years of age.
The webinars will provide practical tools and advice for responding to mental health concerns within the school environment. They will be presented by Carol McCormack and Petrina Tighe, Clinical Nurse Managers in Willow Grove Adolescent Unit. Willow Grove is a dedicated service within St Patrick’s Mental Health Services that provides mental health care and treatment to young people aged 12 to 17.
The series follows on from the WIMS Webinar Series held in the 2025/26 school year, which saw huge demand and interest from teachers.
Practical tools for school staff
The programme of free online educational talks will offer advice specifically tailored to teachers and school staff.
In the first half of the school year, the webinars will focus on subjects including:
- anxiety (signs and symptoms that may present in a young person experiencing anxiety or anxiety disorders, and how teachers can support students)
- teacher burnout (tips for teachers to support their own mental health and wellbeing)
- low mood (signs and symptoms that may present in a young person experiencing low mood and how teachers can support students)
- eating disorders (how eating disorders may present in the classroom setting).
These will be taking place on 22 September, 13 October, 10 November and 9 December respectively, with each webinar held between 7pm and 8pm.
Further topics for the series in the second part of the school year, from January 2027, will be announced at a later date.
Webinar structure
Teachers and school staff will have the opportunity to send questions to the presenters ahead of the one-hour webinars, and the presenters will answer a selection of these at the end of the webinars.
Following the webinars, attendees who joined the live events will receive fact sheets relating to the webinar content and a certificate of attendance.
Please note, recordings of the webinars will not be available following the events.
Registration
The webinars are free to attend, but registration is required.
See more on each webinar and register for them below.
If you have any queries around or accessibility requirements for attending this webinar series, please email info@walkinmyshoes.ie.
Speakers
Carol McCormack is a Clinical Nurse Manager III working within adolescent mental health services in SPMHS. She holds a Master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and continues to pursue ongoing professional development to ensure her practice reflects the latest evidence and best standards of care.
With over two decades of experience across a range of mental health settings, Carol has developed extensive expertise in both clinical and managerial roles. She is deeply committed to supporting young people and their families through complex mental health challenges.
Her key areas of professional interest include eating disorders, early intervention in child and adolescent mental health, and providing education and guidance to parents, carers, and educators and research. Carol is passionate about empowering those who work with young people, especially teachers and school staff to recognise early signs of distress and respond with confidence and compassion.
Petrina Tighe is a Clinical Nurse Manager I, with a wealth of experience in many clinical areas, she has worked therapeutically with young people and their families for nearly two decades now.
Petrina has a specialist interest and post graduate qualification in grief and loss for children and she has headed up the adolescent triage assessment team in SPMHS for the last number of years. Petrina has had years of experience as an educator having previously taught on the Mental Health – Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Masters programme at Trinity College Dublin.
She has excellent communication skills in helping people understand complex issues. Petrina’s extensive experience of young people’s mental health issues means that she has great practical insights into all clinical presentations.
Through the teacher webinar series, they aim to build understanding, reduce stigma, and promote positive mental health and wellbeing within school communities.
