Bloomfield Mental Health Services welcomes new CEO
Former head of Pieta House named CEO of Bloomfield Mental Health Services. Brian Higgins takes over from Damien O’Dowd, who held the post for the previous seven years.
Brian Higgins most recently held the position of CEO of suicide prevention charity Pieta House, which provides services free of charge to people suffering from suicidal ideation or who are engaging in self-harm, and to people who have been bereaved by suicide. Prior to his tenure at Pieta House, Mr Higgins was Director of Services for Missing People, a UK-based charity that aims to reunite missing adults and children with their families, and worked as a member of Depaul Ireland’s senior management team.
Mr Higgins brings extensive international non-profit experience to Bloomfield Mental Health Services, having spent time as Rainbow Project International’s National Coordinator and Director of Children’s Services in Zambia, and as the first Executive Director of Depaul USA. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and holds an MSc in Criminology.
Speaking on his appointment to the role, Mr Higgins spoke to his enthusiasm for the new challenge, saying, “I am delighted to have the opportunity to take my work in the mental health sphere to a new level, applying my experience in the area to help those suffering from severe and enduring mental illnesses to live full lives through the services provided by Bloomfield Mental Health Services.” Mr Higgins brings his personal passion for combating mental health stigma to the role, and added, “There is a wealth of misunderstanding surrounding mental illnesses like schizophrenia and Huntington’s Disease, and ignorance leads to stigmatisation of those already suffering. Our work here at Bloomfield is not just to care for those affected, but to communicate with the wider community the devastating effects of those illnesses and how we can all play our part.”