Dr. Kevin Mc Kenna
Symposium Co-Chair
Kevin has extensive healthcare experience in Ireland and US in clinical practice, administration, education, and research roles. In addition to nursing qualifications he holds undergraduate and post graduate degrees in psychology and education.
Kevin has a special interest in conflict and aggression within health and social care, and in supporting organisations in providing services free from restrictive practices. He has led a number of national and international educational, practice and research initiatives related to these subject areas including authoring ‘Linking Services and Safety’, the Irish Health Service Executive strategy on responding to aggression within Irish health services, the Seclusion and Restraint Reduction Strategy of the Irish Mental Health Commission, and serving as subject expert within the Irish and UK health services.
Kevin is a lecturer in Dundalk Institute of Technology Ireland where he led the development of the first academically accredited programme for instructors in complex behaviours [including aggression and violence] within health and social care. In addition to his academic post, he is a part time practitioner, and remains research active in a number of practice related areas.
Professor Lene Lauge Berring
Professor Lauge Berring is a psychiatric nurse and researcher specialising in de-escalation and the prevention of violence and coercion in mental health care. Her work combines practice-based research with staff training to implement evidence-based de-escalation strategies and foster safe, respectful care environments. She has led national and international projects on coercion reduction, developed training programmes for mental health professionals, and founded Denmark’s national trauma-informed care centre.
Dr. Marek Páv, MD, PhD, MBA
Dr Páv is a former Chief Physician at Bohnice Hospital and currently holds the position of Deputy for Science, Research, and Education at Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital in Prague. He is also affiliated with the First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Prague. Dr. Páv leads clinical operations, coordinates research, and oversees educational programs for staff and students in the fields of forensic psychiatry and intensive psychiatric care.
Dr. Páv has contributed to the adaptation and implementation of structured professional judgment tools, such as the HCR-20V3, SVR-20V2, SAPROF, SAVRY, and DASA, which are now standard for assessing short-term and long-term violence risk and planning interventions in Czech psychiatric practice. His responsibilities include integrating these evidence-based tools into clinical workflows within Department of Health projects, training multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring ongoing monitoring of patient risk and treatment outcomes at a whole-system level.
Dr. Páv’s work emphasizes systematic risk identification, analysis, and management to enhance patient and staff safety, support individualized care, and improve the overall quality of mental health services.
Dr. Jaroslav Pekara PhD
Dr Jaroslav Pekara has over 20 years' experience working in the healthcare sector. He has experience as an orderly, nurse and paramedic.
Jaroslav currently lectures in crisis communication and self-protection at the Medical University of Prague, where he is also head of the paramedic programme.
Jaroslav is a member of the European Violence and Psychiatry Research Group and the European Network for Training in the Management of Aggression.
Jaroslav currently trains staff in the acute psychiatry department using in-situ simulation, and has participated in several training sessions with self-protection instructors in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland and Ireland.