Greener AHP Week: Integrating Sustainability into Mental Health Practice

Presentation: Integrating sustainability into mental health practice 

Jenny will present on integrating sustainability into mental health practice with practical strategies for occupational therapists. She will also cover how eco-friendly approaches can enhance therapeutic interventions while supporting both client well-being and environmental conservation. 

Jenny Okolo is a psychiatric occupational therapist and an award-winning mental health advocate, with extensive experience within the criminal justice sector. Her main areas of focus are workplace well-being, mental health and neurodiversity. Also passionate about enhancing daily functioning, Jenny uses her mental health platform SASA to provide mental and sensory health assessments and encourage accessible resources, impacting hundreds of clients worldwide.

Jenny has made it her mission to share her knowledge as explored through facilitating workshops, podcasting and numerous other public speaking engagements worldwide including a TEDx talk, 'How Far Can Your Empathy Go?' in collaboration with the NHS. She is invested in supporting the well-being of others and her credits include Cosmopolitan, The Independent, Metro, Google and Refinery29. 

Additionally, Jenny integrates sustainability into her work, promoting eco-friendly practices and advocating for the intersection of mental health and the environment by advocating for eco-therapy programs that combine mental health treatment with outdoor activities such as gardening, nature walks, or outdoor group therapy sessions. 

This Greener AHP week is an opportunity to:

• share projects and ideas for AHPs to get involved
• raise awareness of the links between health and climate change, the NHS net zero ambition, and the shifts required to build a Greener NHS programme, nationally and regionally
• support each other and grow networks
• consider what a greener NHS might look like and what the benefits can be for us all.