Mary Kennedy

Dr. Mary Kennedy is an Assistant Professor in Social Work at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin (UCD). She previously served as a Teaching Fellow at UCD and Assistant Lecturer in Social Care at South East Technological University. Her career spans academic roles at Trinity College Dublin and extensive practice experience in mental health, child protection, palliative care, and domestic violence.

• University College Dublin: Assistant Professor (2023–present), Teaching Fellow (2022–2023)
• South East Technological University: Assistant Lecturer in Social Care (2021–2022)
• Trinity College Dublin: Research Manager, Assistant, and Teaching Assistant (2018–2021)

Mary’s research focuses on trauma-informed practices, particularly the application of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in service development. She explores intergenerational trauma transmission, implementation science, maternal mental health, and evidence-based interventions for domestic violence perpetrators. Her work integrates epidemiological insights with clinical supervision frameworks.

Recent publications highlight ACEs in community-based family services and domestic violence support systems. Grants include UCD-funded life-course psychoeducation studies and IHREC-funded investigations into human rights barriers for women in addiction seeking refuge. She contributes to peer review for journals like the European Journal of Social Work and the Journal of Family Violence.

• 2024: UCD College of Social Sciences and Law grant for multi-generational depression study
• 2024: IHREC-funded research on domestic violence support access for women in addiction

Mary serves on CORU’s Social Work Registration Board, overseeing qualification recognition and education standards. She co-founded the UCD/Tusla Learning Forum to bridge academic-practice gaps in child protection.