Catherine White GALLORE Guardian ad Litem is a CORU-registered social worker with over 25 years of experience in child protection, family welfare and mental health services. She holds a  Master's Degree in Systemic Psychotherapy/Family Therapy and has advanced from staff social worker to Clinical Manager in both statutory and voluntary sectors.

Her extensive background includes roles in Duty, Intake and Children in Care Teams where she conducted assessments, interventions, and collaborated with agencies such as the Gardaí, schools, GPs, mental health and addiction services. Catherine has significant court experience, having prepared and presented reports in District and High Courts.

As a Team Leader in Child Protection Services, she supervised a team of eight social workers, ensuring adherence to local and national policies and legislation.

Her role as a Family Welfare Conference Coordinator with the HSE South involved facilitating care plans under the Children Act 2001.

For 12 years, Catherine served as Principal Social Worker in a Regional Child and Adolescent Inpatient Unit, working with youth facing acute mental health challenges.

She has extensive clinical experience working with young people and families presenting with eating disorders, psychosis, suicidal ideation, chronic self-harm, depression and severe anxiety.

Catherine has a particular interest in working with young people with eating distress/eating disorders and has conducted research into Attachment and Eating Disorders in the treatment of Adolescents in Inpatient Settings as part of her Masters in Systemic Family Therapy.

Catherine has considerable experience of the Mental Health Act and in particular Section 25 applications.

She has She contributed to policy development, including the National Standard Operating Procedures for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

As a Clinical Manager with Jigsaw Youth Mental Health Services, Catherine managed a team of clinicians and oversaw the screening and risk assessment of referrals. She is also engaged in education, lecturing and supervising students in social work programs at University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin.