Jacinta studied nursing at St. Brendans Hospital. She has been interested all her life in health. She holds several diplomas in health promotion, Applied Project Management and an Advanced Diploma in Executive and Personal Mentoring and Coaching. She considers herself as an strategic leader and has demonstrated success within statutory and voluntary mental health services in planning, events management, service delivery, health promotion, people management, personal and professional development of staff, third level professional development sector, customer service, voluntary service development and media & communications. From 2011 to 2012 she worked as an Acting Director at the National Office for Suicide Prevention. She has also been holding different positions at Health Service Executive (HSE) and she is currently a National Specialist Planner on Mental Health.