Making Sense of Mental Health

Jessica is a fully qualified and registered (HCPC, RCOT) Mental Health Occupational Therapist and has worked in various settings within mental health in the NHS for over 15 years, providing assessments and helping people live, not just exist, with mental illness.

Jessica has worked within the Community Mental Health Teams, Mental Health Services for Older People and on the Psychiatric Ward. For the past 6 years her work has been within the Home Treatment Team providing acute care, completing comprehensive mental health assessments and managing high levels of risk with a focus on positive risk taking.

Jessica has developed her skills in Vocational Rehabilitation following postgraduate training with her work in Condition Management, which focuses on enabling people experiencing both physical and mental ill health to return to work. She has a certificate in Cognitive Therapy with additional CPD training in Case Formulation, Behavioural Family Work, and Distress Tolerance.

Jessica also specialises in the use of Standardised MOHO Assessment Tools and Sensory work which is an effective and innovative technique used to help adults manage their emotions and connect with the physiological aspects of our body's responses to distress.

Sharon is a fully qualified and registered (BASW, NISCC) Mental Health Social Worker with over 21 years working in acute Mental Health within the local Health Service. As a Specialist Mental Health practitioner, she has trained as an Approved Mental Health Social Worker (16 years) with a key role under Mental Health Legislation, providing emergency assessments for hospital admissions if needed and has several years experience as the panel chair for the implementation of the new legislation, the Mental Capacity Act.

Sharon has worked across a range of Mental Health Services within the South Eastern Trust including Community Mental Health Teams, Mental Health Assessment Centre, Home Treatment Team and also with emergency services providing rapid responses to mental health needs throughout the night. She has worked to support those struggling with their mental health across all ages and sectors of the community. 

Sharon is skilled in the comprehensive assessment and treatment of mental illness, managing risks in a positive manner and providing a wide range of therapeutic interventions with CPD training in Distress Tolerance, Behavioural Family Therapy, low intensity CBT and perinatal support. Her interventions include both talking therapies and practical supports to manage current symptoms and promote recovery.

Sharon has managed several teams with a drive and passion to motivate and enable staff regarding self-care and mental wellbeing.

Karen is a fully qualified and registered (HCPC, RCOT) Mental health Occupational Therapist and has worked across the field of mental health, with adults and older adults, both in-patient and community, in the NHS for twenty years.  Karen has a joint honours degree in Occupational Therapy and Psychology from Glasgow Caledonian University. 

For the past six years, Karen has worked within community mental health services in acute care and is custom to working with people who are experiencing mental health crisis.  Daily work involved comprehensive mental health and risk assessment and subsequent planning of care.  Karen completed occupational interviews identifying strengths and inhibiting factors to a person’s optimal functioning performance and delivered therapeutic interventions using counselling and psychological strategies.

Karen’s specialist interests are within the field of vocational rehabilitation.  Karen developed specialist skills in her work in Scotland having completed the National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR) qualifications which focus on health in the work-place, identifying and recommending reasonable adjustments aiming to enable an employee to achieve optimum functioning in work and for an employer to have a functioning employee.  An individualised approach is taken aiming to align an employee’s strengths with the working role demands.  Part of this role involved attending a local business network and promoting work and positive mental health. 

In addition to vocational rehabilitation, Karen has completed training in the Model of Human Occupation assessments and in Behavioural Family work.  Most recently, Karen has completed a qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) having achieved a Post Graduate Diploma with commendation from Queen’s University Belfast, December 2023. 

Karen has experience of leading a team, managing staff and has completed leadership training (managing change) whilst working in Scotland. 

Karen brings a breadth of skills and experience including a pragmatic and collaborative approach with her aim of supporting each person to develop skills to maintain and improve upon their own mental health and wellbeing.